URBAN RENEWAL: Burden on residents

As we close in on elections and voting I appreciate The League of Women Voters and their upcoming forum this Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. NIBCA did an outstanding job as they focused on building and growth. 

One item I hope to see raised is the closing of Urban Renewal Districts that siphon taxes to sweetheart projects like Atlas Mill, Midtown, Riverstone and the Hospital District — all south of the 90.  3% tax increments cannot keep up with the cost to finance and construct projects as those taxes are redirected into URDs that benefit developers, absentee owners and builders rather than current residents and taxpayers, in particular north of the 90. 

Our aging city sometimes has 100 year old infrastructure for water and sewers, aging trees that are hazardous in multiple established neighborhoods, lack  of curbs and sidewalks to address safety and water run off. Established parks need more maintenance due to wear and tear with our population surge of the last 20 years. 

Development to serve the few does not pay for itself. 3% tax increase per annum across all landowners still does not keep up with the cost to build and maintain what we have. Meanwhile making it easy to direct funds to establish new burdens for more roads, sewer, trees and power for part-time residents. Urban Renewal Districts work for the tax coffers of the city by growing them but fail to serve those who initially line those coffers. 

I hope that whomever we vote into the CDA City Hall has a clear view of the escalating costs to build, the slowing market to sell inflated high cost inventory and the ongoing depreciation of all our public services and their price to maintain. We get the developers to give us the start up roads and infrastructure, but now as we are almost built out we need that Ignite chest of gold to serve our current taxpayers more broadly. 

LYNN FLEMING
Coeur d'Alene