Common Ground USA is an all-volunteer organization that promotes land value tax shifts, rent-sharing land trusts, and other commons-based approaches to social, environmental and economic issues.

From the Common Ground USA Blog

Detroit ‘split tax’ plan squeezes through House committee, heads to floor

Detroit ‘split tax’ plan squeezes through House committee, heads to floor

Lansing — A House panel Wednesday advanced a series of bills that would allow Detroit to adopt different property rates for occupied and vacant property, eking out a slim Democratic majority to propel a key legislative priority of Mayor Mike Duggan.

House Democrats failed to gain the needed support in Tax Policy Committee earlier Wednesday, but were able to flip the vote of a Grand Rapids Democrat later in the day and secure a majority for Duggan’s property tax reform legislation.

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Baltimore Sun Publishes Letter to Editor from Baltimore Thrive

Baltimore Sun Publishes Letter to Editor from Baltimore Thrive

Baltimore Thrive, an organization dedicated to affordable housing, job creation and equitable development, endorses The Baltimore Sun’s call for “smart growth” in Baltimore (”Target Baltimore for new home construction and transform the region,” July 20). But, instead of tax breaks, Baltimore Thrive suggests atax shift that would reduce the property tax rate applied to privately-created building values while increasing the return of publicly-created land values.

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With Inky Blots and Rotten Parchment: An Explanation of the Land Value Tax

With Inky Blots and Rotten Parchment: An Explanation of the Land Value Tax

A new book on Land Value Taxation has been published by Ian Hopton from the United Kingdom. Here is a description, review and author’s bio. The book may be purchased on Amazon at: https://tinyurl.com/mpf9rcrr

I believe that in the near future, the issue of taxation will become more widely discussed at all levels of government and this will include the possibility of a land value tax (LVT). At the same time, the majority of ordinary taxpayers, who may be otherwise very well informed, have probably never heard of it.

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Recent

Research

Rent-Sharing Farm Trust report cover

Setting up a Rent-sharing Farm Trust in Minnesota

A report prepared on behalf of Common Ground USA

Municipal Land Trusts report cover

Municipal Land Trusts

A Feasibility Study for Adoption by City of Saint Paul

Municipal Land Trusts report cover

Incentivizing Local Zoning Reforms with Land Value Taxation

A Common Ground OR-WA Working Paper