Age of Growing Gilford Population
While I cannot prove on my own that this is fact, it does seem that local building developments are attracting great numbers of senior citizens to our town. Seniors make great neighbors BUT----Seniors want/need many services and demand tax reductions. It also seems that many of the Seniors moving into our area are savvy to the ways of protecting their assets. More and more are putting their homes in trusts etc. And the average life expectancy is higher than ever (not that we want to wish a speedy demise to the Seniors of Gilford but we must recognize that the tax breaks and resource demands go long.
Now here's the problem as I see it.........how can we accommodate these new drains on our local resources? Granted these Seniors don't have kids in school but they also are finding clever ways to avoid contributing a full tax to the community. Many of us pay taxes to Gilford who do not have children in school any longer.
So:
- What is the actual number of Seniors moving into our community?
- How will we be able to support the financial burdens on the town if a large portion of the community is paying little or no tax?
- Should we be trying to limit the number of sr developments coming into the area?
- And, if someone can afford to buy a new home at $300,000 or more why would we feel the need to give them a tax break?
We better get a hold on this before its too late! Oh wait, that's not the Gilford way! We didn't have a viable master plan and look at all the fun developers and lawyers are having at our expense. What are the chances we'll get moving on this now that they're Heeeeere!
- Gilford Annie
Comments
Let me get this straight ..You feel that tax breaks for seniors are unfair as they are a "drain" on resources.
REDICULOUS !
Posted by: Michael Higgins | August 14, 2006 10:18 PM
Let me play devil's advocate for a second. By Annie's definition, by not paying taxes and using town resources, that does constitute a drain as services do have to be paid for. What I think Annie is trying to point out is it is fine to have seniors here - but if too many come in at a steady rate, who will end up subsidizing that as the percentage of full-taxpaying citizens decline?
I am on vacation here in the Amish country, and what I did learn (that I did not before) is that while some of the Amish do pay into the SS system, they hardly ever receive from it. Willingly, they have decided as a society that it is unneeded -> their families will support them in their elder years. That was the model for thousands of years until our SS system took over. Perhaps an incentive plan for doing just that might make more sense.
Posted by: Skip | August 16, 2006 07:04 AM