Why Michigan is goind to hell #2

[Jen]

For instance we have wacky recall elections, people have a personal gripe with a township board of trustees and they get on the bandwagon of half truths lies, and innuendo to recall elected officials. Many of these recalls are over a township enforcing it's zoning laws, or a right of way issue, or the way a trustee dresses. The way a recall ballot is written is not even required to be true!!!!!

We also allow mobile home parks to shirk their fiscal responsibility to the community and the Mobile Home Commission is leading the charge to keep the very lucrative park developers in business, subsidized if you will by the tax paying residents and businesses in the state. A three dollar trailer fee is all the residents of park pay in taxes, they are not on the property tax rolls! Mobile home park manufacturers are not required to follow the same design standards as other developments in a community, and they think they are exempt from inspections by a local municipality.

Michigan is one of two states in the entire union that taxes farm land at it's best and highest use, at its development value than as it's use as farm land. And we are trying to make farmland preservation a priority?

I am hoping the good govnr Jen Granholm will make some of these issues a priority!!!!

 

[Chet]

Michigan is one of two states in the entire union that taxes farm land at it's best and highest use, at its development value than as it's use as farm land. And we are trying to make farmland preservation a priority?

Wisconsin just switched to use value assessment a few years ago. It has been a godsend for us since we are on the "urban fringe". There's no way a farmer could afford to stay in business when his land is assessed at $60,000 an acre and the mill rate is $21.00 per $1000.

 

[iamme]

While use value assesment does have the effect of relieving pressures to develop immediately, that land will be developed when the owner wants to retire. Also, that has started a process of shifting more of the tax burden to residents, off the backs of what are essentially small businesses. This change has taken hundreds of millions off the tax rolls. They should have continued to tax the land at what its development potential is and bought up development rights to areas that would be deemed worthy to preserve. Then areas of the state that are under no pressure to develop or want development in their region can continue to pay full taxes.