This is why we need to be sure to let the town council know what the general public is thinking and what direction we want to see our town's taxation and permiting processes to take. Taxes can kill the hard working businesses and leave everybody without a job.

Bottom line is the town needs more money, and we have to figure out where to get this from without overburdening any one particular group or industry.

Our tourists are already taxed to the max and they are feeling the pinch. We can't have their numbers going down because small hotels, dive shops etc are already having a hard time keeping afloat.

Amanda,
I would love to see a budget developed and publized that showed both expenses and income for the town. Then people would know how much it costs to run the town, what projects need to be done, where the money is coming from now, and how much more needs to be raised to balance the budget. Then the amount of revenue needed from property taxes could be developed, instead of an arbitrary amount, then the people not having a clue where the money is going. I agree that the property taxes need to be increased but just want to know that I am getting something for my tax dollars.

Yes Kwalkpt - I am working on getting that info together. I realize that the more informed the public is the more it can help all of us understand and target the main problem areas.

Thanks Amanda for all the work!!

Belize is a tiny county, about the size of a small U.S. city. To think that tax policy can be developed absent of national policy is naive. I agree that tax policy needs to be revised. Belize is overly depended on duty taxes, which prevents Belizeans from enjoying many of the conforms of life. Belize needs to protect its interests, but the duty is unrealistic. The sales tax might need to be taken off food (not resturants) and property taxes increased, some to the national government and some to the local government. Income taxes need to be visited. I swear each time I cross the bridge. I doubt if the toll generates enough revenue to pay the three workers. Jobs for friends or family? Belize is a third world country trying to find its way and a sound tax policy is important.

I never thought I would say this but my property taxes are too low. I would be in favor of a higher tax provided the money was going to stay on the island.
Taxing the tourists has been done here to the point where we already run off the the tourists. I frankly would like to see the tax paid to get into the country lowered, so the hotels, resturant and dive shops would have more customers.

If you check the property tax laws you'll find that each town/city has it's own section. So in the case of property taxes they are developed on a local not national basis.

Throwing money at a problem, only creates more problems.

Many politicians view TAXES - as an unlimited Well, for them to tap.
This can be very dangerous, and very harmfull in the long run.

This is a complicated issue -

Will higher taxes chase away investors?

Will you tax people out of house and home, or do you provide "excemtions" and adopt a Socialist System of "each according to his ability, each according to his need"

Do you tax a Resident Less- or do you charge him More ?
(if the tax is to pay for services) he uses the services year-round, and benifits the most.

The collection of Property Taxes - is skewed collection system and is not "Use Based",
Does the owner of a $900K home really use more services than the owner of a $200k home???

Studies show - No, individuals in Lower income housing residents tend to use police, fire & schools more .

Where are the current GST Taxes going?
Does A/C get it's fair share?

Does A/C currently benifit from the Millions in foriegn aid?

The U.S. Agency for International Development provided $110 million worth of development assistance to Belize, and continues to provide regional assistance for the construction and renovation schools ,youth hostels, medical assistance programs, and drug reduction programs.

Additionally, the US provide $2.5 million per year for general "Economic Assistance" , not counting private donations from individuals and various groups.

Belize needs to "Stop The Bleeding" first.
Evaluate it's systems.
Impliment Policy.
Approve a budget.
.... before it even thinks about raising taxes.

Unfortunatly AC is very similar to a wealthy individual in the US. The top wage earners, 1% to 5%, pay the vast majority of taxes and receive little in return. The country of Belize has many needs and few places or people with the income to tax for those needs. AC will never get its "fair share" of taxes paid returned to AC. AC needs to find ways to fund its needs by taxing its own residents. GOB will never be able to fund all of the needs of AC and also support the needs of the rest of the country - that is even assuming the new goverment doesn't steal for their own personal gain like the last, which is a huge assumption. And waiting and begging GOB to fund all of the needs of AC will only lead to further decline of the island.

I am a conservative in my politics and normally opposed to increased taxes, but when I pay a few hundred dollars on my condo I am paying too little in taxes. I am willing, and should pay more, provided the money is used efficiently to improve the island.

I am a frequent visitor to San Pedro, 5>6 times a year. I've toyed with the thoughts of buying a property and simply extending my visits to months rather than a week or so, but have decided to remain a tourist and not to buy a home there simply because of the conditions being discussed in this thread. Somehow, I doubt that I am alone in my views of this problem.
In the past I have been in business management and law enforcement management positions and have had the oppertunity to observe similar problems and even participated in solution discussions. One thing was always apparent at the begenning of these talks; ie, averybody acknowledged that a problem existed and that a good solution would improve the community and its environment imeasurably. But, when all of the talking was done and the problem reidentified, the solution always boiled down to management by "choice" and not by "chance". And after it was fully understood that it was imperative that the community be operated like a "business", and not a hobby, or as a spoke in a big wheel, and had a Chief Executive Officer in charge, wonderful things began to take place. AC is the biggest business in the country of Belize and it needs to be dealt with as such. There is no substitute for a "Plan" when none exists. JMHO... dirty American Tourist.