The City of Monroe's street and sidewalk assessment program is bad policy, because it imposes what amounts to double taxation on a few unlucky adjacent property owners.
This issue is critical right now because 23 victims of this atrocious double taxation policy, who live along 16th Avenue, will be slammed with an average bill of $1,863, some more, some slightly less. They didn't ask for this street "reconstruction," and no thought was given to their ability to pay. There is no hardship clause, and the city's theft of their money to fund this project will happen, unless a majority of aldermen put a stop to this insanity.
This mandate of double taxation - requiring a few unlucky property owners to pay for an adjacent public improvement, like a street or sidewalk - has occurred in Monroe in the past, and it must end now! Just because abuses like this have occurred in the past certainly does not make them right. With that same mentality, slavery would not have ended, or women still would not be able to vote.
This issue was brought to bear right now because our city engineering department has decided that 16th Avenue, from 6th Street to 8th Street, is in need of reconstruction. That does not surprise me at all, since this street is part of Business Highway11, the main route to the downtown Square from the north side of Monroe. Originally, council members were told at a meeting that this street was being assessed because it is a "local" street, primarily used by residents of that street. Anybody with a working brain knows this part of 16th Avenue is not a "local" street, and thus, according to what we were originally told, should not be on the assessment list.
Now the story comes out that this street is being assessed because there is not enough grant money to cover the repairs. Fine, if that's the case, the city must do what private citizens do - put off the repair until you have the money, or get a loan (bond) to pay for it. In the case of a bond, the repayment would come out of the general fund, as all public improvements benefit the public as a whole, not individual taxpayers.
In Monroe, the actual "benefit" of any public improvement to the adjacent property owner is a higher property assessment, resulting in a higher tax bill. In addition, they are required to mow the terrace and shovel the sidewalk. In the unlikely scenario that an improvement actually does increase their property's value, this increase cannot be spent unless the property is sold, or a home equity loan is taken out. In Monroe, we see a very minimal actual increase in a property's value each year.
What are some solutions?
1. Stop assessing (taxing twice) private property owners for public improvements.
2. If assessments are allowed to continue, then a new policy should require a majority of affected adjacent property owners to agree on the need for the improvement, and then agree to pay for some or all of it. Imagine that, citizen input!
3. A means test must be implemented, and also a hardship clause for income, job loss, sickness, terminal illness, death, etc. These qualifying individuals could defer payment interest free for three to five years, or upon the sale of the property.
4. If assessments do end, as they must, then put off or scale back the project until there is sufficient money in the general fund to pay for it.
5. If the project cannot be delayed, then "find" the money in the general fund, or issue bonds which are repaid out of the general fund, comprised of everybody's taxes.
6. Find and receive grants if available.
7. Organize fund raisers, with proceeds used to pay for public improvements.
8. If many public improvements are truly needed, then a referendum on the issue could be put before voters for their approval.
9. Impose a city sales tax, with revenues strictly earmarked for public improvements.
10. Construct and operate a toll both on affected streets, so only the actual users pay.
11. Postpone any future assessments until the city council, with citizen input, can develop a sensible plan to replace the unfair and moronic policy we have in place now.
Yes, numbers 9 and 10 are crazy ideas, but they are just as insane as assessing private property owners for public improvements.
This issue affects all of us, not just residents of my ward. Double taxation is wrong wherever it occurs, and just because it has occurred here in the past does not make it right. You could be the next victim of this, and it could come at a time when you have no money to pay. For those of you victimized by the city's unfair and idiotic assessment policy in the past, I truly apologize, even though I had no involvement in that stupidity.
Another justification for this is that other cities do it, so it must be right. Wrong!
We must impose double taxation on our citizens simply because other cities steal from their citizens! Think about how stupid that last sentence is. Thinking like that led to the interment of the Japanese during World War II. Other countries have interment camps, so it must have been OK! Even my 5-year-old knows how dumb that is.
Some people try to justify individual assessments for public improvements now, like sidewalks, simply because they had to pay them in the past. Wrong answer! Just because someone else has been a victim of this does not mean other people should be victims also. This is blatantly unfair! Fair public policy dictates that we all pay for public improvements.
If you are against double taxation, and the city's moronic and backwards street and sidewalk assessment policy, I strongly encourage you to attend our council meeting at 7:30 p.m. May 6 in council chambers. Everybody present will have an opportunity to let the council know how you feel. I implore you to let your alderman know that you are beyond aggravated - you are incensed - by this awful policy. Stress the importance of righting this wrong. Stress that the 16th Avenue assessment must be stopped, or if not, then the street work must be stopped.
End double taxation once and for all in Monroe.
- Thurston Hanson is Ward 7 alderman for the City of Monroe. He can be reached at thurston@hansonmotorcompany.com, (608) 328-2277 or 325-2555.
This issue is critical right now because 23 victims of this atrocious double taxation policy, who live along 16th Avenue, will be slammed with an average bill of $1,863, some more, some slightly less. They didn't ask for this street "reconstruction," and no thought was given to their ability to pay. There is no hardship clause, and the city's theft of their money to fund this project will happen, unless a majority of aldermen put a stop to this insanity.
This mandate of double taxation - requiring a few unlucky property owners to pay for an adjacent public improvement, like a street or sidewalk - has occurred in Monroe in the past, and it must end now! Just because abuses like this have occurred in the past certainly does not make them right. With that same mentality, slavery would not have ended, or women still would not be able to vote.
This issue was brought to bear right now because our city engineering department has decided that 16th Avenue, from 6th Street to 8th Street, is in need of reconstruction. That does not surprise me at all, since this street is part of Business Highway11, the main route to the downtown Square from the north side of Monroe. Originally, council members were told at a meeting that this street was being assessed because it is a "local" street, primarily used by residents of that street. Anybody with a working brain knows this part of 16th Avenue is not a "local" street, and thus, according to what we were originally told, should not be on the assessment list.
Now the story comes out that this street is being assessed because there is not enough grant money to cover the repairs. Fine, if that's the case, the city must do what private citizens do - put off the repair until you have the money, or get a loan (bond) to pay for it. In the case of a bond, the repayment would come out of the general fund, as all public improvements benefit the public as a whole, not individual taxpayers.
In Monroe, the actual "benefit" of any public improvement to the adjacent property owner is a higher property assessment, resulting in a higher tax bill. In addition, they are required to mow the terrace and shovel the sidewalk. In the unlikely scenario that an improvement actually does increase their property's value, this increase cannot be spent unless the property is sold, or a home equity loan is taken out. In Monroe, we see a very minimal actual increase in a property's value each year.
What are some solutions?
1. Stop assessing (taxing twice) private property owners for public improvements.
2. If assessments are allowed to continue, then a new policy should require a majority of affected adjacent property owners to agree on the need for the improvement, and then agree to pay for some or all of it. Imagine that, citizen input!
3. A means test must be implemented, and also a hardship clause for income, job loss, sickness, terminal illness, death, etc. These qualifying individuals could defer payment interest free for three to five years, or upon the sale of the property.
4. If assessments do end, as they must, then put off or scale back the project until there is sufficient money in the general fund to pay for it.
5. If the project cannot be delayed, then "find" the money in the general fund, or issue bonds which are repaid out of the general fund, comprised of everybody's taxes.
6. Find and receive grants if available.
7. Organize fund raisers, with proceeds used to pay for public improvements.
8. If many public improvements are truly needed, then a referendum on the issue could be put before voters for their approval.
9. Impose a city sales tax, with revenues strictly earmarked for public improvements.
10. Construct and operate a toll both on affected streets, so only the actual users pay.
11. Postpone any future assessments until the city council, with citizen input, can develop a sensible plan to replace the unfair and moronic policy we have in place now.
Yes, numbers 9 and 10 are crazy ideas, but they are just as insane as assessing private property owners for public improvements.
This issue affects all of us, not just residents of my ward. Double taxation is wrong wherever it occurs, and just because it has occurred here in the past does not make it right. You could be the next victim of this, and it could come at a time when you have no money to pay. For those of you victimized by the city's unfair and idiotic assessment policy in the past, I truly apologize, even though I had no involvement in that stupidity.
Another justification for this is that other cities do it, so it must be right. Wrong!
We must impose double taxation on our citizens simply because other cities steal from their citizens! Think about how stupid that last sentence is. Thinking like that led to the interment of the Japanese during World War II. Other countries have interment camps, so it must have been OK! Even my 5-year-old knows how dumb that is.
Some people try to justify individual assessments for public improvements now, like sidewalks, simply because they had to pay them in the past. Wrong answer! Just because someone else has been a victim of this does not mean other people should be victims also. This is blatantly unfair! Fair public policy dictates that we all pay for public improvements.
If you are against double taxation, and the city's moronic and backwards street and sidewalk assessment policy, I strongly encourage you to attend our council meeting at 7:30 p.m. May 6 in council chambers. Everybody present will have an opportunity to let the council know how you feel. I implore you to let your alderman know that you are beyond aggravated - you are incensed - by this awful policy. Stress the importance of righting this wrong. Stress that the 16th Avenue assessment must be stopped, or if not, then the street work must be stopped.
End double taxation once and for all in Monroe.
- Thurston Hanson is Ward 7 alderman for the City of Monroe. He can be reached at thurston@hansonmotorcompany.com, (608) 328-2277 or 325-2555.
