To The Editor:
I recently received my Warren tax bill. All I could say was “Wow!” It has been going up ~3 to 5 percent annually for the last few years!
Last month the Community Economic Development Committee (CEDC) proposed to the Mad River Valley Steering Committee that the Mad River Valley Planning District (MRVPD) be funded by a Local Options Tax (LOT) to be added to local property taxes. To that I say not only “no,” but “hell, no!” More than doubling the MRVPD annual budget, as reported in The Valley Reporter, from $320,000 to $825,000 may be a good idea or a bad idea – but it is an unaffordable idea if funded by local option property taxes.
This sounds a bit like Efficiency Vermont -- started by the Public Service Board in 1999 to foster energy efficiency with a volumetric charge on taxpayer power bills. Efficiency Vermont funding is out of control, reaching $52 million this year – all on the backs of ratepayers as an addition on their utility bills. The Legislature/Shumlin administration has not demonstrated the political will to end this handout.
If you want jobs, housing and quality of life in the Mad River Valley, it would be better to pressure our tax and spend Legislature to cut excessive taxes and regulations. According to the annual Rich States, Poor States, Vermont is again 49th out of 50 states on economic outlook due to Vermont’s rating on 15 different variables, including tax rates, labor policies and overall regulatory burden. Adding another layer of nonelected bureaucracy (MRVPD) may be a good idea (maybe not), but treats only symptoms. The real problem is the bad business environment resulting from our Legislature’s policies. Address that, before adding to my property tax burden.
George Schaffer
Warren
