Preserved Land Equals Millions in Aid?

[bobpbx]

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/article_81675264-fc2d-11df-9456-001cc4c002e0.html

You know, I have not thought this out yet, but my initial thought is that giving these municipalities 'all' this money should not be necessary. They must have built the town services up around the hope that the land all around them would be fully developed in the future, and that tax receipts would just start rolling in.

 

[46er]

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/article_81675264-fc2d-11df-9456-001cc4c002e0.html

You know, I have not thought this out yet, but my initial thought is that giving these municipalities 'all' this money should not be necessary. They must have built the town services up around the hope that the land all around them would be fully developed in the future, and that tax receipts would just start rolling in.

I tend to agree. If they did build up their services in anticipation of growth, and that growth now will not happen due to their open space initiatives, then reduce those sevices.

 

[skip3]

bet that is going to make it easier to build on property you already own next year....
may not be a building boom but I think this will make a lot of townships more pro growth.

 

[skip3]

Washington Township Mayor Dudley Lewis drew laughs and gasps from the crowd when he stood and described how dramatically he would have to raise taxes to compensate the funding loss - 40 percent, he estimated - and the fact that his township's offices are only open a few hours one day a week.


Doesn't sound like they were preparing for an upswing township offices are open 2 hours a week...

 

[skip3]

Got this in the mail today, school is about four years old...........

 

[bobpbx]

? Only 4 years old ?

Was this school started to serve just a handful of people that would normally go to a larger district? I don't get the reasoning here. If a town (Lacey is one) has a lot of wilderness, and that wilderness goes undeveloped, then why does it justify school aid? I mean, no one is living on that land and contributing to the school population. Of course, the flip side is that no industry is on the property either, contibuting taxes with no needful children. Lacey is of course saved by Oyster Creek generating station (for now).

 

[skip3]

I think it all went wrong for the township back when the state bought Wharton, that took it off the tax roles. Then the state owned all the property and restricted the building on any property that it didn't own.
I don't see how some of these small towns can possibly make it in these tough times.