Number_6 posted:

This may be more of a general growth question, than specifically gentrification. But let's say you have a small city, or a specific portion of a city, where the residents are concerned about uncontrolled growth or an influx of outside interests or persons. Would it be legal for the city to enact a growth tax, or higher tax rates, for persons and businesses seeking to move into that area, while protecting (exempting) existing residents and businesses? Only projects or residents arriving after a specific date would be subject to the "growth tax" or "infrastructure tax" or whatever you wanted to call it. Or is this kind of strategy precluded by the law or Constitution? Although in any case it's hard to imagine many politicians being actively anti-growth...