Board of Assessors

Arden Board of Assessors Election
Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2007

The following residents were elected to the Board of Assessors in order: Alton Dahl (convener), Carl Falco, Walter Borders, Denis O’Regan, Mary Marconi, Brooke Bovard and Alan Threefooot.

Candidates state their positions

Below are short statements from each of the 14 candidates who ran for the seven seats on the Arden Board of Assessors.

Don’t forget to vote:

Statements of Assessor Nominees, October, 2007

Comments in italics are by the Arden Registration Committee.

WALTER BORDERS: The village is grappling with the 21st century. Housing demands, multi-generational housing, and New Castle County pressure the village in unexpected ways. The desire for larger homes and smaller homes becomes more significant. Our original houses are aging and require repair. These examples will bring new costs to the village that should be borne equally. It is time for each household to pay equally for trash pickup and other services. Some pay many times more for the same service. This would be a step toward fairness. Our decades old system of “community standard of living” needs adjustment for our times.

BROOKE BOVARD: I’m Brooke, mother of 5 and both a native and long time Arden resident. Most of you have seen me working on something around here. I’ve learned a lot during my terms on the Board of Assessors, and remain committed to serving there as part of protecting this community as the special place it is. The Ardens have pressures from development, which manifest partly as taxes, and differences in outlook. As adults and neighbors we ought to be able to balance these. Please elect assessors who have shown the ability to cooperate, even though disagreeing. It’s important.

DRUMLIN BROOKE: No statement. A third-generation Ardenite. You may contact this young man directly.

ALTON DAHL: I support the traditional method of assessing the value of the land in the leaseholds using formulas to approximate their market values. The formulas have been refined many times to account for the principal factors affecting market value – size, location and privileges. I also support the traditional method for calculating the total land rent to be collected based on projections of the costs of taxes, operation of the Trust, Village budgets and the maintenance of an adequate “prudent reserve.” I believe that change from the traditional methods should be made only on the basis of good market data showing that our process no longer approximates market values.

CARL FALCO: I have lived in Arden since 1981 and served on several different committees: Civic, Budget, Forest. I have also served as an Assessor many times. If elected to the Board of Assessors, I will continue to support land value as the basis for determining land rent. I favor the system we have used for many years in which the total land rent
collected provides adequate income for Arden to:

1. pay the county and school taxes
2. pay for administration of the Trust,
3. maintain the community standard of living as indicated by the budget referendum, and
4. maintain a prudent reserve.

I will also continue to support the basic multi-rate system and specific location factors we have used to determine the relative land rent of the different leaseholds for many years. I am willing to consider changes in the relative proportions that the different rates and location factors contribute to land rent, but would not support a large change.

MARY MARCONI: We have all seen the term “full rental value” and it’s usually in quotes. Why? Because after 100+ years, we do not have a set formula to determine what this means. Maybe this is a part of what keeps our experiment alive: A yearly discussion sometimes by a few and sometimes by many of one of the founding principles of our community. As I have done in the past I will fairly and “to the best of my ability and ... as nearly as possible assess the full rental value for Arden lands.” Please feel free to or call me 475-6819. Thanks.

GREG MORRISON: No statement. Greg and his family moved to Arden in 2006. He has attended town meetings since his arrival.

DENIS O’REGAN: I have been a leaseholder in Arden for 15 years, and have served as an Assessor for three. I believe that the “community standard of living” approach, used over the past 20 years makes sense. But, as outside taxes, community maintenance costs, and elective capital expenditures increase, this method can only continue to make sense if we make the adjustments necessary to assure that we share share our burdens fairly. I believe that there are costs that  should be covered on a per household basis. And I believe the most valuable square foot of each leasehold is the first one; the one under our mailbox. Our “A” Rate, is basically, our “Mailbox Rate.”

GARY E. QUINTON: I have lived in Arden for the two years, learning much about our community through personal contacts and public meetings. I believe the “community standard of living” approach makes sense for taxation. As a Six Sigma (Statistics) Blackbelt with DuPont, I would bring analytical skills to the Board of Assessors' evaluation and/or alternatives analysis to the upcoming year’s allocations. I am in the current Georgist Gild class and am a graduate of previous course on economics. I believe community costs amongst all leaseholds should be fairly shared, with consideration that leasehold sizes do not necessarily mean more or less desirability.

CHARLES ROBINSON: Having regularly attended the Assessors’ meetings over the past four years (and served as assessor this past year), I am aware of the important issues facing the Assessors. I believe we should maintain the A, B, C and D assessment rates used in recent years, although I did support the slight modification to the A rate this year. I have learned that we must continue to study land rent issues, to consider fair alternatives to the current system, to keep the community informed of the process by which land rent is assessed, and, most likely, to keep the current method of assessment.

WARREN ROSENKRANZ: 4-year resident of Arden, involved with the Arden fair every year in a number of positions and many other positive Arden activities. I’m a proponent of involving the whole community in the “rent” process, with an emphasis on fairness in rent for the smaller leaseholds. I feel that the basis for rent should be the “highest and best use” value of the land, not to be confused with the value of land and its improvements.

SALLY SHARP: I have lived in Arden for eight years, faithfully attended Town Meetings for the last several, worked on the Avery Task Force, the Forestry Sub-Committee and Community Planning, and am interested in the processes which govern the Village.

ALAN THREEFOOT: No statement. Born and raised in Arden. You may contact this young man directly.

TOM WHEELER: I came here in 1995 because my wife woke up in a dream and said we have to move to Arden. I've been the treasurer of the Museum, and the swim team, and temporarily for the Arden Club, as well as helping rebuild the Moonlight Theater, serving on the BWVC committee, working with Shakespeare and the Ardensingers, and have been on the Board of the AB&L for 10 years. We love Arden. I will vote a continuation of the current system unless strong reason and considerable village sentiment are demonstrated for change. Thank you for your interest and support.

Thank you to all the candidates for their willingness to serve the community.
— Cecilia Vore, chair, Arden Registration Committee

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