Quote:
Originally Posted by Ice_Weasel
It would probably be more accurate to say that the high inner city taxes are 'subsidizing' the urban sprawl that Calgary is famous for.
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I would be perfectly happy for Calgary to start charging taxes based on lot size. That way properties that contribute more to sprawl pay more taxes, and people living in condos/townhouses/higher density housing forms pay less.
A quarter acre lot in Mt Royal contributes to sprawl. They lobbied the city and got special direct control zoning to keep their neighbourhood full of big lots. If they hadn't done that, you'd see densification going on, which is the best (really the only) way to fight sprawl in a city with a growing population.
But as long as we have the current system where taxes are based on property values, then assessments should reflect what houses are actually worth.