[AT] Subdivision Development

[Herbert Metz]

Forsyth County, GA is one of a few counties where senior citizens do not pay 
school taxes; our taxes paid this year were $1.80/$1,000 current market 
value.   Our not paying school taxes was approved by the voters a couple 
years ago., just before the economy slumped.  The schools wanted to fight 
it, but were afraid to.
A dozen years ago we had one high school, now we have three, and will have 
two more in another two years.   Our county has been in top five fastest 
growing counties in US for the last five years; one year we were beat out 
for #1 spot by a county in N.C.?, that had added a 2,000 inmates (now 
referred to as residents) prison.    We are finally starting to assess new 
homes an impact fee (use of this money is very restricted); this has been 
fought by realtors and builders, even in court, for many years.
Herb

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cecil E Monson" <cmonson at hvc.rr.com>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Monday, November 29, 2004 9:03 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] Concrete slab- Subdivision Development


>> Hi Cecil,
>>
>> Actually the influx of folks from up your way HAS reduced our tax rates. 
>> The county is building buildings, adding services and hiring folks like 
>> crazy but the tax rates have held their own or come down for the last 
>> several years.  Of course the inflation in property values caused by the 
>> same chain of events have made the actual tax BILL higher.
>>
>> Charlie
>
>
> Sad to say, you cannot depend on this situation staying the
> way it is. What has happened here with all these newcomers is the
> demand for more and more services and added expense to go with it.
> As long as the local residents outnumbered the newcomers, the taxes
> stayed pretty stable here too. But, as soon as these people outnumbered
> the locals, they started voting in bigger and more expensive schools,
> wanted bigger and more expensive highway departments and on and on and
> on until they raised the taxes out of sight. Our tax INCREASE in school
> taxes alone on this property for the year 2004-2005 was over $6000. I
> have to say this was a bitter pill to swallow.
>
> Take our Township highway department for example. In New York
> these Town highway departmenst normally have between 3 and 6 or 7 men
> in the departments. Ours has 18 now with a full time "sit at a desk"
> superintendent. They do a great job and the roads are just great - no
> doubt about it but it is expensive. The newcomers want to drive the
> full speed limit no matter what the weather is and in the winter they
> want the roads broom clean.
>
> Another ha ha  -  I believe the dog warden has a 4WD vehicle.
> I seriously doubt the need for this. I remember back in the 1980s when
> I went to Massachusetts to build Cable TV systems and the people there
> had just voted in Proposition 2 1/2 to lower excessive property taxes.
> I noticed the Dog Warden in one of the local Townships had a brand new
> $75K Telsta bucket truck. Guess why??  To get cats out of trees. Geez,
> I never heard of anything so rediculous but it goes to show you how
> taxes go up if the people allow it. Did you ever see a cat skeleton up
> in a tree?
>
> So, watch the taxes, Charlie. And believe me they bear watching.
>
> Cecil
> -- 
> The nicest thing about telling the truth is you never have to wonder
> what you said.
>
> Cecil E Monson
> Lucille Hand-Monson
> Mountainville, New York   Just a little east of the North Pole
>
> Allis Chalmers tractors and equipment
>
> Free advice
>
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