While its Shorewood's announced policy to attract young families because of under-enrollment in our “great” school system, we also support a countervailing policy of developing condos, generally for people without children.
Perhaps the unintended increase of school tax by 7% will be effective in a) displacing elder residents and b) even discouraging them from moving into condos in Shorewood.
The first may attract young families with children to occupy homes of those moving out.. The second, even with increased taxes may discourage older residents from moving out.
An over-investment in duplexes for occupancy by renters and not owners in the past has not made these investments all that profitable.
Tax increases will not be easily absorbed in the rents. Higher rents would further discourage younger adults with children.
Therefore, our present policies do not seem to make much sense.
Shorewood needs to pursue an improved State approach to education rather than local property tax dependency.
This may be too obvious for our local politicians and state representatives to comprehend.
If we would not have to seek larger enrollments, we would not be concerned with the age of our residents.
We could then concentrate on improving the social diversity of our community without pricing out those who contribute to this diversity.
