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Commercial_Case_7475 t1_j7qnxlb wrote

Reply to comment by mattgm1995 in How Can We The Increase Affordable Housing Supply? Ideas? by twentiesforever

I am sick of this narrative that "Vermont needs the rich second home owners". It's straight up bullshit. We have cleaning businesses and property management because we are adaptable and resourceful people. If you left tomorrow we'd just shuffle our business model again. We don't need rich people, that's an elitist attitude. I'd love to see the statistic, by the way, on how second homes bring "tens of thousands of jobs to the state."

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Necessary_Cat_4801 t1_j7rwefb wrote

It's total horseshit. We would have tourism without second homes. Maybe we'd lose some tourism but we'd be better off because we'd maybe gain workforce housing. Way back when I worked in a tourist industry in Burlington. 20 years ago. SO MANY QUEBECOIS. They're going to keep coming no matter what.

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mattgm1995 t1_j7qp8le wrote

Let’s take Waitsfield. The schools are floated almost wholly by second home owners, the businesses as well. What do you tell a town like that? No one is stopping Vermonters from building factories in parts of the state and creating jobs

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Commercial_Case_7475 t1_j7qrhr7 wrote

The resulting tax situation would be either the same or better in terms of revenue because some portion of the second homes would simply foot the bill for higher taxes while others would free up homes for locals. I for one will not be grateful to my rich, vacation home overlords. Fuck that

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mattgm1995 t1_j7qvvlw wrote

How would the tax situation be better? The same number of homes would be taxed at a lower rate, also assuming they sold the vacation homes and left you’d lose a shit ton in vts 9% meals tax and 10% alcohol tax, not to mention gas tax.

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GreenPL8 t1_j7rmkik wrote

Primary homeowners pay taxes too.

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mattgm1995 t1_j7rn94a wrote

Of course! Just 1) at a lower rate and 2) ski towns, for instance, 2nd homeowners pay a significant amount of a local or regional schools budget

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