VOTE NO VACANT HOME TAX

You may have seen some of the issues with the proposed Astoria, Oregon “Vacant Home Tax.” They include, but are not limited to:

• Can be expected to be tied up in expensive and lengthy litigation; 
• Invasion of privacy – requires paper reporting to city by all property owners, data unsecured, possible FOIA release of where a homeowner is living & when;
• Creates division in the community;  
• No exceptions for traveling professionals (Maritime, Medical, Airline, Trades)
• City must bear initial program costs for first 22 months of inception including salary, admin, overhead and legal costs;
• Assumes residents who occupy their homes under 183 days do not contribute to community & impose “community-wide costs” and
• Initiative will not increase housing stock. 

This initiative exemplifies Government overreach – retroactively dictating how & when you use your private property or incur fines. We’ve been told that we have a choice: “Rent It, Sell It, or Pay the Fine”.

Here’s another aspect of this ballot measure: Neighbor Vs. Neighbor.

Please see the sign the Astoria Housing Alliance has been leaving on houses they deem “Vacant.” A family vacated their house to place it for sale and within two days this sign was placed on their front door, alerting everyone (including potential thieves & squatters) that their house was empty.

Also the Astoria Housing Initiative sign. Placed on an ’empty’ house.

And here’s a form that neighbors use to inform the City of Berkeley that a neighbor’s house is empty. Since the AHA has used Berkeley as a model, this could be used here. This does not build community.

Please consider the impact the Vacant Home Tax would have on the City of Astoria. Is this the town you want to live in?