Story Archives of 'Statewide Property Tax'

Two plans have made it out of NH�s House Finance Committee. Both look at either reducing or eliminating the statewide property tax. They�ll be voted on by the full House on Thursday. Trish Anderton�s guests are House Majority Leader David Hess, House Minority Leader Peter Burling, and Daphne Kenyon, principal of D.A. Kenyon and Associates and consultant for the coalition of so-called "donor communities" backing one of the funding plans. www.nh.gov

Since its inception, the Statewide property tax has separated those towns that receive state education dollars from those that don't. The latter call themselves donor towns and have formed an organization to fight for their political interests in Concord. Now those towns that receive state education funds are trying to build their own coalition. NHPR Corresppondent Carolyn D'Aquila reports.

The House ways and means committee today considered a constitutional amendment that would get rid of donor towns by capping the statewide property tax at local education costs. As NHPR?s Josh Rogers reports, the issue drew support from the so-called donor communities, and mixed feelings from everybody else.

ACROSS THE STATE IN SUNAPEE, THE SELECTMEN THERE ARE LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT WAY TO ADDRESS WHAT THEY SEE AS INEQUITIES IN THE STATE'S TAX SYSTEM.
THEY WANT OUT OF SULLIVAN COUNTY.
THE BOARD ARGUES THE TOWN PAYS ABOUT 20% OF THE COUNTY'S BUDGET FAR MORE THAN WHAT SUNAPEE RESIDENTS GET IN RETURN.
TOWN MANAGER JOHN WHEELER TOLD NHPR'S LISA PEAKES THAT SUNAPEE HAS TRIED SEVERAL OPTIONS, EVEN WITHHOLDING ITS TAXES.
BUT SO FAR NOTHING HAS WORKED TO THE TOWN'S SATISFACTION.

The Seacoast town of Newington may be poised to stage its own revolution to protest the statewide property tax. As Correspondent Roger Wood reports, residents are looking to the State's Constitution for their right to revolt.