Bloomington is expanding — well, at least the city’s Tax Increment Financing districts are.
The Bloomington City Council approved expanding five of Bloomington’s TIF districts Wednesday evening. TIF districts are essentially extra taxes properties pay within certain areas of the city. The revenue taken from the TIF fund must be used for infrastructure upgrade in that district.
Mainly seen as an asset for local governments, TIF districts’ effectiveness have been debated recently with the publishing of a Ball State University study calling the districts ineffective.
The council voted 7-to-1 in favor of the resolution.
The TIF districts that will be consolidated in what is being referred to as the “Super TIF” are Adams Crossing, downtown, Whitehall, Tapp Road and the Thompson Walnut-Winslow.
The council hopes expanding the TIF will lessen the burden on the city’s general funds by using TIF funds to upgrade the city’s sidewalks and roads.
Councilmember Dorothy Granger said the TIF expansion and consolidation will encourage economic development, while Councilmember Susan Sandberg said the benefits outweigh pit falls.
Councilmember Andy Ruff, the only one to vote against the resolution, said he was weary of how the TIF dollars could be potentially used.
“(That is) one level of oversight and accountability I’m not entirely comfortable with and that’s partly based on real experience,” said Ruff on the use of the TIF funds. “I’ve seen the will of the council subverted in the past.”
In addition, it is possible for the city to use TIF funds to upgrade infrastructure around IU Health Bloomington Hospital on Second Street, according to Tom Micuda, director of the Bloomington City Planning and Transportation department.
It looks like IU Health is set to move Bloomington Hospital, and there is not indication the city could convince the hospital not to move.
In addition, the council approved two other pieces of legislation that were approved by the council, one concerning the distribution of grant funds at the recommendation of the mayor’s office and one approving a 3-year tax delay or abatement for Big O Properties’ 338 S. Walnut St. location.
Big O was originally granted the tax abatement Feb. 18, 2015, by the City Council, but the council needed to pass what is a confirmatory resolution to the original statute.
According to Danise Alano-Martin, director of the Bloomington City Economic and Sustainable Development department, this is done in order to give the public a heads-up on the pending legislation. The tax abatement for Big O did not become official until after the council approved it at Wednesday’s meeting.
The final item on the agenda concerns local food trucks in Bloomington. Ordinance 15-05 will require food trucks and carts to be at least 50 feet away from any restaurant.
The Big Cheeze, which often parks on Kirkwood Avenue, tweeted out their disapproval for the proposed ordinance, saying it will jeopardize their location across from Kilroy’s on Kirkwood.
The food truck legislation was only up for first reading and was not voted on Wednesday night. It will be discussed at next week’s meeting March 11.
