And/or small admission fee to first Fridays?

Anyone splurging on the expensive items in this publicly-subsidized area surely can afford an extra few % to help pay for these projects.

An additional 1% or greater sales tax on purchases?

An "event tax/charge" for banquets/meetings held in these subsidized buildings--by the head count or size of the event?

An additional fee for those using the taxpayer-owned former bank structures/Masonic or the Manchester?

Events at Smith Park and Governor's Square?

 

A building usage fee/tax for those using city-owned or purchased/sold properties?

An additional charge for property owners enjoying the more expensive decorative street lighting?

 

Come on--you have to pay to play in today's world(at least in most places).

If you want something extra, the user pays extra.

Those not reaping the extra benefit don't pay or pay far less.

 

Airport sur-charches--golf course sur-charges etc.

User fees are obviously most fair.

Since the city wants to fee the rest of us for virtually everything, maybe we can apply the concept to our most expensive ventures.

Pretty simple.

 

I dsiagree respectfully on the "greenfield" advantage, that is a feeble excuse to argue Middletown's problems are attributed to its inability to be attractive to industry in a mixed portfolio development sense, because it was old industry, industrial, and there was just no space. hardly true in the city which has property and buildings available and has for many years. I surely don't see an explosion out by the Renaissance, on the scale of the Teradata/ Kohl exit near Miamisburg and Springboro where CS&H are moving. What's not attracting those to the east end "greenspace" when the building model is "green"?

 

The point to be made was every council member and city leader wants Middletown's taxes to be 2.25%, which will put Middletown in the class of Youngstown, Mansfield, and the final death nail. The question poised to Mr. Moore and other candiates, was: are they on board with MMF's agenda to raise taxes, to make this area into Youngstown and Detroit, or lower the rate?

 

Middletown is not attracting growth in business nor newer residents. That is the tipping point of this election in 2011. You cannot have a bedroom community and taxes at 2.0%, you cannot have a mixed community of bedroom residential and business, at 2% taxation. Lower taxes mean growth. Take note of how many millionaires are leaving New York City because of taxes, and Chicagoland, (Illinois in general). Higher taxation, correlation direct- loss of tax revenue, loss of population, outflux, not influx. .  

 

  

Aging urban cities have none of the above characteristics or advantages....at least not in the last 40 years they haven't.  So they keep tax rates at 1.75 or 2.0 to simply survive and provide a subsistence level of police/fire plus throw in a few street sweeps, pothole fillers, and of course 5-10 overpaid admin.  If they went to 1.0% the Mtowns, Mansfields and Y'towns would have something approaching anarchy with 20-30 cops patroling a whole town and someone just out of college playing role of City Mgr. for $70k.

 

Do you think a drastic reduction in our rate would cause business to flock here?  I doubt it.  Just like I doubt AK's leaving was PRIMARILY a tax rate issue. Your point is to try to establish causation, like Clinton-lovers did in mid to late 90's with the economy, and say that low taxes = success.  Not so fast my friend.  Just because Steelers, Patriots and Packers play in cold weather and win Super Bowls does not mean the two criteria are necessarily related.

 

Should our rate go to 2.0 or 2.2?  No.  But I also think 1.0 would be disastrous.  But maybe you, like many GOP'ers in the deficit talks, are looking to "starve the beast", results be damned.

 

I know of no city in Ohio with taxes at 2.0% or above, that has a thriving economy and a growing population base, these include Hamilton, Youngstown, the dying "dogs" within Ohio, while the "stars" such as Mason and West Chester (with o% tax or 1%) accelerate in grwth and performance in all areas.

 

As you deal with economic restructuring and counseling, I would assume you agree section 8 and its use to mitigate hosuing stock, leads to other inherent problems which undue any advantage associated with its growth in Middletown, other than providing a paycheck for the Community and Stabilization Development Department . You are spot on with your point of the excess amount for utilities Middletown "hammers" its citizens, ergo, sewer, water, etc.

 

Very nice web presentation, strong on issues, a most credible candidate from my reading.