“Why make taxpayers pay for it?”
“Why make taxpayers pay for it?” That’s a reasonable question, Councilman Camp. He must have a reasonable response for it, too, because Jon Camp voted to spend $2 million of your tax dollars to build a new Hy-Vee at 50th and O Streets.
The situation is this: the City of Lincoln has declared a good chunk of the area around 48th and O blighted. As part of the redevelopment, Hy-Vee wants to build a large store to replace its 70th and O location. (A curious business decision in my mind, but hey, they didn’t ask me.) Since the area is blighted, the project is eligible for public dollars. In the Hy-Vee project’s case, that amounts to around $2.1 million, roughly $750,000 of which would go into Hy-Vee’s pockets. The rest would go toward infrastructure improvements that would indirectly support the store. The store is expected to return about $120,000 in annual tax revenue. It’s not clear if that $120,000 is above and beyond what the 70th and O store already returns, or if it is merely a replacement for whatever the 70th and O store currently contributes to the public coffers.
Given that information, Councilman Camp has obviously decided that the project is worth making taxpayers pay for. But why? Councilman Camp, I would like you to answer your own question: Why make taxpayers pay for it?
The Comments
Swid June 27, 2006 at 10:35am
I think somebody just volunteered himself for the next open-mike City Council meeting.
beerorkid June 27, 2006 at 11:34am
because he is not going to donate the profits from
“Alpha squad 7: Lady Nocturne: A John Camp adventure” to it.
Dave K June 27, 2006 at 12:15pm
Good points. I’d like to hear him stumble over a response to that question.
I just think he looks too much like Billy Joel to be an effective leader.
foxspit June 27, 2006 at 1:18pm
As I understand it, the property in the blighted area of 48th and O streets was/is owned by the Misle’s who have substantial resources to keep their property up. Why, indeed, are taxpayers required to foot improvements to this privately owned section of town? If I let my vacant property go to crap like that, you can bet I would be getting nasty letters from the city to clean it up.
I don’t have a problem footing some of the bill for improvements to the area. Streets need to be put in place, landscaping, etc. And in general, I support some form of tax incentives to encourage improvements in blighted areas.
This seems to be pushing the envelope though.