Subcategory for Resource Justice articles and content.
Jonathan Lamb (PhD candidate, Pardee RAND Graduate School) Motivations Can land use incentives stimulate more livable, equitable, and sustainable cities, and how do they compare to “top-down” design and planning? Land value taxation (LVT) has enjoyed renewed mainstream attention in recent years, through discussions in… Read More »Ground Rules: Land Use Incentives for Inclusive and Sustainable Cities
Taxes influence behavior. When you tax cigarettes and alcohol, people are less likely to buy them. When you tax property and buildings, people are less likely to invest in improving current properties and developing new ones. This leads to run-down buildings, empty lots and underutilized… Read More »How Land Value Taxes Could Promote Fairer Taxes
Land Value Tax (LVT) is not a new concept, yet many with an interest in the policy have noticed a recent uptick in news stories and online discussions on the subject, as well as an increasing number of U.S. municipalities and states giving serious consideration… Read More »How popular is Land Value Tax in 2024?
At the dawn of 2024, Colorado residents have property taxes on their minds. That’s because county assessors across the state have increased property values significantly — around 40% in El Paso and Pueblo counties, between 35% and 45% in metro Denver counties, and from 40%… Read More »Land Value Tax Promoted by Colorado Governor Gets Attention by Commission
Exploring the criticisms of Detroit’s Land Value Tax Plan: Do they have merit? Detroit’s Land Value Tax (LVT) plan has generated considerable discussion within the City and beyond. Many support the plan for its potential to transform Detroit’s tax system, promote development, and provide tax… Read More »Addressing Common Concerns and Building Support for Detroit’s Land Value Tax Plan
Detroit, like many urban centers, faces the challenge of balancing the need for steady, predictable tax revenues with the desire to promote economic growth and equitable development. The Land Value Tax (LVT) plan proposed by Mayor Duggan seeks to address these challenges head-on. Drawing upon… Read More »Anticipating the Impact: Detroit’s Land Value Tax Implementation
Detroit’s current tax system has long been a subject of criticism, with homeowners burdened by some of the highest property taxes in Michigan. Paradoxically, because land values are low, the owners of the City’s many abandoned buildings, scrap yards, and parking lots face low taxes,… Read More »Detroit’s Land Value Tax Plan: A Game Changer for Tax Bills
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s plan to implement a Land Value Tax continues moving forward, albeit with a new timeline. Since May 31, when Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan unveiled a plan to introduce a Land Value Tax, Michigan tongues have been wagging furiously. Declaring the current… Read More »Land Value Tax plan takes shape in Detroit, as negotiations continue
With so many cities grappling with rising rents, insufficient supply of new housing and widening inequality, many are starting to consider the ways in which these challenges could be mitigated by shifting the tax base onto land values. In a previous blog post, we explained… Read More »How does a land value tax shift work in practice?
Well, okay. Lots of people. One of the crowning strategies to rouse the rabble is to ream the property tax. Fair enough. But in some states like New Jersey, the property tax is unpopular, likely because the property tax is just as high as the state income, business, and sales taxes.
But some states have a lifeline for tax efficiency, equity, and progressivity. Yet because we live in strange times, state governments get the shakes regarding property tax. So instead, they throw themselves upon regressive, volatile, or inefficient taxes. Not surprisingly, these taxes hit parts of society that are powerless or don’t vote.
The property tax can trace its unpopularity to simple (and fixable) quirks in most states: the bill comes due once a year. There are legitimate concerns over what happens to people on a fixed income. The house’s value may go up, but there’s no cash flow to pay for a tax bill that goes up.
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