Several years ago a local resident/activist told my husband that the Country Club got away with this ridiculous value because they got the golf course land designated a “wildlife refuge”. And they got that pushed thru by Govenor Bush. The environmental impact of golf courses is tremendous and awful, their a blight on both the environment and wildlife. Anyone else ever heard that story?
@kmom–beyond ludicrous, but as with many oddball theories there is a grain of truth. Apparently, country clubs value only their buildings for tax purposes, not the land. That’s according to a commenter on frontburner.
I heard they had a senior exemption because the members are so old, ha! so what do we think the new building cost? $30 mill? surely they can value the improvements at the mere cost of construction. i think DCC should have let sleeping dogs lie. if i were city of HP i would have sued dcad over the low value long ago. Just think if the property were cut into 200+ households each valued at a minimum of $1 mill. That would be $200,000,000 in taxable properties. How much tax revenue is the city missing out on by letting DCC? Or DCC can make a sizable contribution to mad for plaid and well just let them slide a couple more yrs.
Just for the record, I am a DCC member AND concerned taxpayer. I agree that they should have let sleeping dogs lie. I also like the idea of a substantial Mad for Plaid donation. The general membership certainly didn’t know about this ahead of time. I do know that the golf course has a tax advantage as green space. As far as the schools are concerned, if the DCC were to be developed as homes, we would certainly have to build another elementary school and make major additions to both the middle schools and the high school. The only way that I see that this lawsuit could make any sense is if it is some sort of preemptive strike to keep the taxes on the new building lower. I doubt that it will be successful in those terms. The old building is/was a teardown in a sense. As a member, I am glad that we do have a couple of african american members now and although the club has a long, long way to go, at least we are now headed in the right direction as far as racism goes. I bet that the phones of the various board members are ringing off the wall right now with members wanting to know what they were thinking in filing this kind of lawsuit.
It’s truly sad that HP’s ambulance rates were raised from $500 to $800, to generate additional revenue. Generating revenue on the ill and in need of emergency services is shameful. What’s next HP Town Council, parking pass? By the way, were raises given to HP’s administration?
HP Town Council would not need to look under every rock these days for dollars if, and only if, someone had the stamina to say “no” to the wasteful remodel of town hall.
Should have just stayed with the necesities like updating the very outdated 911 system. Moreover, if what is being said about the DCC on their taxes is true, then what’s up with that!
Instead of picking on the ill and the folks in need of emergency care services with dramatic ambulance cost increases, why doesn’t HP Town Council go after the DCC? Hmmmm?
Several years ago a local resident/activist told my husband that the Country Club got away with this ridiculous value because they got the golf course land designated a “wildlife refuge”. And they got that pushed thru by Govenor Bush. The environmental impact of golf courses is tremendous and awful, their a blight on both the environment and wildlife. Anyone else ever heard that story?
@kmom–beyond ludicrous, but as with many oddball theories there is a grain of truth. Apparently, country clubs value only their buildings for tax purposes, not the land. That’s according to a commenter on frontburner.
I heard they had a senior exemption because the members are so old, ha! so what do we think the new building cost? $30 mill? surely they can value the improvements at the mere cost of construction. i think DCC should have let sleeping dogs lie. if i were city of HP i would have sued dcad over the low value long ago. Just think if the property were cut into 200+ households each valued at a minimum of $1 mill. That would be $200,000,000 in taxable properties. How much tax revenue is the city missing out on by letting DCC? Or DCC can make a sizable contribution to mad for plaid and well just let them slide a couple more yrs.
Angela, love the Mad for Plaid idea!
Just for the record, I am a DCC member AND concerned taxpayer. I agree that they should have let sleeping dogs lie. I also like the idea of a substantial Mad for Plaid donation. The general membership certainly didn’t know about this ahead of time. I do know that the golf course has a tax advantage as green space. As far as the schools are concerned, if the DCC were to be developed as homes, we would certainly have to build another elementary school and make major additions to both the middle schools and the high school. The only way that I see that this lawsuit could make any sense is if it is some sort of preemptive strike to keep the taxes on the new building lower. I doubt that it will be successful in those terms. The old building is/was a teardown in a sense. As a member, I am glad that we do have a couple of african american members now and although the club has a long, long way to go, at least we are now headed in the right direction as far as racism goes. I bet that the phones of the various board members are ringing off the wall right now with members wanting to know what they were thinking in filing this kind of lawsuit.
It’s truly sad that HP’s ambulance rates were raised from $500 to $800, to generate additional revenue. Generating revenue on the ill and in need of emergency services is shameful. What’s next HP Town Council, parking pass? By the way, were raises given to HP’s administration?
HP Town Council would not need to look under every rock these days for dollars if, and only if, someone had the stamina to say “no” to the wasteful remodel of town hall.
Should have just stayed with the necesities like updating the very outdated 911 system. Moreover, if what is being said about the DCC on their taxes is true, then what’s up with that!
Instead of picking on the ill and the folks in need of emergency care services with dramatic ambulance cost increases, why doesn’t HP Town Council go after the DCC? Hmmmm?
All of course, my own opinion.