||| FROM GREG & HEATHER OAKSEN |||
Why YES?
Vote YES on renewal of the Land Bank because::
TAXES:: The 1% real estate excise tax that supports the Land Bank is paid by the buyer of real estate not the seller. 60% of buyers are from outside San Juan County. Preservation of land actually lowers property taxes of existing residents. Building new residences increases added revenues, but those revenues don’t cover the costs of adding required new services and therefore taxes increase for existing residents..
AFFORDABLE HOUSING: The 1% REET allows a .5% addition to support affordable housing. And, no it can’t be reversed so 1% goes to affordable housing and .5% to the Land Bank by state law.Thus far $13 million has been raised to support affordable housing in San Juan County and more is needed.
LOCAL ECONOMY: The Land Bank leases 500 acres to farmers and protects 1,300 acres of farmland supporting 29 working farms. Since only about 4% of our food is grown locally we need more farms and farmland for local employment and to reduce our carbon footprint.
ENVIRONMENT: The Land Bank protects and enhances wetlands that provide water recharge areas to increase our depleting aquifers. Preserves are maintained by a small stewardship staff and many volunteers that plant native trees and plants, clean up beaches, clear trails. These preserves allow residents and visitors to experience this fragile, one of a kind environment we get to share with the future.
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Lisa Nash Lawrence, who knows the relevant history better than I, commented on Whalen’s post on FB that:
“The Lester property was on the Land Bank’s list of important properties for the Land Bank conservation plan before Lincoln was the director. It is an integral piece as it connects to the Mitchell Hill properties and has road access.”
To me, this is another in a series of attempts to discredit the Land Bank by creating innuendo without solid facts. And should be treated by voters as such.
…and forest and shoreline preserves provide habitat for all the creatures great and small…