Cut Charges For Local Developers: One Man's Opinion

By Ben Meisner

While City Hall would like the development community to buy into the proposed development cost charge review, that group is definitely not going for it.  

More over, under the surface there has been a growing discontent with the manner in which the city has leveled the charges and the new proposals. The down town has seen some major tax breaks in order to stimulate growth and that is certainly up for discussion given that the first and only proposal by the Ghia Corporation is not underway in spite of being told quite differently during last falls municipal election.

Developers, and that includes the mums and pops of this city who are the basis for the growth that takes place, are not happy in the manner  which they have been used to extract money.

Yes we need to have development charges, but if we are intent on growing the city and seem bent on spending vast sums around the world trying to attract those people here, why in the world would we not put the welcome mat out first for our own citizens? They are the ones who have stayed the course, paid the taxes and lived with the constraints placed on them by city hall.

Want to grow the tax base?  Simple, don’t reach so deep into the pockets of those who put the money up for this type of development.

In this city we seem to have an idea that we are going to strike it rich and we just can't shake that idea.

It sort of reminds one of someone heading off to play the slots with a 100 bucks and coming home with only 50 bucks  and wondering why they did not make a 1000.

I’m Meisner and that is one man's opinion.   

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