Wolfeboro Tax Rate

[Major]

Originally Posted by FlyingScot

nightrider/Major--it's all good sport for you to blame "wealthy people from Massachusetts" for increasing your tax bill. But let's remember that wealthy people from Massachusetts are subsidizing the lake school systems with huge property values for their second homes which do not include any children in the school system.

I'm not suggesting that the tax appraisals be different, only pointing out that if you're a year-rounder, you're getting a much better deal than the Mass people you blame.

I think your post is a little misguided. I never blamed "wealthy people" from Mass. The amount of people who have moved to NH from Mass over the past 20 years is staggering. Most of them live in southern NH, not in central NH. In fact, the population from the Lakes Region north has been stagnant over the past 20+ years.

I grew up here. "Live Free or Die" is not just a motto but was a way of life. Self-reliance and liberty were core values in NH. Those values have changed with the influx of people from Mass. It is their expectation of government that is creating the high property taxes. Instead of going to schools, roads and police/fire protection, our money is now being spent on social programs, rehabilitation facilities, Section 8 housing, local jails, etc.

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by Major

I grew up here. "Live Free or Die" is not just a motto but was a way of life. Self-reliance and liberty were core values in NH. Those values have changed with the influx of people from Mass. It is their expectation of government that is creating the high property taxes. Instead of going to schools, roads and police/fire protection, our money is now being spent on social programs, rehabilitation facilities, Section 8 housing, local jails, etc.

I think your misguided some yourself Major... Most of the Social programs rehabilitation facilities, section 8 housing, local jails etc. is not the Massachusetts effect.... Most of this is federally mandated.....

NH has to stop trying to point the finger at whom they want to blame for the problems that the state has financially... The problem is all within the state and local government... Education was never properly funded in NH.... Niether were many other things...

Why do you think NH gave up on the little license plates for boats, and exclusive NH non-reciprocal boat registration???
If you look into that you find that the federal government was going to pull funding for all sorts of things if NH, didn't fall in line...The funding the federal government was going to pull, included funding for fish and game initiatives, federal grants awarded to the Marine Patrol to help subsidize coastal waterway patrols etc.....

New Hampshire's live free or die attitude has backed them into a corner... the fear of additional taxes has made it even worse... NH continues to burden the people that make its economy function... the Tourism and second home owners..... eventually the burden will become to much.

[Major]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

I think your misguided some yourself Major... Most of the Social programs rehabilitation facilities, section 8 housing, local jails etc. is not the Massachusetts effect.... Most of this is federally mandated.....

I disagree. Federal mandates did not require the Laconia City Council to invest in Section 8 housing. Investors who chose to construct such housing received Federal funding, which the City doesn't receive. The City approves Section 8 housing strictly for the property tax revenue. It could have shot down such requests. The Federal government didn't require drug treatment facilities on every corner of downtown Laconia. Again, the City approved the facilities for the property tax revenue. The Federal government didn't require the Taj Mahal local jail to be built. The Belknap County Sheriff's department didn't like working in the facility, they relentlessly complained, and the City Council and County Commission caved in to build the new facility. Jail and/or prison isn't supposed to be nice. The taxpayers would have appreciated a modest remodel.

Sometimes the Federal government offers money in exchange for hiring more teachers, police or firefighters. But guess what, the money typically sunsets, and who's stuck with the recurring expense? The taxpayers! Salary, benefits and most importantly pensions! We don't have to take advantage of these wonderful programs, we can simply turn down the money.

My point is that NH had a different approach to government, and that has changed. It's changed because of the influx of out-of-staters. Look at the election results of the most recent election to elections 20, 30, 40 years ago. Of course, the divide between Democrats and Republicans is as wide as ever. Years ago, there wasn't much of a divide.