Quote:
Originally Posted by eschaton
It's also worth noting that it's unfortunately speaking in the financial self-interest of the current residents of upper-middle class suburbs to not do anything about the population decline. The basic reason is the single biggest cost related to local government is K-12 education. To the extent that the number of children enrolled in public schools declines, it is a boon for the taxes of local residents, since it helps keep local governmental expenses in check.
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This is a huge, overlooked factor in the rampant NIMBYism in the suburban Northeast. In most states, communities aren't "harmed" by more kids. In many states, communities are incentivized to approve as many units as possible, since more kids = lower taxes.
But the localized school funding formulas in the Northeast essentially penalize localities for approving family housing. Communities generally have no issue with declining enrollment. Most states have statewide formulas that are strictly based on student counts.