HomeMy WebLinkAboutIdeas associated with the Views of the Lansing Village Board on Planning 8/16/1975-Updated 8 /6/75
IDEAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIEWS OF THE LANSING VILLAGE HOARD ON PLANNING
by F. G. Marcham
The resolution of the Village of Lnnsing Board of Trustees of May 26, 1975 is a•
statement intended to present certain policies and goals concerning.Planning.
It addresses these to the County Board of Representatives, its Planning and Public
Works Committee, and the County Planning Office: The Board be that adequate
presentation and discussion of its views among public officials may lead to a
re- consideration of present policies as they relate to planning policy, County tax
use, and the use of County resources for road maintenance.. The Board's approach
to this area of local government is, to a degree, parallel to the preliminary steps.
already taken toward intermunicipal cooperation on sewers and water.
The Lansing Village Board considered two aspects of planni.ng:. planning as it affects
the distribution of population in the County and planning as seen in terms of the
The purpose was to provide that tax differentials that do not reflect differences
in the actual cost of providing services, as between one municipality and another,
would not be a factor in causing population to move to areas with a lower tax rate.
is
If such movement did take place for such a pupose, the short -run result would be
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haphazard over - development of Community A, which has no zoning and provides minimum
services, and the denuding of Community B, which has.built up a substantial package
of services, regulates zoning, and has a relatively high tax rate. The long -run
effect would be higher costs in both communities. Under the Board's proposed
policy, the Incentive to move to get ii lower tax rate would vanish. Tax rate
policy becomes an instrument of County planning.
The funds derived from County tax .revenue would be distributed among municipalities
06 according to n formula yet to be decided, in the manner of Federal Revenue Sharing.
Under such a program, municipalities which are now economically disadvantaged, and
location of water and sewer plants
and the flow of traffic on roads in
the County.
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As to the first, the Board sees as
ideal a uniform tax rate throughout
the County.
The purpose was to provide that tax differentials that do not reflect differences
in the actual cost of providing services, as between one municipality and another,
would not be a factor in causing population to move to areas with a lower tax rate.
is
If such movement did take place for such a pupose, the short -run result would be
r '
haphazard over - development of Community A, which has no zoning and provides minimum
services, and the denuding of Community B, which has.built up a substantial package
of services, regulates zoning, and has a relatively high tax rate. The long -run
effect would be higher costs in both communities. Under the Board's proposed
policy, the Incentive to move to get ii lower tax rate would vanish. Tax rate
policy becomes an instrument of County planning.
The funds derived from County tax .revenue would be distributed among municipalities
06 according to n formula yet to be decided, in the manner of Federal Revenue Sharing.
Under such a program, municipalities which are now economically disadvantaged, and
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can support few local services because of their low tax base would receive a
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supplement and could add to their services and raise the level of municipal
performance to that of their neighbors.
The Lansing Village Board encourages County Planning and endorses the action and
initiative of.the County Planning Office. It regards the Villages.of the County
and other municipal units as the foundation of County Planning; local boards and
councils, responsible to local electorates ought, it believes, to make basic
decisions regarding such matters as intermunicipal cooperation on water and sewer
and the flow of traffic within each individual municipality. The .role of the Planning
Office would be to serve as liaison among the municipalities, and to.promote inter-
municipal cooperation, and to Heep before the County Board of Representatives a_
total County program that would give effect to the policies of individual munici-
palities and groups of municipalities.
The Lansing Village Board'S proposals also support the policy of use by the munici-
palities of the County, should they desire it, of County manpower and equipment for
the development and maintenance of local roads. Under the provisions set forth in
the preceding paragraph, policy concerning the use of roads within a municipality
would remain with the municipality.
All in all, the purpose of the Lansing Village Board is to offer for discussion a
set of ideas regarding the relationship between the municipalities and the County
Planning Office and the Board of Representatives. The Board assumes that these
ideas, or such modification of them ns may emerge in time, will make possible a
reshaping of policy in the County. The Board believes that it is pointing the way
toward a better system of orderly planning and of efficient use of County resources.
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