MCEDC meets to discuss countywide revitalization
Marion County Economic Development Council met Monday night at Hillsboro City Building to discuss the advisability of implementing a countywide revitalization plan.
The meeting was called by Marion County Commissioner Howard Collett.
"I thought of a countywide revitalization plan after hearing about Lehigh's and Burns," said Collett. "We have an economic problem in Marion County. We need more people living in the county."
Cities in the county that currently have revitalization plans are Burns, Florence, Lehigh, Hillsboro, Marion, and Peabody. A revitalization plan allows a city to offer tax rebate incentives to property owners who improve existing or construct new structures on their properties. Each city has its own plan that follow state statutes.
Collett has gathered information from some counties in the state that have offered countywide tax incentives.
"Do each of these counties do 100 percent of the county?" asked Hillsboro mayor Delores Dalke. "Our revitalization plan only included blighted areas — parts of the city that needed revitalization."
According to Collett, the counties he had looked at offered tax rebates on construction in the county.
"A revitalization plan brings in people, raises the tax base, and gets economic activity going," said Collett. "If there is something we can do to increase the wealth of the county, we should."
Dalke expressed concerns about the intent of the state's revitalization program and statute governing the plan.
"We have people building $375,000 houses. Why would we give them a 90 percent tax abatement?" Dalke asked. "Is this what the program was for?"
Dalke also addressed the issue of how much the city invests in streets and sewers for new construction.
"The city has invested in streets and sewers to get some tax base back," she said. "The idea is great, but I think we need a cap. We have to have money coming back to the city. Someone has to pay for services."
Applying for revitalization sometimes takes as long as six months and has to be re-evaluated each year.
"We should put a cap on residences," said David Mayfield, Marion city administrator. "Revitalization has a lot to do with fixing up houses. Building new houses is different. But this is a win-win situation for everyone."
Collett, who ends his term as county commissioner in January, said he "just wanted to get discussion started."
It was the consensus of the group that the idea needs to go before the county commission.
"Maybe we can do the revitalization countywide and for all cities who want in," said Collett. "I imagine we would have a five-year plan and then re-evaluate it."
The countywide revitalization issue is on the Dec. 30 county commission meeting agenda.
