http://www.littletownviews.com Defending the Right to Live in a Small Town Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:57:27 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en How well can your county withstand a budget shortfall without raising property taxes? → Download Document http://www.littletownviews.com/2008/09/county-fund-balances-2007/ A build-up of surplus funds in the coffers of many Hudson Valley counties could prevent elected officials from resorting to an increase in property taxes to offset expected budget shortfalls from declining sales taxes, reduced state aid and higher energy costs. As the region’s economy slows, a windfall of surprisingly high ... http://www.littletownviews.com/2008/09/surplus-funds-could-shield-counties-from-seeking-property-tax-increases/ If you own or rent a second home in the Hudson Valley, register to vote here and make a big difference in this fall's local elections. It's easy-- just print and fill out the enclosed registration form. → Download Voter Registration Form http://www.littletownviews.com/2008/08/your-town-needs-your-vote-2/ The sprawling 1,000-unit Durst subdivision proposed on the Dutchess-Columbia border has turned a critical corner with the developer apparently conceding to a drastic reduction in the scale of his original project and a redesign of its layout that would protect environmental resources. Now in its fourth year of a public review ... http://www.littletownviews.com/2008/06/durst-watch-4-a-change-of-course/ Columbia County’s recent ruling to deny large tax breaks to the developer of a 565,000-square-foot shopping center is a commendable decision, but it was made for the wrong reasons and it highlights the complexities of offering taxpayer subsidies to promote private commerce in our towns. The county’s Industrial Development Agency (IDA), ... http://www.littletownviews.com/2008/05/widewaters-revisitedpublic-subsidies-for-private-commerce/ The following is a copy of a letter to the Pine Plains Town Planning Board, the lead agency charged with reviewing the potential impacts of Douglas Durst’s proposed 1,000-home subdivision. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Planning Board: The Durst Organization has produced for you a labyrinth of numbers in its 1,500-page Environmental ... http://www.littletownviews.com/2008/03/durst-watch-3-by-the-numbers/ In a recent blitzkrieg of mailings to our homes, the Durst Organization extols the glories of its past accomplishments, the smiling family at its helm and the “environmental” virtues of its proposed Carvel development. But the glossy brochures, which offer a slew of misleading environmental claims and wildly inaccurate financial ... http://www.littletownviews.com/2008/02/durst-watch-2-meet-the-family/ We begin our “Durst Watch” series with links to four columns we’ve published since 2005. The first lays out the basic principles for our analysis of the costs and complications of growth in small towns. The other three explore in more detail the primary cause of tax increases brought ... http://www.littletownviews.com/2008/02/durst-watch-1-laying-the-groundwork/ As the slowing U.S. economy curtails municipal tax revenues across the country, many Hudson Valley counties, including Columbia, Dutchess and Rensselaer, are also facing sharp increases in capital spending on roads and buildings. The dual perils of declining sales taxes, which comprise 30-50% of a county’s tax revenues, and a large ... http://www.littletownviews.com/2008/01/county-budgets-dual-perils-ahead/ As the slowing U.S. economy curtails municipal tax revenues across the country, many Hudson Valley counties, including Columbia, Dutchess and Rensselaer, are also facing sharp increases in capital spending on roads and buildings. The dual perils of declining sales taxes, which comprise 30-50% of a county’s tax revenues, and a large ... http://www.littletownviews.com/2008/01/county-budgets-dual-perils-ahead-2/