HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-14-24 Public Comment - B. LaMeres - agenda item J.3 Midtown Urban Renewal District 2025 Biennium Budget and Fiscal Year 2025 Work Plan and Budget (Fine)From:Brian LaMeres
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Cc:Lisa Sebena; Brian LaMeres
Subject:[EXTERNAL]agenda item J.3 Midtown Urban Renewal District 2025 Biennium Budget and Fiscal Year 2025 WorkPlan and Budget (Fine)
Date:Tuesday, May 14, 2024 11:58:35 AM
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Hello City Commission –
Just a reminder that in 2015 you expanded the boundaries of this TIF district, yet since then the
bulk of the projects in your Work Plan and Budget seem to be within the original district
boundary.
A cynic might say that the only reason you expanded the boundary was to be able to capture
the tax increment from more properties, and that you never really intended to address the
“blight” that you identified on these newly captured properties.
If you pose this question to staff, they are probably going to reply with “all property owners
within the district have the same opportunity to submit a proposal or apply for
grants/financing” or something like that.
With all due respect to staff, would you be satisfied with an answer like that?
Or would you rather prefer that the City got to work addressing whatever blight they had
identified so that eventually your property would have that blight distinction removed?
That is what we are asking, since we have paid well over $150,000 into this TIF since the
district boundaries were expanded to include our properties.
And suffice it to say we would much rather have had that money spent on public safety and the
schools rather than to construct amenities and beautify the environment surrounding our
business competition on North 7th Avenue.
Thank you!
Lisa Sebena & Brian LaMeres
Lewis & Clark Motel
824 West Main Street
Bozeman, MT 59715
Bozeman and Three Forks
406.586.3341