Council Member's Message

I am pleased to announce that the City Council is poised to undertake the restoration of $10 million in Neighborhood Revitalization Program funds that were frozen in 2010. This development represents positive news for our neighborhoods and their ability to continue their vital community development, livability and outreach work.

As background, back in 2010 in the face of significant residential property tax increases, the City Council voted to shrink the size of the Consolidated TIF District that funded NRP dollars in order to provide property tax relief. I voted against it. I also offered some alternative routes to property tax reduction that wouldn't take NRP dollars away from our neighborhoods. I didn't prevail, but I also held out hope that a basic sense of fairness would lead to these funds eventually being restored.

That day has come. Action will shortly be coming forward to the full council to make our neighborhood funding whole by restoring the original $10 million in funding. I am pleased to have been able to help make this possible and gratified that we are taking an action that affirms the great value our neighborhoods bestow on the City as a whole.