Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss this afternoon issued the City’s March ballot warning which included a question related to the downtown TIF (Tax Increment Financing) district. It was the subject of a special Council meeting earlier today, where, with 10 of 14 Council members present and voting, the Council unanimously passed a resolution requesting that the TIF question be removed from the ballot.The ballot question was placed on the March 6, 2012, Town Meeting Day ballot by unanimous vote of the City Council on December 5, 2011.While the council still supports the TIF, recent problems with Milton's TIF have led councilors to believe that voters will turn down Burlington's request. They want to wait to give the city time to strengthen its case before the public. Kiss does not want to wait.
Kiss issued the following statement in conjunction with the TIF ballot item:
‘The downtown TIF district is a critical element of the City’s economic development plans. It will promote new businesses and jobs while financing public infrastructure that benefits everyone in the community. Approval of the TIF question on the March ballot will allow the City to take the next step of identifying specific downtown TIF projects. March’s TIF question will not incur debt for the City or obligate the City to pursue a specific project. Specific projects must be approved by the Vermont Economic Progress Council. Once a specific project is approved, the City will only incur debt through another vote by residents or the City Council at a future time.
"The City has worked hard over the last several years to establish the downtown TIF district. This work has been in partnership with the Council, local business community, and the Vermont Economic Progress Council, among many others. Burlington has a successful track record of utilizing TIF to develop the Waterfront into one of Burlington and Vermont’s most important places for both residents and visitors alike, promoting business development, housing, and public access and infrastructure.
"I appreciate that the City Council expressed its unanimous support for TIF at today’s meeting, despite voting to consider the TIF question at a future time. I do not believe it is constructive to remove the TIF question from the March ballot at the eleventh hour, after substantial efforts by many, with strong support from numerous stakeholders. We should be open to questions from the public, not fearful of them. I hope that Councilors will focus their energy on supporting the TIF question for this March by actively working to inform the public on why it is important to the City’s future.’
More information about the downtown TIF and March ballot question can be found online at:
http://www.burlingtonvt.gov/CEDO/Business/Tax-Increment-Financing/Tax-In....
Mayor's office. 2.3 2012
Burlington mayor places TIF question on ballot in opposition to city council
Submitted by tim
on