Remember Baltimore’s plan to identify vacant property with the help of blockchain technology? We talked about it in February of 2022. Baltimore launched the project. “This initiative is part of the city’s ongoing commitment to utilizing cutting-edge technology to improve public services and foster a more efficient real estate market,” officials said.
How has the median home price changed in the last 5 years?
In the last 5 years the median home price in the US increased by 50%.
NPR | He sold his house. Now, he is struggling to find a home he can afford
On the ballot: land use
Voters in Denver rejected a measure that would ban meatpacking facilities in the city. 64% of the voters rejected the land use prohibition.
Governing | Denver Voters Reject Ban on Meatpacking Plants in City Limits
TX A.G. Opinion: asset forfeiture funds
A new request for opinion from the Texas Attorney General asks what entity/entities have authority over the Asset Forfeiture Account of a District Attorney?
The opinion is from the Cooke County D.A. who wants to know whether the County Auditor of County Commissioners Court have authority to withdraw the funds.
Tougher AirBnB regulations mean more tax revenue
There’s a new report from Granicus that says stronger regulations on short term rentals can mean increased tax revenue for local and state governments. More short term rental use means more tourism dollars. “A report released earlier this year from Florida Taxwatch estimated that unlicensed vacation rentals could lead the state to losing out on $1.8 million to $6.9 million in annual registration fees.”
Route Fifty | How tougher regulations on short-term rentals can boost revenue for state, local govs
On the ballot: Property rights win
Voters in South Dakota backed property rights with 60% of the vote. The vote rejected the state’s Land Owner Bill of Rights which also allowed for a revenue stream for counties that could enact a $1-per-foot surcharge of pipeline projects.
AgWeb | A Win for Private Property Rights, Voters Reject Carbon Pipeline Measure in South Dakota
Brownfield AgNews | LAND OWNER BILL OF RIGHTS REJECTED IN SOUTH DAKOTA
On the ballot
“Arizona voters will decide on Proposition 312, a ballot measure that would allow property owners to claim a tax refund for costs they’ve incurred to address people illegally camping, using drugs, or defecating in public.”
Route Fifty | The next front in the war over homelessness is on the Arizona ballot
Eminent Domain and green Energy
Wyoming Legislature nixed prohibiting eminent domain for green energy projects. Two bills were filed to prohibit eminent domain for green energy specifically. Opposition focused on how enhanced oil recovery projects could have been pulled into the prohibition.
Cowboy State daily | Legislature Won’t Restrict Utilities Condemning Land For Green Energy Projects
On the ballot eminent domain
On the ballot this Nov. 5, South Dakota votes will decide whether to uphold Senate Bill 201, which allows counties to impose a tax on carbon pipelines of $1 per foot. The law also imposes requirements for pipeline setbacks, minimum depth, rules for handling drain tiles, potential leaks and indemnities to landowners.
Moody County Enterprise | C02 pipeline dealt another setback with Supreme Court decision
Drone use
“Fairfax County, the most populous county in Virginia and the most populous jurisdiction in the Washington, D.C., region, received a rare letter late last month from the U.S. House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. Chinese-made drones, the letter warned, are “a threat to the national and economic security of the United States.” The letter is directed at drones made by a company that makes 70% of drones.
Route Fifty | Letter from Congress warns county against Chinese drone use