CCR1988163COMMON COUNCIL - CITY OF MUSKEG0
RESOLUTION //I 63-88
RESOLUTION REQUESTING LEGISLATION AIDING
WISCONSIN CITIES AND VILLAGES IN
REDEVELOPING THEIR CENTRAL AND
NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS DISTRICTS
WHEREAS, thriving central and neighborhood business districts are
crucial to the economic future of Wisconsin's cities and
villages, and
WHEKEAS, significant and creative redevelopment of central and
neighborhood business districts is increasingly hampered by inadequacies and restrictions upon the tools available to
municipalities under present Wisconsin law, and
WHEREAS, the problems of municipalities in overcoming their
business district problems are compounded by the Federal Government's withdrawal and curtailment of its programs,
especially in the revenue area, and
WHEREAS, there are numerous examples of states adopting
redevelopment efforts which promote economic development, job
legislation to assist local governments with business district
other revenues for the state.
creation and tourism, and generate substantial sales tax and
0 NOW, THEREFORE. BE IT KESOLVED that the City of Muskego requests
municipality in the Wisconsin Legislature and Governor Thompson that the State Senators and Representatives who represent this
support the enactment of legislation to assist local units of
government in the development, construction, operation and
financing of central and neighborhood business district
redevelopment projects.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Wisconsin Downtown Action Council
and Wisconsin League of Municipalities be commended for their
efforts to improve the tools and incentives available to local
municipalities for central and neighborhood business district
redevelopment.
BE IT FUKTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be sent to
State Senators, State Representatives and Governor Thompson and
the Wisconsin Downtown Action Council. A
ATTEST :
Mayor Wayne G. Salentine
City Clerk
,- . .
-1) Goal: Eliminate deficiencies and errors in existing state legislation. Means:
Through, for example:
A Give all cities and villages the power to create pedestrian malls, not just
cities of the first class Why confine public pedestrian malls only to Milwaukee?
B. Give village and county housing authorities the power to build and operate
elderly housing projects, not just city housing authorities. Why insist that
all housing authority elderly housing be in cities?
C. Give villages the power to create redevelopment and community development
authorities, business improvement and tax imcrement districts as opposed to
especially villages with populations and areas larger than many cities.
limiting these tools to cities. Why deny villages these redevelopment tools,
D. Give all municipalities the power to issue industrial development revenue
bonds for all organizations and types of projects for which tax-exempt bonds
add all Section 501(c)(3) organization projects to the IRB statute. Why
can be issued under the Internal Revenue Code, not just some of them E.g..
deprive Wisconsin municipalities of the benefits of tax exempt financing
(lower interest costs) which the Federal Government offers to all municipa-
lities?
0
E. Eliminate uncertainties by expressly authorizing refinancing of housing,
redevelopment and community development authority and industrial development
revenue bonds with subsequent issues of the same type, and making presently
authorized TIF revenue bonds workable. E.g., add authority for municipalities
to count pledges of their TIF revenues to their redevelopment or community
development authorities as expenditures under the TIF Law. Why give the
statutory authority to do these things, but make their use impossible or
inefficient?
F. Eliminate uncertainties in the business improvement district legislation, and
coordinate TIF disbursing provisions with the existing BID legislation and
operating plans so that TIFs and BIDS fully complement one another.
G. Clarify and expand powers of counties to engage in economic development,
especially in rural areas; and authorize counties to form insurance pools
like those being formed by cities and villages. E.g., authorize counties to
issue IRBs, create BIDS and TIDs, and grant counties the powers of a redevelop-
ment authority.
H. Eliminate inter-branch and inter-agency dysfunctions. E.g coordinate state
line agencies with one another and local governments to get biggest bang for
the tax (state, county and - local) dollar.
2) Goal: Improve access of Wisconsin cities and villages, and redevelopment, community
markets for central and neighborhood business district redevelopment projects.
development and housing (village, city and county) authorities to the capital
Means: Through, for example: a Ereation of state, regional or county credit enhancement facilities.
E. Creation of state, regional or county bond pool or authority.
C Modification of Pubilc Land Comiss;oners. 5ta.e of Wisconsin Investmenc Board.
'Wisconsin Housins and Zconomic Deveiopment Authority. Wisconsin Development
Fund and local government ?enslcr, board Lnvestment and lending authoricy to
include business district redeveiopme?ts as projects qualifying for loans or
investment, and earmarking of a portion of funds to be invested (directly or
indirectly) in such projects
3) Goal: - Improve government revenues for public infrastructure and private investment
in central and neighborhood business districts. Means: Through, for example:
A. Recognize business districts as a major source of State Government revenues
(sales taxes), and channel some/all growth in revenues of this type into busi-
ness district redevelopment. I e., TIF concept applied to sales taxes.
€3. Establish Trust Fund from new real estate user fees. E.g , a real estate
transfer tax or recording fee channeled into a Trust Fund for business district
redevelopment.
C. Recognize downtown parking structure requirements as needs generated by the
transportation system and isolate a part of the State's transportation revenues
to assist municipalities in constructing these facilities through grant or
financing programs.
4) Goal: Create additional incentives and tools for private sector investment in
central and neighborhood business districts. Means: Through, for example:
A.
a 8.
C.
D.
Establish state-funded Grant Program to communities for targeted business
district redevelopment projects.
Create investment tax credits or deductions against Wisconsin income tax for
investments in targeted business district redevelopment projects. E.g., state
deductions for the full amount of contributions to non-profit community develop-
ITC for business district historic restorations or handicapped access or state
ment corporations for business district redevelopments, historic restorations
or handicapped access, even part of the contribution in excess of the maximum
charitable deduction for Federal income tax purposes.
Provide seed capital for a Wisconsin Business District Redevelopment Program,
more money for Wisconsin Development Fund, and modification of criteria for
Wisconsin Development Fund and Wisconsin's %ll Cities Program for Block
Grant Funds (non-entitlement) to recognize role of business districts in the
economic development of a community and to provide for recycling of such funds
in local community redevelopment projects.
Create a housing assistance program for central and neighborhood business
districts.
June 15, 1988
Prepared For Legislative Initiative Committee of Wisconsin Downtown Action Council by
David H. Fleck of Foley & Lardner 777 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
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