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Today's Poll: Should the city develop a program to deal with vacant and abandoned homes?

By Howard B. Owens
Tim Miller

http://youtu.be/3C6Utr027QY {that's "yes" to those of you who are wary of links...}

Letting the properties sit and rot, bringing down the value and quality of life in Batavia's neighborhoods, is not working. It is a valid civic activity (public good) to encourage use/sale of abandoned buildings.

Now, the gory details of a plan to do that? That's the tough part. What is not tough is realizing the status quo is not working.

Oct 30, 2014, 6:26pm Permalink
Dave Olsen

"What is not tough is realizing the status quo is not working"
Absolutely right Tim.
A great place to start in my humble opinion is lowering the ridiculously high property taxes. I have heard or seen of no plan to begin doing so. It has to be deliberate and incremental. They put up a budget that keeps taxes the same or has a small increase (status quo) and pat themselves on the back. A ten year plan to reduce taxes will encourage property ownership. If you can state what its going to cost to own a home or other property ten years from now, that's something no other municipality can or will do. Set the goal, be serious about it and then budget every year towards the goal. Two year budgets would be a big help.

Nov 1, 2014, 8:55am Permalink

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