The Plainfield League of Women Voters is holding a forum from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on May 31 at Emerson Community School, 305 Emerson Ave. Candidates were asked to submit brief bios and responses to LWV questions. (At the forum, a moderator will also ask candidates to respond to written questions from the audience.)
See Candidate Bios and Responses to LWV Questions
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Is mentioning the fact Tracey Brown served as a PMUA Commissioner not allow? Did she leave that out by design?
ReplyDeleteMy question is to Mapp would be, how long is the South Avenue Gateway pilot period and is the $3.5 million per year? With this information we can determine the true value of the pilot.
ReplyDeleteAnon 4:47 - The PILOT information can be easily obtained through City Hall or by asking a council member as each of them (on the council at the time) received the information to review prior to voting.
DeleteThe PILOT is 30 years. The full taxes collected during that period will be over $10 Million. Without development it would have been $3.5 Million (That includes assumed increases by the way). The PILOT also requires the developer to update and maintain the Plainwood Park (cost savings to city) and contribute $10,000 annually to cultural events/concerts. Additionally, the developer must donate 100 computers to local schools.
For anyone interested in knowing, the properties before purchase collected a total of $150, 538 in annual taxes - yes that is TOTAL as in combined for all properties. Of that $150,538, only $86,805 went to the city.
Under a PILOT 95% of taxes collected go to the city VS about 56% under normal tax collection.
Anyone who thinks this is a bad deal for the city needs to take a remedial math class.
Bernice - as USUAL, thanks for getting us that information - you saved some of us lazy folks a lot of time.
ReplyDeleteBridget Rivers was a do nothing councilwoman and her campaign is a demonstration in stringing words together and hoping they mean something. Dr. Ibezim is well, I don't know what is going on there. Councilwoman Brown seems to just be out of her depth and continues to show she does not have the skill set to manage a city the size of Plainfield. Here is her response to the types of economic development that she would like to see in each of the cities 4 wards:
Ward One: High-end department stores and family style restaurants. Ward Two: Satellite Senior Center and a dog park. Ward Three: My vision is for a thriving medical development that brings tax revenue and enhances the overall character and value of the surrounding neighborhood. Ward Four: Full Service Youth Center and community gardening.
Now let me just break these down by Ward:
Ward 1 - with the retail market in a tailspin as it tries to navigate the future of shopping, this is a great idea for 1965 but ranks right up there with bringing back the horse and buggy. If Macy's is closing stores all over the country they aren't going to open a store in any town the size of Plainfield. Restaurants are fine - but you need patrons and lots of traffic so cart is before horse on this one.
Ward Two - Satellite Senior Center and Dog Park - neither one is a terrible idea but neither one is Economic Development either - Capital Development maybe but in NO WAY is this considered Economic Development (and I can think of maybe 2 jobs created and ZERO taxes collected from either "project")
Ward Three - A thriving medical development - already in the works. I think it would be more interesting to know how many fingers she lifted after so many years on the council to get anything done there. I am guessing ZERO - she waited for someone else to present her something to pontificate on. Ward three is big - she has no other vision for that ward?
Ward 4 - full service community center and community garden. Both lovely ideas but again, maybe Rev Brown needs a little help with the definition of ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. These, like those she would like in Ward 2 - are NOT Economic Development projects - they are capital projects - so they cost taxpayers money and they would collect ZERO in tax revenue. They would also create maybe 5 jobs.
This is not the vision that Plainfield needs - we need people that can plan far out into the future, understand the markets and where they are going so that we maximize development, job growth and tax collection. These ideas Net a negative return for the city and cost us money up front - which by definition is NOT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT!