Amanda consider how much stamp duty is paid to the black hole called the Consolidated Revenue Fund annually (or even monthly) from real estate sales. It is astronomical.

If you add a portion of the stamp duty on real estate, some gst, business tax, hotel tax, existing property tax and an impact assessment fee, you would be in the black monthly.

The problem is not that enough tax dollars are not being generated, it's that they are not staying in your municipality.

If you consider the hotel tax collected in SP, that alone would cover the monthly budget.

And I am sorry, I just don't see why the poor resident in the back of the island should pay more property taxes because there is a need for a larger capacity reverse osmosis water plant because more water is needed to fill the ever increasing number of swimming pools on the front of the island, for example. (Not saying this is so, just using it as an example.)

Or to pay more to pave over once good roads ruined by "development" which are primarily for the enjoyment of visitors and purchasers of rich developments.

It just is not fair.

Oh, one more thing, the bleeding hearts that think they are not paying enough property tax can simply mail a check with an additional donation along with their tax check to the Town Council and label it "donation to the budget", much like people in the US who can afford it voluntarily mail checks to the U.S. Government to help bring down that gargantuan deficit.

Better yet, why doesn't everyone that can afford it pay the property tax of someone that hasn't paid yet and can't afford to pay it? Now would that be something? That way the town council would be one step closer to collecting "all" its outstanding taxes.

Whoa!!! We don't need a larger RO system...and if we did its not our problem since its owned by the company that is contracted to supply our water.
And where did you get the idea that the cobblestone streets are only for the visitors???
We all use them to get around, in fact they benefit the locals on bikes more than others.

Jesse, before there was "development" on San Pedro, there were fantastic roads of soft white powdery sand that worked just fine. The need for cobblestones on the streets of SP are as a direct result of that scourge called "development", and so let the developers pay for it. That's my 2 cents, for whatever its worth. That is why I suggest an "impact fee" to help alleviate the negative impact as a result of "development".

Yeah well 17 years ago when the streets were still virgin they were a horrible mess when it rained and we suffered lakes of mud, then in the dry all the kids got eye infections and breathing problems from the dust. "The good old days"...

So the roads are much better now?

And I think your memory serves you wrong. When the streets were powdery white sand the ground was very porous and the water would not puddle any at all on the land. And there were no "lakes of mud".

Those started when the heavy equipment (to build those mega-buildings) started rolling over the beautiful powdery roads crushing and packing the sand into a non-porous clay-like texture.

Have the eye infections and the breathing problems from the dust stopped now? Inquiring minds would like to know.

the dust problems are much improved...and getting better as more streets are paved.
I don't have any memory problems...and many others on here can attest to the mud and dust problems back before any major development.
The "powdery white sand" was only on the beach where it was (and is) raked daily.

On Nantucket, we have a landbank fee. It is designated to buy open space but could be used for anything that voters want. 1% of every property sale goes to the Landbank. There is a board that makes decisions on what property to buy that is independent of the town council . New home buyers are exempted from paying it. I suppose there could be an impact fee from sales that goes into a security account to be used to pay officers.

Thanks Wendy, I don't know what happened to me thinking I should abandon my conservative principles being against taxes and bigger goverment and offer to contribute more to help make the community a better place for all if that is what is needed.

You are right. I should keep my mouth shut, hope someone else pays and not give a shit if the place I live part of the year goes to hell. That way I don't have to take your abuse and don't have to worry about being part of the solution.

And by the way, I would prefer it was like when I first came here 40 years ago before you Belizeans decided tourism and development was your savior.

It is a welcome change to hear you tell me, a non-Belizean, that you do not need any more of my money. Or did I not understand you. Maybe you were saying "give me more of your money, but do not ask me or anyone that is a Belizean to help pay for services needed in the community". Just have taxes that are only paid by developers or tourists.

Well, There have been about 10,000 words, a lot of complaining, the council has been called incompetant, the GOB has been blamed for having a "black hole" of moneys, some have made suggestions about increasing local taxes, and most have said the government, both local and national lacks planning.
I guess I don't disagree with most of the discussion but have only one question to ask;; Since it is blatently obvious that the town council is insufficiently "staffed" to cope with this problem and needs advisors, clerks, typests and councelling, who among the locals and expats are willing to fill these positions.???? The Ugly American Tourist