4 Responses to “Redev Brief”

1. john b. kalb, said:

   In re Resolution 2008-34:

   Here we go again! Using existing EDA and UDA TIF revenues to shore up fantasy projects (like an unneccessary new ballpark) and failed projects (like the air freight company bankruptcy). I understand that Greg Leatherman will propose that the Ardmore/ Hillegas extension will be added to the three existing developments, EVEN THOUGH THIS ADDITION WILL NOT ADD ANY REVENUE TO THE TIF FUNDS. The addition will just be a revenue user.

   And why the need? Well nobody considered that the air freight company would go belly-up leaving the Airport Authority with a sizeable bond (or lease) payment to make without lease payments from them. I guess the city was planning to use the revenue from one of the airport TIF funds (with understandable justification since Ardmore is now a real”feeder” for the airport) to partially pay for the costs of the Taylor Road/ Ardmore intersection improvements, but since the bankruptcy, that money now needs to be used for the debt retirement. So, go after the successful commercial and industrial areas to get their property tax revenue!

   Keep in mind that the city went to the State Department of Local Government Finance and got the OK to use our city property tax levy as a back-up to the planned debt retirement on the lease payments for the Harrison Square ballpark and parking garage. Now they will be going back to plead that they need to use some of the planned revenues to do another project. Remember that there are some years in that plan where the revenue did not cover the needed funds, necessitating borrowing from another fund and later repaying that fund. Because of this, it appears that new bonding will be required to fund the Ardmore project.

   And, about the Jefferson to Taylor Ardmore section – as a long-time property owner and resident of Wildwood Park, I believe that this project is another of those that are unneccessary. Who will benefit from this four- lane road? Various trucking companies, both local and those from outside Allen County – and no one else except the engineering, consulting and road-building firms being used. And, who benefits from the redirection of these property tax funds? The commercial and industrial organizations in the development areas? Not really – they still are paying the property taxes, but the city property tax levy on their property results in NO FUNDS GOING TO HELP PAY FOR THE SERVICES THAT THEY RECEIVE – police, fire street repairs, street services(snow plowing, et al) and all other city services. The rest of us taxpayers are the ones who are really paying for these services FOR THEM.

   We are really going to leave our children, grandchildren, and greatgrand kids a legacy of debt for them to pay because of our unrealistic planning( or is it just dreaming?)

2. Scott Bryson, said:

   John, it is because of your generation that my self and my kids will be saddled with debt. Your generation failed to make good decisions on city planning which we are now seeing the ramifications. As a result, we must now spend tax money to correct those mistakes.

3. john b. kalb, said:

   Scott B. So we throw good money after bad -real smart! Help me understand this – What part of “my” generation is responsible for this? I was born in 1935 in a rural community in SE Minnesota, in 1945 we moved to a near- western suburb of Cleveland (Lakewood), and our family came to Fort Wayne in 1949 when I started high school. In 1949, Fort Wayne still had streetcars, the Nickel Plate (now Norfolk & Southern) ran at ground level through the north side of downtown, and you could buy a dozen Coney Dogs at Coney Island for $1.00 (with all the fixings and in a kraft paper bag).
   Before I graduated from high school, the streecars were being replaced with GM trolley buses and the elevation of the Nickel Plate began. At this time, about 1953, Fort Wayne had less than one automobile for each living space(house, apartment, or rental room). The Eisenhower Inter-State highway system was begun, families began moving out of our central city, mainly because of the automobile AND CHEAP GASOLINE. I remember in the 1950’s when we had gas-wars where you could fill up with regular for as little as 15.9 cents per gallon – a fill up for $2.35! Families were sold on living in ranch-style homes with as much as a quarter acre of yard – this could not be done in the center of the city. You say it was “poor planning” – that’s bunk and you know it. It was a way of life – yes, it was “the good life”. If you want to blame some group for this, I would suggest you don’t pick on the public planners of that time – WE DIDN”T HAVE THEM, but zero in on the politicians of the day who used single- use land plans as “elect-me” points and then greased the transition to the burbs by property tax laws that encouraged these moves.

   Now, you want to do this all again by the same artificial support of our taxing policies – I say it will not work any better in 2008 than it did in 1968 – we will just “stairstep” up to a higher debt level – for you and your kids to somehow pay for in the future. I still say, “it’s time to say NO” and let the private market do it’s work to correct the past errors.

4. BL, said:

   I am part of a younger generation, there is no doubt that my generation is inheriting these problems. The conditions that created them were not around until relatively recently, so its hard to put blame on earlier generations that were doing what was best for them. We would do the same. At the same time, I think Fort Wayne has a real opportunity to step ahead of some other cities by acting now on these conditions that we know will exist in the future (higher energy cost), and densify our city even if it takes some taxes. the argument about what failed in 68 will fail in 08 really lacks any sort of substance, it fails to realize that things do change, and a poor choice in one situation might be a relatively good choice in another For The City, at a self centered level it is hard to say we need to use taxes, I realize this. But what will cost more to the future generations’ city: building densely or sprawling more?. We know what we need to do, try to think long term and stop blaming other people. Things change, lets adapt and save money in the long run. who knows, we may even make some more along the way.

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