Seth Zeren, a neighborhood developer and founding member of Strong Towns, returns to The Bottom-Up Revolution to talk about the political side of incremental development and how to deal with issues like balancing needed development with increased property taxes.
Read MoreThis fall, seven states will have the opportunity to cut — or abolish, in some cases — property taxes. In this episode of Upzoned, co-hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn discuss whether that’s a good idea. (Spoiler: It isn’t.)
Read MoreOnce a city acknowledges that it can’t afford maintain its infrastructure, it’ll change its investment pattern to be more resilient….right? Actually, many cities try to make more money magically appear so they can continue that pattern. Here’s why “How do we get more money?” is the wrong question and what cities should be asking, instead.
Read MoreIn Baltimore, some of the city’s least wealthy individuals may be overpaying on their property taxes by nearly $300 a year, whereas some of the richest could be underpaying by $14,000 or more.
Read MoreI was asked how much the typical suburban development is costing this Tennessee city. Here’s what I found.
Read MoreFor local governments, it’s often easier to let the tangled web of debt at the heart of the budget go unexplored. In cities reliant on sales tax, these problems are only magnified.
Read MoreThe Just Accounting for Health coalition has been researching and reporting on property tax inequities for the past 18 months. But the real work is just getting started—and it starts with you.
Read MoreDating back to the 1800s, researchers in the U.S. have challenged the property tax system. So why, to this day, do the richest continue getting a "discount" on their taxes, while the poorest are overcharged?
Read MorePlenty of debate swirls around the question of whether or not government services like transit should be "free" to the end user. Here's what's missing from that debate.
Read MoreAs Asheville, NC, promises to make up for past harms done to its Black community, it glosses over an ongoing disparity: less-wealthy homeowners (who are disproportionately Black) are overpaying on their property taxes.
Read MoreData from North Carolina points to a nationwide problem: that services may be going unfunded in your community because of flawed processes, sloppy math, and lack of respect for the law in the property tax system.
Read MoreIn Buncombe, NC, flawed computer formulas are being used to generate thousands of dollars in "tax breaks" for owners of larger, more expensive homes.
Read MoreDetroit is studying a solution that might curb the raging decline of the city: a split-rate tax.
Read MoreAlex Alsup comes back to the Strong Towns Podcast to talk about property taxes and assessments in Detroit—and a useful tool that homeowners, assessors, and nonprofits can use in balancing this imbalanced system.
Read MoreAll over the U.S., studies have shed light on how much residents in lower-valued homes are being overassessed on property taxes. Now, Buncombe County, NC, is offering residents a space to appeal their assessments.
Read MoreNeighbors in Chapel Hill, NC, mobilized to raise awareness of property tax inequities within their community…and ultimately brought about a $7-million reduction in home assessed values.
Read MoreThis new interactive map shows homeowners how their home assessment compares to other properties nearby—and has exposed that many homes of similar value are being overassessed.
Read MoreStunning new data analysis on the homes lost to tax forfeiture in Detroit shows that, in just a three-year span, $300 million in real estate transferred from homeowners living in Detroit to outside owners.
Read MoreProperty taxes represent the largest source of revenue for most local governments, and data shows that even unglamorous downtown areas offer more value as taxable properties than big box stores.
Read MoreMansions on large lots, not rundown properties in low-socioeconomic-status neighborhoods, are the real blight on a community’s financial health.
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