Statewide call out for a fair tax: Many communities voting on resolution
March 11, 2008
Foster's Daily Democrat
DURHAM — Paul Henle insists his only interest is finding a fair way of raising state revenue.
Henle, the executive director of the Granite State Fair Tax Coalition, stresses he is not advocating income or sales taxes as a replacement for the state's unwieldy property tax.
He wants state leaders to — at the very least — start talking about other ways to raise revenue and created the Fair Tax Resolution as a way of jump-starting conversation on the issue.
"Our basic message is that New Hampshire is overreliant on the property tax," Henle said Monday. "Sixty cents of every dollar raised by state and local government in New Hampshire comes from the property tax ... the average nationwide is 30 cents on the dollar. It's an extremely unfair tax here."
So Henle, with the help of residents in at least 88 towns throughout the state, petitioned to have a nonbinding article added to town warrants this year.
Petitioners in each town needed 25 signatures from registered voters in order to have the article placed on the ballot. Voters will cast ballots in many of those towns tonight or later this week, with Newmarket, Durham, Madbury and Northwood among nearly a dozen locally addressing the issue.
Unlike many of the towns where a petition was necessary, Durham's Town Council form of government allowed councilors to act on the issue, but rather than take action directly, councilors decided to put the issue before the public, said Town Manager Todd Selig.
"We're a little odd ... we have no town meeting here. Councilor (Jerry) Needell brought it forward and the council decided to put it before the people," Selig said. "We did work on the suggested wording, but the philosophy was really to let the community weigh in."
For his part, Needell said a discussion on the issue is long overdue.
"This is something I've been thinking about for years," Needell said. "I think the property tax is generally an unfair method of taxation. It does not reflect one's ability to pay ... There are people who have lived in a home in town for 40-odd years, but now cannot afford to stay because their rate of taxation is not representative of their income."
Like others, Needell was quick to say he does not necessarily support what he called the "obvious choice" of implementing sales or income taxes.
"I just think we need to have an appropriate level of discussion," he said.
The article is titled "Fair Tax Resolution." It begins, "We the citizens of this town believe in a New Hampshire that is just and fair..." and ultimately ask the governor, state representatives and senators to disavow allegiance to what Henle calls "The Pledge."
"We hope to jump-start New Hampshire into taking a good hard look at how we raise revenue and see if there are alternatives to the property tax," Henle said.
Henle points to "The Pledge" — made famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s by then Gov. Meldrim Thomson, with his memorable slogan "Ax the Tax" — as the source of Granite Staters' continued fear of taxes outside of property, including income or sales taxes. That goes for residents, elected officials and even the governor, he said.
"What we're trying to do is take the 'do nothing' option off the table," Henle said. "What it really means is I'm going to ignore this problem and do nothing about it, which causes property taxes to become the tax of default, driving up the rates by an average of 8 percent a year."
Although Henle insists he is not "shooting for" any other form of tax, he referenced both income and sales taxes as ways of raising revenue.
"If this is passed, and those others — senators, congressmen, businesses, unions, residents, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, etc... — all come to the so-called bargaining table to talk, we don't need to be there," Henle said. "We just want to start the conversation."
Pundits opposed to the measure raise one primary issue — considering alternatives to the property tax, like considering other taxes, does not necessarily mean the state will do away with the property tax.
Colin Manning, spokesman for Gov. John Lynch, said he had no comment on the merits or negatives of the Fair Tax Resolution, but reiterated the governor's stance on broad-based taxes.
"As you know, the governor opposes sales or income taxes and has said he would veto one if such a proposal reached his desk," Manning said Monday. "That said, he's never opposed to a discussion of the issues."
March 11, 2008
Foster's Daily Democrat
DURHAM — Paul Henle insists his only interest is finding a fair way of raising state revenue.
Henle, the executive director of the Granite State Fair Tax Coalition, stresses he is not advocating income or sales taxes as a replacement for the state's unwieldy property tax.
He wants state leaders to — at the very least — start talking about other ways to raise revenue and created the Fair Tax Resolution as a way of jump-starting conversation on the issue.
"Our basic message is that New Hampshire is overreliant on the property tax," Henle said Monday. "Sixty cents of every dollar raised by state and local government in New Hampshire comes from the property tax ... the average nationwide is 30 cents on the dollar. It's an extremely unfair tax here."
So Henle, with the help of residents in at least 88 towns throughout the state, petitioned to have a nonbinding article added to town warrants this year.
Petitioners in each town needed 25 signatures from registered voters in order to have the article placed on the ballot. Voters will cast ballots in many of those towns tonight or later this week, with Newmarket, Durham, Madbury and Northwood among nearly a dozen locally addressing the issue.
Unlike many of the towns where a petition was necessary, Durham's Town Council form of government allowed councilors to act on the issue, but rather than take action directly, councilors decided to put the issue before the public, said Town Manager Todd Selig.
"We're a little odd ... we have no town meeting here. Councilor (Jerry) Needell brought it forward and the council decided to put it before the people," Selig said. "We did work on the suggested wording, but the philosophy was really to let the community weigh in."
For his part, Needell said a discussion on the issue is long overdue.
"This is something I've been thinking about for years," Needell said. "I think the property tax is generally an unfair method of taxation. It does not reflect one's ability to pay ... There are people who have lived in a home in town for 40-odd years, but now cannot afford to stay because their rate of taxation is not representative of their income."
Like others, Needell was quick to say he does not necessarily support what he called the "obvious choice" of implementing sales or income taxes.
"I just think we need to have an appropriate level of discussion," he said.
The article is titled "Fair Tax Resolution." It begins, "We the citizens of this town believe in a New Hampshire that is just and fair..." and ultimately ask the governor, state representatives and senators to disavow allegiance to what Henle calls "The Pledge."
"We hope to jump-start New Hampshire into taking a good hard look at how we raise revenue and see if there are alternatives to the property tax," Henle said.
Henle points to "The Pledge" — made famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s by then Gov. Meldrim Thomson, with his memorable slogan "Ax the Tax" — as the source of Granite Staters' continued fear of taxes outside of property, including income or sales taxes. That goes for residents, elected officials and even the governor, he said.
"What we're trying to do is take the 'do nothing' option off the table," Henle said. "What it really means is I'm going to ignore this problem and do nothing about it, which causes property taxes to become the tax of default, driving up the rates by an average of 8 percent a year."
Although Henle insists he is not "shooting for" any other form of tax, he referenced both income and sales taxes as ways of raising revenue.
"If this is passed, and those others — senators, congressmen, businesses, unions, residents, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, etc... — all come to the so-called bargaining table to talk, we don't need to be there," Henle said. "We just want to start the conversation."
Pundits opposed to the measure raise one primary issue — considering alternatives to the property tax, like considering other taxes, does not necessarily mean the state will do away with the property tax.
Colin Manning, spokesman for Gov. John Lynch, said he had no comment on the merits or negatives of the Fair Tax Resolution, but reiterated the governor's stance on broad-based taxes.
"As you know, the governor opposes sales or income taxes and has said he would veto one if such a proposal reached his desk," Manning said Monday. "That said, he's never opposed to a discussion of the issues."