Raise the Hammer

arienc >> It takes 60 feet+ of pipe for each house when you have a subdivision of 60 foot lots

I have already stated that ALL infrastructure built as a direct result of new communities should be paid for by those communities alone.

>> Garbage trucks have to drive further between stops.

Do you know how much it costs (labour, fuel, etc) to service 100 suburban homes vs 100 inner city homes? If not, then you can't say just because the distance is longer that it costs more. Perhaps the suburban streets are less congested with parked cars, easier to maneuver, etc. The distance may be longer, but it may take less time. Without knowing the exact costs, your whole argument is based on nothing but your opinion.

>> One doesn't need figures, just common sense

If you're making an argument about numbers than you need numbers to prove your case. Otherwise personal bias can make you believe things that may not be true. This goes for all sides of this debate, as development fees may need to be even higher than what you're arguing for.

The problem is that we just don't know who benefits from government services. Because they're free, there are no paying customers to bill. This problem is not found in the private sector, everyone who consumes pays their fair share.

>> those residences are so far away from commercial areas and employment, the average trip length is larger...meaning traffic policing costs (which are largely labour) are far higher.

Show me numbers to back this up.

>> Downtown residents may be within walking distance (of HECFI), but the benefits accrue to the whole city's residents and businesses

But downtown residents save money by not having to drive/park. Therefore they benefit disproportionately. Correct?

>> Funny how you argue that the tax rate is important and ignore market value when comparing vs. other communities, but suddenly tax rates are less important when comparing different parts of the city.

If you are arguing for different tax rates within the old city of Hamilton, I don't disagree with you. However, this could be taken to the extreme whereby every street would want it's own tax rate.

Perhaps instead of tax rates, we should simply divide the total levy requirement by the number of residences in the city (plus business operations), thus giving each homeowner his or her personal tax rate based on the value of his/her house. Not a bad idea.