Transfer tax

Ready for a county income tax?

I've been writing about local government funding and the relationship of the state to the locals for a couple of decades now. Given that we saw a serious 'no' vote on the real estate transfer tax and are in the midst of another discussion over property taxes, I thought I'd get another revenue source that's not talked about all that much on the table.

Land transfer tax

This issue will also be on the 2008 primary ballot. See discussion at: http://orangepolitics.org/tags/transfer-tax

Money talks

Thanks to The Independent Weekly for their recent article uncovering who is funding some of the most contentious local campaigns.

We already knew that statewide realtors and developer interests were funding the opposition to the Land Transfer Tax, including deceptive mailings and robocalls. Now we can see just how much money they are pouring in to fight this modest proposal. Fiona Morgan reports that the realtors had raised $234,239 as of April 28th.

The committee has spent $205,115 on direct mailings, polls and ads. With 95,805 registered voters in Orange County, that amounts to $2.14 spent per voter as of April 18, more than two weeks before the election.
- Independent Weekly: Orange: Sprawl lobby just says no to LTT, 4/30/08

Transfer Tax robocall

I just got a robocall from a group calling itself "Citizens for a better Orange County" that opposes the Transfer Tax. It calls the tax the "Home Tax," which is clearly wrong on two levels. Firstly, the proposed tax is on all land sales, and secondly it is an attempt to falsely personalize this tax for local homeowners. Oh, and it fails to mention an important detail: the tax rate would be 0.4%. That's right: four tenths of a percent. That's one thousand dollars on a $250k hypothetical home. Sounds like too much money? Well, what are the alternatives? If this is defeated, the only two alternatives that have been seriously discussed are a sales tax (the most regressive tax possible) and a property tax increase. A property tax increase would be a home tax. Everything about the robocall was misleading and dishonest.

The call directs people to a website that I won't link to here. The website refers to "Tom Holt" as their treasurer and "Mark Zimmerman" as their spokesperson. A bit of googling gives:

Citizens for Schools and Parks Meeting

Next week we will be organizing a committee to be called Citizens for Schools and Parks to advocate for passing the real estate transfer tax in Orange County. This group will be ad-hoc and will dissolve after this May's vote on the issue.

If you are concerned about school, park and open space funding in Orange County and want to help pass this referendum, then please come to this meeting. If you cannot come, then please email Mark_Chilton@hotmail.com to let us know how you can help.

Date:

Wednesday, March 26, 2008 - 3:30pm

Location:

Carrboro Town Hall in Room 100

Elections

Transfer tax

Citizens for Schools and Parks organizational meeting

Next week a group of Orange County residents will be organizing Citizens for Schools and Parks to advocate for passing the real estate transfer tax in Orange County. This group will be ad-hoc and will dissolve after this May's vote on the issue.

If you are concerned about school, park and open space funding in Orange County and want to help pass this referendum, then please come to this meeting. If you cannot come, then please email Mark_Chilton@hotmail.com to let us know how you can help.

BE THERE: Wednesday March 26, 2008 at 7:30 pm at Carrboro Town Hall in Room 100.

Forum to address land transfer tax

What: forum to discuss land transfer tax

When: Thursday 7:30pm

Where: Homestead Community Center, 600 Homestead Road in Chapel Hill

Who: Seven Orange County Democratic precinct committees plus Sen. Ellie Kinnard, Orange County Commissioner Mike Nelson and Kara Milonzi, assistant professor of public law at UNC

More info: Sally Crumbaugh at 968-8587 or scrumbaugh@infohandler.com or Stan Cheren at 942-9493 or stan@ranchopark.com

Push poll anyone?

[Cross-posting a good story about push-polling on the Transfer Tax (which the commissioners discuss tonight)at BlueNC by Greg Flynn.]

Orange County residents have been on the receiving end of dubious push poll telephone calls recently, described by one recipient as:

...what may very well be the most egregious violation of research ethics I have every experienced. The questions were all about transfer tax in Orange County and it was sleazy. The company was named TDM Research in Birmingham

TDM Research, associated with Democratic political consulting firm The Tyson Organization, whose clients include Bob Etheridge, has been responsible for other dubious push polls in Florida and Virginia in the past.

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