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Argument in Opposition to Measure 9-29 (Redmond) A MEASURE EXPANDING THE REDMOND CITY LIMITS BY ANNEXATION The City of Redmond has proposed a major annexation that will approximately double the size of Redmond. At the same time the city projects a growth of approximately 28,000 in population over the next 21 years but ignores a very important problem. Laws related to paying for growth are grossly unfair. The consequence will be continually increasing taxes for all current homeowners in Redmond. The city collects system development charges (SDCs) for each new home in partial payment for increased needs they create - expanded road and traffic systems, sewer systems, equipment, buildings, etc. The difference between SDCs and actual costs is significant and amounts to a large subsidy paid for by property taxes. Eben Fodor, a leading authority on growth in Oregon, estimated in a report for Alternatives to Growth Oregon (www.agoregon.org/page51.htm) (February 2002) the subsidy for each new resident in Oregon in 2000 would be $18,000. If we assume 500 new homes built each year (for an average annual population growth of 1,333) and a subsidy of only $10,000 per home, $5 million will be added to Redmond’s property tax bills annually. This last calculation does not include schools. Redmond’s last school bond indicated an average cost of $26,000 per student for new schools. If 30% of the estimated 1,333 people to be added each year are students, approximating the current ratio, the school population will grow by 400 annually and create over $10 million in new school construction needs every year. There are no SDCs for schools. These subsidies will have to be paid through property taxes by Redmond’s homeowners, including many who are already having problems making ends meet. The solution is to reject proposals for growth until laws are changed and cities can and do collect fair and realistic SDCs. Vote NO on annexation and against higher taxes. |
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