New Hampshire Commuter Rail Discussion

[BandA]

Interesting results from a recent poll on the issue

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001wKez5aRn ... jcV3zVew==" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here's the most interesting point.

While the study and others before it have found many Granite Staters favor the idea of commuter rail service to Boston, paying for it could be a major sticking point.

[Rockingham Racer]

So what else is new?

[NHV 669]

You mean those of us up here still don't want to pay for something only used down there? Say it ain't so...

[djlong]

The southern part of NH completely subsidizes the northern part (tourism in the White Mountains doesn't pay for everything and you still need the infrastructure in the south to get there).

This is why I'd turn an *almost* deaf ear to that particular complaint. The median income in the south in just shy of twice that in the north. By the same token, the poverty rate in the north is 2-3 times that in the south.

The north isn't paying for the south as it is because they're not paying for themselves. If the south wants commuter rail, we're going to be the ones paying for it.

[p42thedowneaster]

Last time (Downeaster) we made Maine pay for it!

[FatNoah]

The north isn't paying for the south as it is because they're not paying for themselves. If the south wants commuter rail, we're going to be the ones paying for it.

I'd go so far as to say that northern towns should hope for this. Better connections to jobs in MA would increase the value of property in southern NH, leading to increased tax collections that would likely benefit northern NH as well.

[eustis22]

are local property taxes remitted back to the state?

[b&m 1566]

Property tax is through the towns only. The state gets money from the 9% meal tax, gas tax (whatever it currently is), highway tolls, and all citations outside of parking tickets and local ordinances are paid to the state (traffic violations, DOT inspections, etc.).

[Dick H]

While the State of NH does not financially support the Downeaster,
the City of Dover, the towns of Durham and Exeter and the University
of NH pay the costs for the Dover and Durham Stations, the station
platform, parking areas, snow removal, and the Quik-Trak machines.
Parking fees in Dover and Durham do help cover the cost of maintaining
the parking areas.

[FatNoah]

Property tax is through the towns only. The state gets money from the 9% meal tax, gas tax (whatever it currently is), highway tolls, and all citations outside of parking tickets and local ordinances are paid to the state (traffic violations, DOT inspections, etc.).

Good point, though I do believe there's an statewide education component to the property tax as well, though I believe it's not a large component of the overall property tax. Real estate transfer tax is another. Both combine to about $500 million. The education money ($360 million) definitely gets distributed.

[b&m 1566]

There's definitely other streams of revenue like car registrations, licensing fees, lottery, keno, rental car tax and so on. The big ones missing are the sales tax and state income tax, one or both will probably be needed to fund commuter rail in this state. Sadly, I was one of the many who voted down the state income tax a few years ago when it went before the voters, I had more questions than answers, and the big one for me was the lack of property tax relief. Some people in this state are struggling to pay the current rates they have now and there were no plans to reduce the rates (at least in my town) and I couldn't justify voting in favor, without reducing the property tax rates.

[newpylong]

Property tax is through the towns only. The state gets money from the 9% meal tax, gas tax (whatever it currently is), highway tolls, and all citations outside of parking tickets and local ordinances are paid to the state (traffic violations, DOT inspections, etc.).

You might want to look at your tax bill a little closer. Municipal, state, school and county all are apportioned from the total.

We really need new forms of revenue, and not just for commuter rail to be a reality. The roads outside of the interstates are falling apart (they literally can only afford to skim coat here, I've never seen full depth work). Also the unfortunate reality is there is no incentive to keep your property up. That is why you see so many run-down homes with far times more capital in RVs, snowmobiles, etc parked in the driveway. Just a few examples.

[eustis22]

> Also the unfortunate reality is there is no incentive to keep your property up.

I suspect there's no more $$$ avail for home improvement. Wages are still flat, even for the southern tier.

[p42thedowneaster]

An incentive to keep your property up? Even managed properties with HOAs have trouble coming up with enough money to keep things decent. You find something like arsenic in your water and suddenly your community budget is blown. There's always more to the story than what you see driving by.

[b&m 1566]

Property tax is through the towns only. The state gets money from the 9% meal tax, gas tax (whatever it currently is), highway tolls, and all citations outside of parking tickets and local ordinances are paid to the state (traffic violations, DOT inspections, etc.).

You might want to look at your tax bill a little closer. Municipal, state, school and county all are apportioned from the total.

We really need new forms of revenue, and not just for commuter rail to be a reality. The roads outside of the interstates are falling apart (they literally can only afford to skim coat here, I've never seen full depth work). Also the unfortunate reality is there is no incentive to keep your property up. That is why you see so many run-down homes with far times more capital in RVs, snowmobiles, etc parked in the driveway. Just a few examples.

You are correct, not sure where my mind was at when I said that. But it's still not enough and yet the property tax is still putting a large burden on a lot of people.