I spoke with a lady two days ago who lives in Taylorsville and works in West Valley. While she lives somewhere else, she did have some thoughts about the 40 hours a week she spends in our fine city.
She talked about zoning. When she goes out to eat lunch or dinner, she has only fast food to choose from. There aren't any sit down or fine dining restaurants in the area where she works and this limits her options.
Now here's someone who lives in Taylorsville, but spends her money five days a week in our city. When she spends her money here, a portion of the sales taxes stay in the city as revenue.
If we plan our zoning wisely and market that zoning to a variety of restaurants, we can entice them to set up business here. This will provide more sales tax revenue, from more than just West Valley citizens. More sales tax revenue will allow us to lower property taxes. Together we can work wonders.
I'll be careful with your money.
30 July 2009
29 July 2009
Lowering WVC Property Taxes, Part 3 of 3
I know a family in the process of building their own garage. They're doing this because, like most of us, they do not have a lot of money. (According to our 2000 census, the average family in West Valley earns $50,435.)
The garage is not yet complete and the County Assessor has already been to their home to reassess the value. This inspired for the following brainstorm for lowering property taxes.
Here's the idea: when major improvements are made on a home, the City issues a tax break. Perhaps for each $5,000 of verified improvements, that add value to the home, you get one year without a tax increase, with a maximum break of three years. If the home is sold in that time period, the tax rate returns to the value of the property.
This allows you a few years tax break to help pay for the improvement. How about an incentive to improve our homes instead of fines for non-compliance with an ordinance? I like incentives over fines any day. So what do you think? Maybe we even step it up a notch and say for every $5,000 spent, you get a 5% reduction in your property taxes for a year. Why not?
There are plenty of ways we could beautify our city and reduce taxes at the same time; so with your support and my willingness to brainstorm ideas like this, we'll work wonders.
I'll be careful with your money.
The garage is not yet complete and the County Assessor has already been to their home to reassess the value. This inspired for the following brainstorm for lowering property taxes.
Here's the idea: when major improvements are made on a home, the City issues a tax break. Perhaps for each $5,000 of verified improvements, that add value to the home, you get one year without a tax increase, with a maximum break of three years. If the home is sold in that time period, the tax rate returns to the value of the property.
This allows you a few years tax break to help pay for the improvement. How about an incentive to improve our homes instead of fines for non-compliance with an ordinance? I like incentives over fines any day. So what do you think? Maybe we even step it up a notch and say for every $5,000 spent, you get a 5% reduction in your property taxes for a year. Why not?
There are plenty of ways we could beautify our city and reduce taxes at the same time; so with your support and my willingness to brainstorm ideas like this, we'll work wonders.
I'll be careful with your money.
28 July 2009
Nothing is Easy
"Nothing is easy, but who wants nothing?"
- Donald Trump
I like his play on the phrase "nothing is easy." When I speak to people living in our city, I hear what you want and I'll tell you, you don't want "nothing" and you don't want easy.
Ranked according to the number of responses I've heard, you want:
1. Lower taxes
2. Less ordinances
3. Safer streets for children and cyclists
4. A better school system
You don't want easy. You don't want nothing. You want something; something that will make our city and all of us who live here better off. Let's do this together.
With your support and my willingness to work hard, we'll work wonders and we'll get "something." We'll get what you want.
- Donald Trump
I like his play on the phrase "nothing is easy." When I speak to people living in our city, I hear what you want and I'll tell you, you don't want "nothing" and you don't want easy.
Ranked according to the number of responses I've heard, you want:
1. Lower taxes
2. Less ordinances
3. Safer streets for children and cyclists
4. A better school system
You don't want easy. You don't want nothing. You want something; something that will make our city and all of us who live here better off. Let's do this together.
With your support and my willingness to work hard, we'll work wonders and we'll get "something." We'll get what you want.
27 July 2009
Lowering WVC Property Taxes, Part 2 of 3
Lowering taxes - What! Did he just use a political catch phrase? Well yes, I did. The difference... I've researched and there are many plans that work, here's just one.
Four cities around the country partnered with Kentucky Fried Chicken to lower taxes. KFC filled potholes around the city and then placed a chalk advertisement over the repaired pothole. The cities were able to save on road repair while providing advertising for a local business.
Why can't we do this? We could use any local business, or several for that matter. Why not? We would even have several options for the money saved. Here are two.
1. We could lower property taxes by the amount saved.
2. We could realocate the money saved to another service like... snow removal.
While option two would improve services at no extra cost to you and I, it really doesn't lower taxes. That said, it does look like a valid option.
I work in a research laboratory; I do research. I'll research each issue that comes before the City Council before I commit to a vote. I've included the link for the inspiration summarized above.
With your support and my committment to research, we can succed at lowering taxes.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1692753/chattanooga_teams_up_with_kfc_to_repair.html
Four cities around the country partnered with Kentucky Fried Chicken to lower taxes. KFC filled potholes around the city and then placed a chalk advertisement over the repaired pothole. The cities were able to save on road repair while providing advertising for a local business.
Why can't we do this? We could use any local business, or several for that matter. Why not? We would even have several options for the money saved. Here are two.
1. We could lower property taxes by the amount saved.
2. We could realocate the money saved to another service like... snow removal.
While option two would improve services at no extra cost to you and I, it really doesn't lower taxes. That said, it does look like a valid option.
I work in a research laboratory; I do research. I'll research each issue that comes before the City Council before I commit to a vote. I've included the link for the inspiration summarized above.
With your support and my committment to research, we can succed at lowering taxes.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1692753/chattanooga_teams_up_with_kfc_to_repair.html
25 July 2009
Lowering WVC Property Taxes, Part 1 of 3
My top priority is listening to people in West Valley and your telling me that one of the top priorities you want me to address is lowering taxes. I've listened, I've researched and I've brainstormed. This is the first of three ideas that could resolve this issue.
If we're tightening our belts, we should also tighten our city's belt. I'm committed to taking a closer look at the budget and eliminating waste. Following is an example from my life.
Two years ago I recognized fuel prices would break $3.00 per gallon and my '69 Ford Falcon got 17 mpg. My daily commute is 66 miles. Simple calculations revealed a monthly payment of $100, gas prices of $3.00 and a car getting 30 mpg would cost the same as my Falcon. I found a Honda Civic at 38 mpg and when gas prices reached $4.50 per gallon, I was saving, saving and saving and at current fuel prices I'm still saving.
My research skills allow me to predict what may happen, form a hypothesis and test it. I'm committed to carefully researching the city's budget as I do my own; I'm convinced we can have the same services, zero layoffs and do this for less.
With your support and my willingness to research and work, we can lower our taxes.
Together we can work wonders.
If we're tightening our belts, we should also tighten our city's belt. I'm committed to taking a closer look at the budget and eliminating waste. Following is an example from my life.
Two years ago I recognized fuel prices would break $3.00 per gallon and my '69 Ford Falcon got 17 mpg. My daily commute is 66 miles. Simple calculations revealed a monthly payment of $100, gas prices of $3.00 and a car getting 30 mpg would cost the same as my Falcon. I found a Honda Civic at 38 mpg and when gas prices reached $4.50 per gallon, I was saving, saving and saving and at current fuel prices I'm still saving.
My research skills allow me to predict what may happen, form a hypothesis and test it. I'm committed to carefully researching the city's budget as I do my own; I'm convinced we can have the same services, zero layoffs and do this for less.
With your support and my willingness to research and work, we can lower our taxes.
Together we can work wonders.
24 July 2009
Why I'm Running
Living in West Valley City, my family feels at home. There are many great things in this community, like the dozen or so community parks, the wonderfully diverse culture and the variety of businesses within just a short drive. In visiting with others in the city, there's much community pride.
Having said this, there are real issues that people have and I know together, we can resolve them. I work in a research and development laboratory and believe in research; research that involves listening to people and not just reading committee reports and facts.
In listening to people, the two issues that are on the minds of most people reflect the current economy. We're facing unemployment, layoffs and cutbacks in hours and wages; this affects us all. We're concerned about how to keep our money and still make our homes and community more pleasant to live in.
The first issue is lowering taxes and the second is the amount of ordinances. With your support and my willingness to creatively solve problems, we can work wonders.
I'll be careful with your money.
Having said this, there are real issues that people have and I know together, we can resolve them. I work in a research and development laboratory and believe in research; research that involves listening to people and not just reading committee reports and facts.
In listening to people, the two issues that are on the minds of most people reflect the current economy. We're facing unemployment, layoffs and cutbacks in hours and wages; this affects us all. We're concerned about how to keep our money and still make our homes and community more pleasant to live in.
The first issue is lowering taxes and the second is the amount of ordinances. With your support and my willingness to creatively solve problems, we can work wonders.
I'll be careful with your money.
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