Alton voters
give blessing to tax revolt
By Associated Press, 1/17/2000 02:18
ALTON, N.H. (AP) Voters overwhelmingly
have backed the town selectmen's decision to withhold from
the state $544,000 meant for redistribution to other
communities under the new school-funding law.
Every hand went up at Saturday night's
meeting.
''The Legislature is ignoring people's
rights. Don't send the money to Concord. Let them come and
get it. Let the revolution start here and start today,''
Selectmen Chairman Bill Ryan said to loud applause.
Since Alton voted to leave the money in
escrow until further notice, the next move is up to the
state Attorney General's office who could sue or fine the
town and remove the board of selectmen.
Alton has joined a group of more than 20
communities whose taxes will rise under the new statewide
property tax system in challenging that method as
unconstitutional.
The funding plan, adopted after the state
Supreme Court declared the property tax system of education
support invalid, imposes a statewide tax rate of $6.60 per
$1,000 in assessed property value. It replaces a system in
which local property tax rates varied widely by communities.
Under the plan, property-rich communities
must send money to the state for redistribution to
property-poor communities to equalize support for public
schools.
Officials of five rebel communities Alton,
Hampton Falls, Portsmouth, Newington and Rye have voted to
collect property taxes according to the new plan but to hold
the money in escrow while they sue the state. Alton's public
meeting was the first time taxpayers have had a chance to
vote on the issue.
Before the vote, Democratic Sen. Mark
Fernald of Sharon, Republican Sen. Mary Brown of Chichester,
former Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Ken Blevens and
former Republican gubernatorial candidate Fred Bramante
answered questions and held forth on their views.
Fernald said the statewide tax should be
changed to a combination income tax for residents and
property tax for out-of-state owners of vacation property.
But until the law is changed, he said, donor towns should
pay up.
Brown told voters legislators ''had a gun
held to their heads'' when they agreed to the statewide
property tax, which she said she considers illegal because
voters didn't choose it.
''An income tax is inevitable,'' said
Brown, who added she regretted taking ''the pledge'' against
broad-based taxes and would never do so again.
Blevens said property taxes should be
reduced to zero, which would meet the state Supreme Court's
criteria of levying an equal rate on everyone. Raising money
for and making decisions about local schools should be done
by local communities, he said.
Bramante, who has referred to
property-rich towns as ''crybabies,'' apologized. He had
been disinvited to Saturday's forum and was allowed to
participate only after a narrow vote.
''I have gotten a little carried away at
times and I apologize,'' he said.
The apology met with weak applause, but
neither it nor Bramante's argument that the statewide
property tax was the least of the tax evils dissuaded Alton
residents from their revolt.
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