Eminent Domain

I give Trump a pass on this one.  He has no problem with eminent domain when property owners get at least fair value, but often get more than fair value for their property and neither do I, if they get far more than fair market value.

 

I do have a problem with government backed bonds going to economic development projects, tax holidays and tax dollar subsidies used to bribe companies to move in unless voters get to vote on it.  A rural county should be able to offer a manufacturer a competitive incentive package to move 200 jobs to the county if voters agree. This should be an annual property tax holiday based on actual jobs, not an up-front incentive.

 

The US Constitution states that government must pay “fair value” for all property taken.  I have more of a problem with easements, where government takes a chunk of your land and pays nothing.  Easements are granted by Developers as a gift to government and utilities.  I like sidewalks, but I would like them better if the land they occupy is bought by the government as “public space”, which it becomes as soon as the sidewalk gets poured.  Instead, homeowners and land owners have easements imposed by developers and they are expected to pay taxes on the property, including the easement they can’t use and no longer own. 

 

Conservation Easements are the worst.  The county offers a property tax discount for signing a piece of paper called a Conservation Easement. The hapless land owner just signed over the right to determine how the land can be used. Farmers should be able to do whatever they want to do with their land as long as it doesn’t destroy the value of adjoining land that belongs to a neighbor. City Zoning codes should not apply.  The farmer should be able to set up retail or production facilities on the farm and still be zoned Agricultural.

 

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader