Vermont’s tax burden is driving families away – VTDigger

Dear Editor, My wife and I recently moved our part-time residence from Moretown to Bennington. And we noticed that the relatively new anti-tax fervor has grown here in Bennington, too. I don’t see the Legislature rolling back funding for any departments or programs. That means property taxes will remain wickedly high. More and more, the state will become a home for the poor and seniors, who are unable to move, and for the rich, who can afford a luxurious second home. The working middle class will be hard-pressed. I find it ridiculous that my Bennington property taxes on my $160,000 condo are the same as my $500,000 Florida home. Plus, there is no state income tax in Florida. Last year, Vermont experienced a 0.29% annual population decline because more people are dying than being born and there is an outflow of residents to other states. I would guess that trend will accelerate as more boomers like me die and smart middle-class people give up on paying $5,000 to $10,000 a year for property taxes, plus exorbitant income taxes. Double ouch! As people wake up, they’ll realize life will be easier, taxes lower, their savings and investments much greater, if they
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