Local roads in Ajijic

San Antonio also has better streets than Ajijic.

So, how did Ajijic become the redheaded step child of the municipality? Seems as though all the other villages on the north shore are being adequately maintained. Why not Ajijic?

One comment about property taxes in Ajijic:  If you drive around and pay attention to the various neighborhoods outside of the "nice" ones, you'll notice that many properties are obviously owned by poor people.  Probably the majority, if there were a head count.  The last thing they need is increased taxes.

Also, from the information I've leaned here and elsewhere, Chapala gets the benefit of the taxes before places like Ajijic.  Note the present "improvements" there.  Here?  Not much.

One of the biggest problems any municipality has with getting things done, is the fact that no mayor wants to be the one burdening residents for higher taxes for improvements, then is out of office before the work is done. Then the new mayor comes in and gets all the praise! It's the same as federal politics anywhere.....the current leader looks like the bad guy for raising taxes, then the new guy gets the glory!

How about Riberas?

It is a strange situation indeed as most of the Tapatios that come to the lake either come to Ajijic or the fish restaurants near SJC. At one time we talked about moving the Chili Cook off to Cristiana park in Chapala but the Mexican board member's voted against it as they said the Tapatios would not attend if it was in Chapala. Go figure????

Tons of Tapatios enjoying Chapala on weekends. . . .

Bob, have you seen the front page article yesterday's GR? You may get a chamce to ask the fat cat himself! If he ever does this again. LOLOL Bet he doesn't. He 'postponed' his meeting with the people of Ajijic after this fiasco.

Rosa Venus wrote:San Antonio also has better streets than Ajijic.

Seriously? I dunno bout that.

SunFan wrote:

Playaboy wrote:I would guess that the residents of Ajijic pay the same ridiculously low property taxes rates.  That is why they don't get much in services from government.  Let Ajijic residents tax themselves to pay for their road improvements just like we do by paying HOA's.

Surely you not suggesting that if property taxes were to say double, we would see a corresponding increase in public services?

The house I own was built by Pedro Arreyano 10 years ago for the then departing Chapala Presinente. He was going to pay for it from the municipal coffers as he left office. That's how things work here.

SunFan

Raise taxes? I don't know. But the money has to come from somewhere. It is not going to magically appear out of thin air. Without a funding source how do you repair anything?

We pay an HOA (community tax) for the good street maintenance in Chula Vista. Ajijic residents are going to have to come up with the money if they want better roads and sidewalks.

Back to my first post, where is the money going to come from to pay for all these good ideas that people are suggesting here?

Out of the pockets of ??

Trailrunner wrote:

Rosa Venus wrote:San Antonio also has better streets than Ajijic.

Seriously? I dunno bout that.

Well, at least a few anyway. Look at Ramón Carona between La Floresta and the S.A. plaza. And at least two of the north/south streets between the carretera and R.C. are cobblestones set in cement. San Jose and (I think?) Colón. Those might be because of the "Arroyo El Dorado" but still, Ajijic doesn't even have that.

Si, Ramon Corona is good, although for some reason someone has torn out half of 2 or 3 topes recently and left raw rubble. And I think you're right about Colon and San Jose that they were set in concrete to keep from washing away.

But the rest of the streets are shambles, including mine. We are the bastard child, maybe second only to Riberas.

SunshineyDay wrote:Out of the pockets of ??

Exactly. Out of the pockets of who?

They raised the taxes 30% in some cases, was it last year? There sure was a stink about it too.

So where did that money go? Not where the money came from?

Well one day they will wake up and realize these capital expenditure's would pay them back 10 fold with increased tourism to the area. Who wants to bring their Porsche or Ferrari to the lake with these roads (although I have seen a few bumping around here)....jaja.

Rosa Venus wrote:

Trailrunner wrote:

Rosa Venus wrote:San Antonio also has better streets than Ajijic.

Seriously? I dunno bout that.

Well, at least a few anyway. Look at Ramón Carona between La Floresta and the S.A. plaza. And at least two of the north/south streets between the carretera and R.C. are cobblestones set in cement. San Jose and (I think?) Colón. Those might be because of the "Arroyo El Dorado" but still, Ajijic doesn't even have that.

Last year Libertad was redone, they installed new water and sewer lines first and then went in with cement trucks, poured cement and then pushed stones into the cement. It appears to be a beautiful and lasting job. The cement was about 10 inches deep. Maybe more. They just didn't do the entire road, leaving the part with no houses alone.

It is the chicken and the egg syndrome.  If you have no money you can't improve infrastructure.  

Here is some easy immediate local tax funding suggestions
1% retail sales tax
3% restaurant tax
7% hotel tax
5% rental property tax on landlords
Municipo owned parking meters in all area's
10% raise for existing business license fee's.
15%  raise for re-model building permit
One time 150,000 peso fee for new residential construction, 250,000 peso fee for commercial
Institute new business fee's ie; fire dept permits for business, police permits for restaurants serving alcohol, special event permits, etc

If you don't eat out, own a business, are not a landlord or renter, don't use the no-tell motel, don't drive a car, then all you would pay is the extra sales tax.

That is how government NOB fund services.  If all we will ever have is a corrupt/money stealing local  government, then this is a good as services will get and this whole discussion is BS.

Playaboy wrote: If all we will ever have is a corrupt/money stealing local  government, then this is a good as services will get and this whole discussion is BS.

That probably sums up the root of the problem. I think there is plenty of money that just goes "elsewhere".

Carry Bean wrote:They raised the taxes 30% in some cases, was it last year?  There sure was a stink about it too.

What did that 30% add up to? A 2000 peso increase. 30% of a small amount is still a small amount.

For me, most of that increase was negated by the great USD exchange rate. You poor Canadians got double smacked.

The State determines taxes and budgets, not the Municipios.

David wrote:The State determines taxes and budgets, not the Municipios.

How do Municipo's fund their local budgets? Are there no local taxes that stay local?

CanuckBob wrote:Well one day they will wake up and realize these capital expenditure's would pay them back 10 fold with increased tourism to the area. Who wants to bring their Porsche or Ferrari to the lake with these roads (although I have seen a few bumping around here)....jaja.

That is the contention of the current Presidente, that a water park in Christiania Park, etc. would bring tourists and their pesos. But road repair would help the locals as well as Tapatios in their fancy cars. I especially like the bark dust put on the road divider by the 7-11 in the north or Chapala--every time they water that strip with a pipa truck, the bark dust washes into the road. Really good use of tax dollars.

The Locals don't want pavers or cemented rocks. They say the dirt/sand and rock lets water drain and keeps things cooler than the other solutions mentioned. Now please don't shoot the messenger. But at the Barber shop by the old church in Ajijic I had a huge discussion with the locals about it. They don't like Colon!! They also mentioned that it says tradition on the sign by Wal mart welcoming one into town. I would have never thought this. So like fixing the aquaduct to Guad they need to be convienced and are not right now. I liked what was done on Colon or Revolution but I have no interest in pushing that over the local opinions. Anybody else had a talk with the locals about this?? Now do understand sometimes the locals tell us what we want to hear. It took a couple of years before they would tell me what they really think of things.

Z

I know people in Guadalajara who drive out of their way to avoid cobblestone streets due to the wear and tear they cause to their vehicles.

Chapala raised the price of constrution permits. Almost to the point where no one can afford to build a new house.