In Mission, it just got a little more expensive to have a driveway on your home. Or small business. Or church. Basically, if you have slanted asphalt on your property, it's time to pony up.
The town's city council passed a resolution last week paving the way for a so-called "driveway tax" on homes and business that cause traffic and wear and tear on streets. If you use the roads, the city says, it's your responsibility to keep them functioning.
The funds will supposedly add up to $1.2 million per year over 10 years
for road maintenance and repairs.
"It's not a tax," points out Martin
Rivarola, Mission's community development director. "It's a
Transportation Utility Fee." And, he's right in at least one sense:
Homes without driveways still have to pay the fee. But whatever you
choose to call it, it's going to be pricey.
Homeowners will kick in $72 per year, and businesses are going to kick
in some serious cash. Target stores, which the city estimates generate 8,500
vehicle trips each day, are going to face $64,700 bills each year, and
small businesses will be responsible for tossing $3,558 in the kitty.
Additionally,
schools and churches, traditionally given tax exemptions, will also be
on the hook to help repair Mission's 110 miles of lane-d roads.
Depending on the number of seats in the house of worship, they might
need to pass the collection plate an extra time each week. Their fees
could reach almost $1,500. And schools will hand over between $1,000 and
$1,500.
But it's not all bad news, Rivarola insists.
Before the
council passed the fee, road improvements were made with money from the
city's general fund, which this year was $10.5 million. But now that
everybody is chipping in for road repair through a special fee, property
tax levies will be reduced slightly. Rivarola calculates that owners of
average houses in Mission will actually end up paying $36 after their
property tax get trimmed.
Showing 1-1 of 1
Has ANYONE in Mission considered that the driveway being taxed IS PART of the property uopn which a "property tax" is BEING paid. To suggest one can be taxed on a portion of something one is already taxed on is wrong, (even unlawful)???
What stops the city from taxing one's backyard?
If, in fact, the citizens of Mission permit this they DESERVE IT!!!
like
dislike
