And just when did a tax NOT PASS????? Get real - if it CAN be taxed, it will be..
gillumhouse said:
And just when did a tax NOT PASS????? Get real - if it CAN be taxed, it will be.
Our city voted today to impose a new 1% sales tax to build a new "water park". New pools, both indoor and out. As a result, they're eliminating the 2% tourism tax. So my guest's tax actually goes down 1%. But it's a huge amount of money for a town of 7000 ($7.5 million for construction, plus $700,000/year for eternity to run the thing). That's a lot to spend for the handful of people who will actually use it!
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I am proud to say the people of the town where I went to high school voted to increase their real estate taxes to build a new high school rather than allow the high school to be consolidated. I know that is very different from a pool (s) but I am proud they did it.
As for the pools - I am happy to hear indoor also. They would not listen to me when ours was being built (I strongly suggested an indoor/outdoor combo but they just did outdoor. Not long afterward, a person who was adamant for the outdoor only stopped me on the rail-trail and said he was sorry they did not listen. We have a beautiful pool that can only be used 3 - 4 months of the year IF the weather is good. If they had made it indoor/outdoor, in the off months, the gate could be closed and the indoor part used for water aerobics, pool parties, laps, etc. Now we spend each summer praying that we will at least break even.
The pools will make your city desirable as a place to visit and more so, as a place to live. They will bring a benefit to the city. When we moved here, people said in surprise - "You moved here on purpose?" Now we have amenities and recreation and because of that we have a business district again. It all works together like a circle. Amenities bring people, people bring business, business brings people.
Just building the bocce courts here has brought activity and people. Charities and Festivals are using our bocce courts for fundraisers and activities. We have bocce leagues and tonight they had classes to teach young people how to play bocce. Our Park (not to brag but...) was donated land, cleared by volunteers, grants submitted for the pool, a walking trail built around the park, pavilions were materials purchased by citizens/clubs (Legion and Moose went halfers for the big pavilion) and built be city workers with donated help from carpenters union and a local contractor to roof the big one. One of the Churches paid for and built the playground down by the pool and in April using grants and donations, a $30k+ playground was built by our city workers and volunteers and cost the City about $12k. The Performance Center (band shell) is being built right now (50/50 grant) and a group of kids just came to the City last week asking for a moto-cross at the park for their bicycles - so we are going to dump some piles of dirt and let them make what they want. People (and companies) rent our pavilions for picnics and parties.
Use it or not, people will buy homes in your town because there is a pool.