After my post two weeks ago about the borked Burnsville Heart of the City, I have been closely following any news about it and came across two letters in the StarTrib from Burnsville residents who are not terribly happy with the prospect of using tax dollars on any project related to the Heart of the City, especially the Burnsville Performing Arts Center.
Cliff Volkmann writes (emphasis mine):
- The tired song that the Performing Arts Center in Burnsville is being built without increasing property taxes is grossly misleading. The millions of dollars are not just falling out of the sky, but tax increment financing funds that were intended to REDUCE taxes for the citizens of Burnsville are instead being used for the theater, and now for the parking ramp. If this isn’t considered a form of tax increase, then the spin merchants have had a field day.
These are but a few of the fiascoes that should put a bright light on the city officials who don’t understand how to spell.
Market force should be allowed to develop property to prevent the kinds of three-ring circus events that have developed with the meddling of our city government.
Right on Cliff! Like I said when I posted about the Heart of the City, if a developer is pulling out of the whole thing, it’s obvious that they don’t believe the project is worth it. Why should the taxpayers take on the burden of something that everyone else sees as a drain? While this project won’t end up being like the Duluth Aquarium, it’s certainly not one that we need South of the River and definitely one that the residents of Burnsville should be fighting hard to end.
Thankfully Cliff (above) and Elwood Narum (among others) are:
- It is probably too late to stop this out-of-control boondoggle, but it is not too late to make strong consideration for the future direction and governance for the city of Burnsville. Want to serve your city? Contact noperformingartscenter.com. We are interested in talking to qualified candidates interested in running for mayor and city council. The time for change is here.
They claim to be a grass roots campaign looking for supporters as well as those interested in running for City Council seats in opposition to this huge waste of taxpayer dollars. I wish them the best of luck and I hope that their ideas spread throughout the citizenry of Burnsville and the rest of the South Metro.
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February 13th, 2008 at 8:09 am
BILL ROEHL FOR BURNSVILLE MAYOR! Tired of the high tax bill? Vote for Bill Roehl for Mayor! He’s the fair Bill!
I think it could work.
February 13th, 2008 at 8:38 am
If only the anti-Performing Arts Center fund could pay for me to move there ;)
February 27th, 2008 at 7:38 am
The City Council continues to attempt to justify the building of this project by claiming that it won’t raise taxes. There are plenty of others that have their doubts.
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:48 pm
What the writer said about TIF funds being used to build the PAC is not exactly correct. The City has dedicated the tax revenue from properties in certain TIF districts where the TIF obligations are paid off to making the payments on the bonds the City issued to build the PAC. These tax revenues could have been used to give us tax relief.
Thank you
June 25th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Interesting discussion South of the River has been having since I moved to Minneapolis. I think we must defend Mayor Kautz in one sense, she has served for 14 years, been re-elected numerous times over other equally qualified individuals. Her value in the PAC is the value itself, of arts, of something we don’t have in Burnsville anymore (dare I say “we” :).
The same hope bore THE GARAGE youth center–over $100,000 in municipal funds were spent to renovate the facility. Almost 7 years later, however, we and the Foundation paid the city back IN FULL from donations and operating expenses from our very own events. That is why Kautz is so committed, she knows the value of these things comes at a hard dollar. Now of course $100,000 versus several million is nothing. It basically took every kid in Dakota County to pay a $1 for something that has served thousands more throughout the upper midwestern states.
So with the PAC, we must say, what is our value? Is there really a dollar to it? Do you see the overflowing seats at the Mraz PAC at BHS? Or the cramped Alimagnet Arts Center? Where DO we send our kids to explore intangible things beyond sports and “hard work.” We shouldn’t dismiss Kautz’ drive to do this “under her watch” because she has successfully done it already.
On the issue of tax revenues, yes, its true, HotC was billed as a tax generating revenue source that would benefit all residents, because it was essentially blighted property that was costing more for everyone than helping (remember the sketchy strip mall?). We should not dismiss HotC either, it has accomplished goals for Bville that Bville residents set for itself in 1994. Did you forget the design charrettes and Partnership for Tomorrow meetings? This is not a field day at City Hall, this was born out of our input process.
Perhaps the most honest way you (and I mean dissenters of the project) should approach this in the meanwhile is, appeal to Kautz’s model of governance. She is neither the liberal or conservative, neither DFL or Republican, she is the synthesis of progressive government and fiscal responsibility that we have wanted for 14 years. Appeal strongly to her financial side, her background in management and ensuring responsibility. To her, I assure you, you just sound like NIMBYs. And the typical NIMBY threatens officials at their next elections. That’s not public input. There is an alternative way, I assure you, to compromise on the critical remarks of this project than say you will oust a decade-long mayor (ahem your website).