Government: Data
Statistical Data
Futures Statements
Strategies & Solutions
Plans, Reports, and Studies
Resources
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Government: Strategies & Solutions (n=152) |
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Participant Comment |
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Jurisdictions (n=3)
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Eliminate multiple jurisdictions - County only |
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Get rid of Blacksburg/Christriansburg Distinctions |
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Remove distinctions between C'burg & B'burg |
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Cooperation (n=15)
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Cooperation between town and county. |
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Coop. b/t town & county |
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Cooperation between town/county |
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Cooperation between Towns & County |
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Work in team with Towns of Christiansburg & Blacksburg, and with Radford |
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Complete cooperation between all localities. |
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more cooperation b/w universities & towns |
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Cooperative efforts with local universities |
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Maintain & emphasize cooperation among local governments |
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Better cooperation between town and county especially in planning and zoning |
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Relationship between county & university |
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increase communication & development at corporation lines. Involve towns. Work with State to get/ability to have ordinaces to control sprawl & provide services |
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Cooperation between county & towns |
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Refine cooperative guidelines between Co & Towns |
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Increased coooperation between County & Towns |
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Close cooperation between social services & county ie church groups, civic groups |
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regional cooperation: any co-operation is good |
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Cooperation between county and towns (joint planning) |
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Foster more regional cooperation between governmental units |
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Support / incentivize collaborations between localities |
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Blacksburg and Christiansburg should not extend their corporate boundaries, nor should the extend utility services beyond their boundaries |
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Public Education, Participation,
and Outreach (n=43)
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Aggressive solicitation for citizen's help (volunteer) |
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Do more things to get public involved |
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Organize public meetings to educate people on issues |
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Get more people involved |
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Public awareness & input |
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Obtain public input and follow up in best interest of citizens |
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Listen to people |
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Listen to the public: People quit voicing opinions and participating because most decisions are already made or actually decided by the more "assertive" |
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Citizen Review Board (town meetings) |
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Publicize issues through media. |
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Set up more citizen review boards. |
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Publicize issues thrrough newspapers, radio, media |
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Conduct educational programs on how to achieve the [planning] goals |
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Continue to encourage active public involvement in the planning process |
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[Consolidation of Jurisdictions] Develop a committee of community leaders, town officials, VT & RA administrators, congress persons, local members of the General Assembly - Their mission find a way to accomplish this consolidation. This idea (see previous) is already being studied else where and has been discussed locally for several years. |
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Find some way to involve the public in decision making, not just the small percentage who vote |
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Find some way to make decision makers be responsive to the public voice, not the influences of powerful individual or organizations. |
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Create innovative public forum opportunities to reach and educate community members. |
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Increase participation from VT & Radford Univ into community |
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Public forums on specific issues (like Vision 2020) |
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Educate/encourage public on compact development |
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Increase public involvement & awareness by increasing government outreach, communication, education |
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More public response at gov't meetings |
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community involvement |
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Citizen input |
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Brainstorm session with citizens |
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Community forums |
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to have citizen input to decide who would be involved on committies |
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Foster the flow of info, citizen involvement, access to govt & officials |
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consult citizens and other stakeholders |
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You must target individuals - They will NOT find you |
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Advertise it ?? Me CT@Virginia Tech to get student ideas |
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Come to classes, like we did today. |
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Public relations inspiring people to speak up |
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Incorporate all income levels |
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Forums online |
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poll community |
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educate the public |
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encourage public involvement |
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Public involvement should be started an early age |
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form a "clever county" action committee |
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Plan/input for citizens |
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public involvement: Public involvement is crucial, hopefully our voices are as important as big money and real estate developer voices. |
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We need more minority participation in the county |
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Ways for people to get together concerning community needs so they are also concerned about each other |
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Public Involvement: Continue this community process, w/ elected officials attending |
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Public Involvement: Community forums, visioning process (a-la-Chatanooga), community organizing; lots of community/government communication & working together. |
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Increase civic education |
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Voice of citizens be given listening ear |
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Fully involve citizens and expert analysis |
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Allow for citizen input in public decision making |
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Planning and Governing Process
(n=24)
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Do the hard work |
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Think more & prepare accordingly for the good of all. |
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Develop a good plan - based on consensus & sustainability. |
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Alternative dispute resolution services |
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Coordination of volunteer services |
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More county cooperation |
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Push activities which involve exercise and thoughts |
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More involvement w/ State legislature (ie, Pulaski) |
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Secure State & Federal grants for development |
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responsible leadership throughout |
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cooperation at all governmental levels |
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Determine a vision |
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Set goals to get to vision |
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Attain goals |
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Setup measurement systems to determine progress |
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Reevaluate/report |
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Be smart - you know where the areas that should be protected are! You have the information and the knowledge to keep development out of those areas. You do not need a survey to figure this out |
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Better cooperation between town and county especially in planning and zoning |
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Be willing to change, to look at these things differently, have a vision |
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evaluate the work done |
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Be scientific in approach |
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Think way ahead into the future |
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Leave decisions to professionals |
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preserve/maintain public use |
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e-government: I guess this study is electronic, and I'm doing it, so it does have some importance. The question remains: does it make a difference? Will my voice be heard? |
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government outreach: This could be improved - then we could elimate problems such as the pipe-line easement situation. Also: the power line that everyone hates |
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Be progressive |
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Forward thinking |
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Take inventory of current resources and traditions |
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Development of policies that would assure more balanced funding of schools, libraries, etc. |
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Understand and make more use of market based strategies |
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Promote open communication |
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E-government capabilities may be intrusive - a concern |
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out of box thinking |
| Character & Quality of Government (n=11) | |
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Establish a joint advisory Board to the School Board and Board of Supervisors |
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Too much governmental control |
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highly qualified town council, board of supervisors |
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Thorough education of elected people on all issues related to environmental issues |
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Eradication of labels like Republican & Democrat in government - everyone should work toward the betterment of the people & environment of Mont. Co. & leave personal problems, "religion", hatred, and personal profit at home where it belongs |
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Hold BOS responsible for actions from community forums |
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stable government |
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quality leaders with the commities as their primary focus |
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Educate elected officals, elected & appointed to support plan |
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Community system to hold elected persons accountable. |
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Hold officials accountable |
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We need to make sure we elect people to our local governments that will stand up for our way of life |
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Supervisors should not be in anyone’s pocket |
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Unfortunately, I do not think that the leopard will change its spots. |
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Minority representation in schools, local government, etc |
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More minority on schools, local governments |
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Taxes (n=44)
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Note: additional tax related comments have been categorized under education, parks and recreation, and safety. Land use taxation comments have been classified under environment. |
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Real Estate/Assessment (n=5)
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Don't penalize those who have nice looking places by raising their taxes. |
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Higher property tax |
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Keep property tax at a reasonable cost |
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Property taxes/imaginative reassessing |
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make private property reassesments more equitable to make housing more affordable |
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Don't price residents out of the county with high(er) property taxes |
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Increase Taxes (n=17)
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taxes |
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Need to find a source of funding or increase current tax base to support needs for public schools, and other facilities |
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Higher property tax |
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Increase taxes |
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Raise taxes (in small degrees) |
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Increase taxes |
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Raise taxes to support... |
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Consider raising fair taxes to support projects. |
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Raise taxes - then use the money wisely |
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Increase tax revenue base to fund needed areas and to fund jobs |
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Set tax structure to support the goals. |
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Raise taxes if necessary |
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RAISE TAXES |
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Increasing revenue by raising property taxes to competitive levels00319 Increasing revenue by raising property taxes to competitive levels |
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High tax rates |
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Tax more items or have higher taxes on existing items |
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set a percentage limit on tax increases |
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raise taxes |
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Increase taxes but use money wisely |
| Specialty Taxes (n=10) | |
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Tax on cig. & alcohol bev. |
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Put a special tax on tobacco products |
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Special tax on businesses that sell tobacco and alcohol products |
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Put a special tax on alcohol products |
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Tax alcohol & tobacco |
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Gas tax |
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Food tax |
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Liquor tax |
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Cigarette tax |
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Levy a sales tax on tobacco products |
| Tax Structure & Assessment (n=12) | |
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Modified tax structure (w/helfp of Gen. Assembly) to provide more resources |
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You need to listen to the needs of the people such as taxes |
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tax structure and assessment should be better evaluated |
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change taxing methods |
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County provide tax credit for first time home buyers |
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Tax everyone equally |
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More equitable taxes (enforceable) |
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Tax appropriately |
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Revise tax base |
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Revise the tax base |
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Revise taxation rate |
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Revise taxation base |
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Miscellaneous Comments (n=12)
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Note: Categories with two or fewer comments have been included under miscellaneous. |
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Don't make unnessary cosmetic improvements |
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Let quality of life, instead of money, guide decision making |
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High standard of living - more jobs. |
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Don't spend money building houses to prevent falling further in debt. |
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Vote in socialist, progressive leaders to City Council, School Board. |
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get to know your next door neighbor |
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support for Board of Supervisors |
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Proper funding for public services |
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Gain money from the government/public |
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Secure State & Federal grants for development |
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Encourage things throughout the county not just in B'burg (no concentrated law making) |
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Implement specific policies that would encourage Republicans to move away |
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More rural areas need support of Mont. Co. |
©Montgomery County
Department of Planning & Inspections
Last Updated: 25 April, 2003
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