Legislature Attempts to Curb Dubuque's TIF Abuse | The Dubuque ...

Dubuque?s resident socialist state representative Chuck Isenhart after a consultation with King Mike of Draconia (Dubuque) has decreed ? the Iowa House version of the plan `Draconian.? Isenhart is one of the legislators who decries the lack of funds for the government schools.

Isenhart calls the movement to curb TIFF abuse as draconian; what is more draconian is to take public funds (property taxes) meant to fund the schools and use those funds to finance for profit projects such as Dubuque?s funding of the Hotel Julien for Tony Pfohl, the Cottingham & Butler Security Building, the American Trust Property on Main Street and the Dubuque Bank & Trust Property on Central Avenue. ?The Gronen Property on Main Street and in the Mill District. Just to name a few.

MILLIONS for millionaires at the expense of ?the people.

Isenhart said. ?The claim by Rep. Soderberg, who?s put a lot of time into the bill and has been managing it, is that he?s not trying to eliminate or kill TIF, yet the language in his bill in effect prevents many cities from using it in the way they have been, and for many cities?like Dubuque?would effectively eliminate TIF as a viable option.?

Isenhart said he invited a Dubuque contingent to Des Moines to share how TIF has been successful, but Soderberg pointed to Dubuque as an example of TIF abuse.

The chief bum kisser just had to make a remark to denigrate the credibility of Mr. Soderberg. I?m sure if he knew the identity of the author of the arrogant and condescending remark he would just smile.

BeFair posted at 6:41 pm on Sun, Apr 8, 2012.

Hmmm Rep from ?LeMars?? Kind of explains his position.

?I don?t think he?s really been paying attention to the evidence and the experience of what?s been going on around the state,? Isenhart said.

Isenhart doesn?t think Soderberg is paying attention but in fact he is. Soderberg as others throughout Iowa are well aware of the abuse of Tax Increment Financing in Dubuque. This is the abuse they wish to curb.

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) programs were instituted so that businesses could be given the incentive to construct new industrial or commercial facilities. Emphasis on NEW! Not the renovation of private property to enhance the value or produce income for the owners who in some cases; the Hotel Julien is a prime example; let their property deteriorate.

Unfortunately due to the abuse of TIF in Dubuque there is very little NEW Industrial and Commercial development.

Polk County Cities Show Problems with TIF; Iowa?s largest county offers good examples of why tax-increment financing (TIF) can favor city development strategies at an unreasonable cost to schools and counties unless the tool is reformed, a new report illustrates.

So Dubuque may not be the only abuser of the TIF; just the most flagrant!

According to Peter Fisher, research director of the nonpartisan Iowa Policy Project and co-author of the report for the Iowa Fiscal Partnership (IFP); ?State law does not protect other local or neighboring jurisdictions from an abusive use of TIF,?

?These Polk County practices are symptoms of a statewide problem. TIF has been allowed to degenerate so that many cities view a TIF area as a perpetual cash cow to finance city operations that have nothing to do with economic development.?

Fisher has recommended severe limits on TIF involving residential property or to promote retail activity, and prohibiting TIF revenues from one school district or county being used to subsidize projects in a different school district or county.

? School districts losing tax base through TIF make up the lost revenue with higher property tax and greater state aid

Due to lost revenue in TIF districts property taxes which are supposed to finance essential services are increased to make of for the revenue shortfalls and could explain why Dubuque constantly is increases property taxes without improving essential services.

Of course the implementation of the UN Agenda 21has also caused an increase in property taxes without any benefit to the tax payers.

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