Reply to Why does Montgomery County Subsidize Taxes for Country Clubs?

Forum Index » Metropolitan DC Local Politics

Reply to "Why does Montgomery County Subsidize Taxes for Country Clubs?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Environmentalists are strong supporters of open spaces, for helping with local watershed, water runoff, wildlife habitats, oxygen production, air pollution, cooling hot temperatures.  The broader public gets these benefits [b]without payment.[/b][/quote]

But we do pay higher taxes to compensate for country clubs paying lower taxes.   Preferential tax rates aren't costless.  [/quote]

Budgets are fungible. If less money comes in from “X”, then “Y” and “Z” each need to pay more to make up the difference.

Everyone’s taxes in the county are incrementally higher to make up for the revenue lost from country clubs not paying as much. You CANNOT argue otherwise. This is simple math. [/quote]

No, it is not that simple. Commercial buildings, apartment buildings, condos, and home cost money, in terms of more congestion, roads, schools, public safety.  Why did some object to Amazon bid for White Flint, because Amazon would bring more people, demanding more everything.  While more people pay taxes, those taxes may not offset the added burden on govt.  So, yes, golf courses and other open spaces reduce demand for govt expenditures on everything (ie, save govt money).  More importantly, open spaces provide real tangible environmental benefits.  One maintenance guy complained to me yesterday that the recent record rainfall has overwhelmed many county drainage systems.   Stormwater is a real issue in urban areas.  Why do you think pervious paving materials are favored over impervious driveways?  Turning open spaces into buildings, houses and roads only worsens issue, costing money to solve.  So, yes, open spaces reduce burdens on govt resources and offer real environmental benefits.   Whether economic value of reduced burden and environmental benefits is less or more than tax breaks is hard to judge, obviously.  But, on your theory, lets go after religious organizations, educational institutions, other nonprofits who also get tax breaks and who provide other benefits, but not those.  So, saying everyone's taxes are incrementally higher is rather than simple minded.  Yes, county has a very high tax burden, not because of golf courses, but because of its leadership, both current and past. County total tax burden is absurd and is higher than neighboring jurisdictions, including next door in Washington, DC.  A mentality to tax, tax, tax will only continue to drive residents away.  County has fallen behind its neighbors, dramatically.  A tax tax perspective will not help.

[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics