posted by Joe Polk at 6:24 PM /
From today's Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
The Mt. Lebanon school board soon is expected to decide if it will abet yet another assault on its taxpayers. It's gathering information on a multimillion-dollar tax break for a very tony condominium complex on a piece of "blighted" property that another local government agency has kept off the market for decades. For a district that constantly touts how it instills in students "critical thinking skills," this would be a good opportunity to practice what it claims to teach.
Link: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/archive/s_486315.html
The Mt. Lebanon school board soon is expected to decide if it will abet yet another assault on its taxpayers. It's gathering information on a multimillion-dollar tax break for a very tony condominium complex on a piece of "blighted" property that another local government agency has kept off the market for decades. For a district that constantly touts how it instills in students "critical thinking skills," this would be a good opportunity to practice what it claims to teach.
Link: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/archive/s_486315.html
Labels: school board, washington park
8 Comments:
Hmm. What kind of tax revenue are they receiving right now from the property? Sure, they will lose out on the property taxes for 20 years. They could have had 20 years of nothing anyways. If they are going to get more via the income tax (and a new turning lane), I do not see this as stupid.
Progress? We don't need no stinking progress around here. Things are great just the way they are and just the way they've been for the past thirty years. Sure there may have once been a nice house on that corner and I do miss that gas station that used to be there, but time marches on. God forbid Dyke Auto Parts ever decides to update their storefront. It's looked that way for nearly twenty years now and even though it looks like it may fall down any day now we all know it won't. And ya, I know all those industrial jobs left for the no-union states in the south and the no-union dictatorships overseas, but so what? The Steelers stayed and that's all that really matters to me and most Pittsburghers. Who wants to deal with all the dust and noise a fancy schmancy new condo building would bring? Not me. I'm happy just sitting here in my one bedroom apartment on Academy Avenue where I've lived for the past thirty years. I guess it is nice that Rolliers put up a nice store on what used to be a parking lot but that's besides the point. Those vacant lots, if they are going to be used for anything, should be leveled and turned into a soccer field because that's what this town really needs - more field space.
I have to agree with anonymous #1: getting money ain't stupid. Therefore, I would recommend the township NOT issue a TIF on the property, on the very simple grounds that getting more money ain't stupider.
Anonymous #2: I don't think it's opposition to progress that's holding back development of the property. I will gladly submit that I personally opposed development of the Park Plaza space at Mt. Lebanon & Castle Shannon Blvds. But it wasn't for fear of progress. I didn't believe then (and I don't now) that the proposed uses for these parcels provide maximum benefit.
So, anonymous #2, enlighten me. What advantages am I personally getting from this? #1's argument here is at least more convincing than yours - "hey, at least it's a turning lane!" Still, I'm pretty sure Aristotle knew this as the "lazy river" logical fallacy.
WHy should government be involved with developing property in Mt. Lebanon?
What does that say to all the investors etc. (like Rolliers) that did it on their own.
Perhaps we should reward them for there commitment with lower taxes!!!
What is the township thinking? We could use this money for the new outdoor pool or new high school. Not subsidizing 1/2 million and up condominiums. Did they ever try to get this done without a subsidy? Or is it easier just to raise everyone elses taxes for all the other buiding going on? This way , i guess, they can take credit for the condos and the high taxes!
I think if I were to have something instead of nothing, I would take something. Thus, give them the TIF. I would still get income taxes, which is something, and of course, the turning lane that should have been installed in the sixties.
Maybe some of the "public" infrastructure things are desirable, turning lane, parking at that end of town, a public "plaza" outside the shops - so instead of TIF - let's put them in the Parking Authority and Municipality's Capital Budget.
The Parking Authority is getting $520,000 to sell the property and will get revenue from the spaces, so they should use this money to pay for the spaces - only it isn't near enough. Solution divert school tax dollars to pay for the parking (The Authority isn't contributing one dime of the $520,000 it is receiving.)
The Municipality wants the courtyard and turning lane. The Municipality should put these items in its capital program and pay for them. But then these things would have to compete with all the other projects on the Municipality's project list. Solution divert school tax dollars to pay for the turning lane, plaza and other TIF eligible expenses.
No one would stand for these items being on the School District budgets (except the Municipality and Parking Authority). Solution divert the School District tax dollars before they get to the school district budgets and use them to finance items that don't belong in the School District budgets in the first place.
There has yet to be any validation that this project cannot work financially without a TIF, or that the project can't be tweaked to be more financially viable. We are being held hostage by statements from the developer that the use of OPM (Other People's Money) is mandatory for them to do the project.
The Municipality NEVER - EVER pushed back. Even though they had the perfect leverage, a second project that did not require a TIF and could generate more money for the School District and Municipality without a TIF, than the Zamagias project with a TIF.
But then - the project would have happened without the tinkering of government officials and local politicians - we can't have that in today's market driven economy - can we!
Why can't we all get a tax break if we commit to using it to upgrade our properties?
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