One of the problems with taxes in Rehoboth is the short-term rental market. The investors are able to pass the tax hikes on to the weekly rental rates with little damage to their bottom line. Look at the display of year-round for-rent signs and realize this is becoming a giant tourist rental town, and residents are becoming second-class citizens.
Look at the building permits that allow seven-bedroom, seven-and-a-half-bath houses. Legal, yes, but it does sound like it is destined to be another rental. Meanwhile, my street is a ghost town for much of the year.
People who invested decades ago in their dream retirement town won't find the quaint place they imagined. How long can our current infrastructure sustain the tourists? It will be requiring expensive upgrades in the near future. We already have summer water restrictions. The sewer treatment plant experienced problems during the blizzard. Even the internet services lag far behind demand in tourist season.
The trees of which we are so proud are aging and brittle, but I see little effort to plant their replacements publicly or privately.
Future storms will bring repeated power outages, but the bill for underground power lines would be mind-boggling so we bury our heads in the sand instead. Lots of folk complain about the impact of development countywide, but ignore what is happening in town. The council pushed charter revisions without the required public notice and comment periods. I expect a lawsuit if the changes are approved by the state (more of our money down the drain). You might want to oppose the charter changes. Go to https://speak4.io/lp/3m015nab?ts=1771958253 for information. I am not affiliated with the group.
I wish I had answers, but I'm pretty sure the ability to raise taxes will not decrease spending and will increase taxes.
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