What are local property taxes in Grafton?
They are average by NH standards. Check out this page for info on all of the towns in NH -
http://www.nhes.state.nh.us/elmi/communpro.htmFrom the Graton page,
Total Population Community County
2001 1,149 82,589
2002 Total Tax Rate $28.64
2002 Equalization Ratio 74.9
2002 Full Value Tax Rate
$21.54 The town has:
Public Library Grafton Public (if you could get rid of that you could save)
Police Department Full-time (making it part-time would save money)
Fire Department Volunteer (getting rid of this would save money)
Town Fire Insurance Rating 9/9 (the fire department must not do a good job because the fire rating is terrible, i.e. put out your own fire)
Emergency Medical Service Volunteer (nobody will vote to get rid of this and it likely uses the same building as the fire department)
Type of Government Selectmen
Annual Budget 2000 $578,402
Planning Board Elected
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
Zoning Ordinance No Board
Master Plan 1987
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Mandatory Recycling Program Yes In NH they don't seem to mind paying the government workers zero so you might be able to lower the selectmen pay to $100 per year. Removing the planning board would save money. Removing the master plan and capitol improvement plan would both save money (at least down the road). Ending the mandatory recycling program would also save money.
And what is the potential for entirely eliminating them?None. Even if you were able to find a way to pay for the roads, eliminate the fire and police, you would still have to pay state property taxes untill the state laws are changed.
What does housing typically cost in Grafton?
2000 Census Housing Costs
Median Value, Owner-Occupied Housing $81,300
Median Gross Rent (monthly) $500 Could I get housing for less then $500/month?
Sure, but not after a couple years (because of the build up of FSP members) unless someone builds special housing for FSP members. Don't forget, there are always pre-made homes and trailers.
(I know they're ellected officials which is presumably better then appointed boards, but what's the potential for eliminating it entirely.)
Very high if 200-300 libertarians move to the town.
What's the potential for entirely dismantling the public school system in Grafton
The Grafton page says that it does not have any schools. The kids must go to near-by schools.
What's the potential for eliminating all the building codes and regulations.
I think there might be state codes in NH (?)
Are some free staters potentially thinking about purchasing some of that land and building housing complexes on some of that property?
Yes, and I read about it in online versions of print newspapers.
What county is Grafton located in? We should try to locate in the surounding areas of Grafton if possible as well.
Get this, Grafton is in Grafton County.
If somebody wanted to donate to this project, where would they send it? Does the Free Town Project, have a website of its own, with all its stated goals for downsizing the local government?
All I know about is this,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Free_Town_Project/