The Idaho Statesman ran a piece on Capitol City Development Corporation Chairman Phil Kushaln wanting the legislature to overhaul Urban Renewal Laws on January 18th.
In a December 2009 closed door meeting not open to the public with "peers" from other UR agencies from around the state, Mr. Kushlan (etal) want the UR laws amended to allow urban renewal agencies to not only take our money for questionable projects already allowed but to increase their take on scarce property tax revenues. He now wants the authority to let Urban Renewal to have dual legal authority see themselves as "engines of economic development and blight removal."
Ada County Commissioner Sharon Ullman has come out swinging against Urban Renewal agencies stating:
"incremental tax revenues earmarked for urban renewal districts siphon money that would go to counties, highway districts, school districts and to police and fire protection.."
Ms. Ullman is the sole elected official we know of to come out with a public statement like this against the abuses of Urban Renewal agencies in Idaho.
You can read the entire Statesman article at the following link:
http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/1045755.html?mi_pluck_action=comment_submitted&qwxq=7101562#Comments_Container
(copy and paste link to your browser search box... highlight with left mouse key then hit Ctrl C to copy and Ctrl V to paste for those of you who are not familiar with this procedure.)
Sorry for the length of this link but it is what it is. Mr. Kushlan is feeling the heat of people starting to figure out UR agencies are in reality the "alter ego" of cities and he does not like the moniker.
For those of you who do not understand how Urban Renewal is a TAX SHIFT please go to http://www.canyonco.org/assessor.aspx?id=7769 to get the Canyon County Assessor tutorial on the subject. Knowledge is power.
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