Bartlett Center reports property tax impact of ending revenue sharing

Bartlett Center reports property tax impact of ending revenue sharing
Berlin Facing Highest Property Tax Hike in NH

(Concord) The Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy today released
a report outlining how a legislative proposal to end revenue sharing
would impact local property tax rates. Berlin taxpayers would face an
increase of $3.16 per thousand in their tax rate unless state revenues
were replaced by other sources. A dozen New Hampshire communities
would face increases of over a $1.00 per thousand.

Read the Full Report

COMPLETE TOWN BY TOWN LIST

"For forty years, New Hampshire communities have relied on their share
of the Business Profits Tax and Rooms and Meals Tax to fund local
government," said the report's author, Grant Bosse. "Ending revenue
sharing would force local taxpayers to foot the bill for fixing the
state's out-of-control budget."

The Bartlett Center relied on revenue data from the New Hampshire
Municipal Association and local property values from the state
Department of Revenue Administration in calculating the local tax
impact across New Hampshire. Governor John Lynch proposed suspending
the state's two largest revenue sharing formulas in his February
Budget Address, cutting $160 million that would otherwise go to cities
and towns. Lynch has since backed away from suspending one revenue
stream, while continue to support suspending the other. Both sources
of local revenue would be suspending under House Bill 2, know pending
before the House Finance Committee.

"New Hampshire towns voted on their annual budgets last night, but
their tax rate might go even higher if the Legislature ends revenue
sharing," Bosse added. "Lawmakers would be forcing local taxpayers to
bear the burden of their budget problem."

The Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy is a free market think
tank based in Concord, New Hampshire. For more information go to
http://www.jbartlett.org/.

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