Quoted Text

Taxing vacant churches is fair

    The city of Amsterdam appears to be the fi rst municipality in the region to slap property tax assessments on church buildings vacated within the last year by the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese, but given the financial straits many municipalities are finding themselves in, it likely won’t be the last. Nor should it be: While the buildings may once have served as churches — and thus qualified for tax-exempt status — they no longer do. So why shouldn’t they be fair game for the tax man?
    The buildings are now aspiring commercial properties: five have already been sold, the sales of another six are pending; and 14 others are on the market. Indeed, one of three churches closed in Amsterdam recently did sell — St. John the Baptist — to the Latin American Pentecostal Church of God. Most likely, the new church will qualify for tax-exempt status. But as long as the other two buildings, St. Michael’s and St. Casimir’s, remain vacant or are not used for bona fide tax-exempt purposes, it doesn’t seem improper for the city to demand property taxes on them.
    It’s also not improper for the church to contest the size of the assessments, which initially were at $250,000 for St. Casimir’s, $435,000 for St. Michael’s and $435,000 for St. John’s. Indeed the church did so, and was successful in getting them reduced — to $150,300, $215,500, and $235,000, respectively. And the $100,000 selling price for St. John’s suggests that the assessments are still considerably high. ...............>>>>...............>>>>..............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00903&AppName=1

Sounds fair to me.

There are non-profits everywhere in the city that suck up the taxpayer's money and yet are not giving 'anything' back. How many non-profits does it take to 'help' a city? None of them have made a major difference. In fact the city  just keeps getting worse and it is spilling over into the towns.

Meanwhile, the select few continue to get their hands greased and get richer. (and most don't even live in the city)

The Catholic Church is trying to sell some excess churches In Amsterdam-they were houses of worship and still enjoy non-profit status. Instead of seriously cutting spending look for more of this type of useless governmental activity.

      This sounds like something the rubber stamps in Schenectady would support. Next they want to set up higher tax rates for landlords. That will force hundreds of additional properties on the overcrowded market and increase rents. Everything they propose destroys property values.

  

The catholic church can well afford to pay a portion of taxes on their vacant properties. They can well afford to pay taxes on even their occupied churches. Catholic charities alone, is heavily funded by our tax dollars. And now they are nothing more than the arm of the liberal socialist government.

Little by little the government is buying, taking over and dictating EVERYTHING! The catholic church has hundreds if not thousands of ordained pedophiles. It appears that the government is turning a blind eye to that issue though...right? How do these ordained pedophiles fall into the 'sex offender' laws?

Or perhaps it is just considered an act of homosexuality, which is acceptable in the eyes of the government! Ya know...they have rights too! hmmmmmmmm.....who's the victim here?

You're the victim BT of your own mean-spiritedness not to mention cowardice.

Quoted from 612

You're the victim BT of your own mean-spiritedness not to mention cowardice.

At least I'm not brainwashed by the communist socialist catholic church or the liberal socialist democratic party.....Or any political party or any religion. Nor do I need to profess what a 'great' person I am for self validation. Nor do I need to hide behind them in defense of myself or my beliefs.

Come on boomer......what does your liberal, catholic socialist say you should do with these ordained pedophiles? Ya know...the ones that committed forced sodomy and rape on young innocent boys?

Thanks to liberal President Johnson, the Church does not have free speech, or they lose their tax-exempt status.

So if the Church has to pay taxes on these buildings, they should be allowed to put signs on the buildings saying to vote against proabort politicians, whoever they are, whenever they run for office. That would be poetic justice.

Quoted from bumblethru

At least I'm not brainwashed by the communist socialist catholic church or the liberal socialist democratic party.....Or any political party or any religion. Nor do I need to profess what a 'great' person I am for self validation. Nor do I need to hide behind them in defense of myself or my beliefs.

I'm a Catholic and the antithesist of socialism and communism, plus I spend tons of time, fighting the good fight against socialism/communism. Pope John Paul II and President Reagan were key in bringing down the Soviet Union.

Sounds like the Church of England is ready to be born right here in good 'ole America........fabulous......my accent is changing already.....