Archive | March 22, 2013
March 22, 2013  

NH Town Tax Rates: Comparing The Rate Of One Town With That Of Another Is Meaningless!

Dec2013x125
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.by Anura Guruge

A FEW Pertinent Posts:
  +++++ do a SEARCH (>>>>) on ‘Tax’ for others’ >>>>>
1. NH Property Tax Comparison — Nov. 26, 2012.
2. Alton, NH: 23rd Lowest Tax Rate — Nov. 26, 2012.
3. Alton, NH Property Tax ‘Impact’ Has Gone Up 4% Since Last Year
>>– Nov. 28, 2012.
4. Alton Tax Base Went Down for 3 reasons — Dec. 18, 2012.

Given that one of my pictures is worth 360 words written by me, I hope this picture alone explains everything.

Given that one of my pictures is worth 360 words written by me, I hope this picture alone explains everything.

In the last month of so I have been getting 40 hits a day on my NH property tax posts. Thank you. I am glad I can be of help.

I guess folks have started getting their new mortgage rates for 2013 and have finally come to terms with what is happening with property tax rates.

There is, however, a key point that I am not sure that I have still managed to get through.

In NH, comparing the tax rate of one town, say Alton, with another, say Franconia, is meaningless and pointless.

Why? Because the tax rate is dependent, tied at the hip, to the property values of that town.

There are no standardized property values — and there can never be such a thing, because property values have to, in some form, reflect market demand and market prices.

Hence, the above example. Same house. Different assessed values. [This is a hypothetical example. I do not know exactly what the assessed value will be in Francoina. Just a guess.]

So it doesn’t matter that Franconia’s tax rate is $2.24 per $1,000 assessed value higher than Alton.

The tax bill in Franconia will be lower than Alton.

I don’t know why but people always overlook this tax rate ≈ assessed value relationship. It is an inviolable. Tax rate by itself means diddly.

In the end it is all a question of the town’s budget. They have to set the tax rate based on their property base.

So there is no point going on about the tax rate of one town versus that of the other. Just doesn’t work.

Hope this helps.

March 22, 2013  

‘Resident Power’ Fiasco: NH Public Radio (NHPR) Has A Good Piece That Explains What Happened.

Dec2013x125
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.by Anura Guruge

Prior ‘Resident Power’ Related Posts:
1/ ‘Resident Power’ >> PSNH Cost Us Money — Mar. 20, 2013.
2/ ‘Resident Power’ Supplier ‘PNE’ Runs Out Of Money — Feb. 20, 2013.
3/ Resident Power: Possible Alternatives — Jan. 20, 2013.
4/ PSNH Electric Rates Going Up To 10 Cents Per KWH …
>>— Dec. 19, 2012.
5/ PSNH To Increase Electric Rates Again? … — Oct. 3, 2012.
6/ We Now Get Electric From N.H. Resident Power — May 24, 2012.
7/ A Plug For N.H. Resident Power. Yes, We Signed Up
>>— April 19, 2012.

Click to access excellent NHPR article on what was a sorry, pitiful debacle.

Click to access excellent NHPR article on what was a sorry, pitiful debacle.

I kind of knew some of this. The ‘What Happened to PNE‘ section, however, is very revealing and in my opinion quite telling.

It would appear that PNE was trying to fly by the seat of their pants and they had holes in their pants and no underwear.

It mentions Bart Fromuth’s dad ‘Gus‘ and says that he was involved in bringing deregulation to New England in the 90s. I don’t know him but I assume he must live in Florida and has never set foot in NH in the winter. Because if he had he would have to have known that January is colder than December and that February is the cruelest month of old. I am not happy.

Well you should read the article and make up your own mind. I wonder whether our great State will bother to look into what happened?

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