I attended Tuesday night's neighborhood meeting on urban renewal. Low attendance. There were 8 folks associated with city staff/committees/city council, and 7 folks who were, well, they were good citizens who took an interest in their city.
Once again, city staff performed that salesperson's great close, the reduction to the ridiculous close, when they brought up the 3 cents per thousand tax increase if voters approve an urban renewal district. Why, that's only $7 for a $200,000 house! That's only 2 latte's honey, we can afford those new taxes!
Except if you look at the total dollar amount... What's the total value of private property in Troutdale? Multiply 3 cents by THAT figure and see what you get.
Anyway, the same thing happened at the Planning Commission tonight. Only it wasn't city staff that brought up the tax increase. They conveniently forgot. But bless Max Maydew, one of the Ad-Hoc urban renewal committee members (to heck with aphabetizing, or spell check, I'm tired.) brought up the tax. Maydew, a property owner in historic Troutdale, did bring up the tax increase. At least someone did. And then the Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the urban renewal plan.
Well, I don't know how I'll vote yet. Technically, I am supposed to keep an open mind until I actually vote at a city council meeting. (Yeah, right, that's what we always do.)
But ok this time, I will keep my undecided self totally on the fence, and make up my mind on how to vote on the creation of an urban renewal district right before the vote next Tuesday.
2 comments:
I have been hoping to hear from you on this one. Interesting development, this newly-disclosed tax incursion. Kudos to you for braving the slings and arrows of the proponents. I, though, for one am still not convinced that U.R., either plan A or plan B is good OR not good. More needs to be known. But with this new tax disclosure, when before "no addt'l taxes" was trumpeted, I am wary. Further, I would like to know, since rumors abound, whether some on the council are favoring taking it off the table, not having it on the May ballot, passing it "on their own"?
As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm remaining undecided about whether to vote to refer urban renewal to Troutdale voters.
However, I believe there is no desire by a majority of City Councilors to pass urban renewal without voter approval. So if we decide NOT to refer it to the voters, urban renewal will be a dead deal.
I certainly would be opposed to go forward with urban renewal without voter approval.
Post a Comment