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Tags: loveland, lovelandpolitics
OK, we know how the vote will go on August 19, since Loveland’s City Council has too many McWhinneycrats. It is time this city realize the longterm costs of having so many foxes in the hen house.
People in Loveland need to come out on August 19, and let the City Council know this crap needs to stop. Allowing a single developer to capture all of the most desirable properties in east Loveland and wipe-out tax revenue on them for the next 25 years through a TIF will bankrupt this city 10 to 15 years from now. Property taxes have a purpose and providing city services to these properties is not free.
West Loveland is full of obvious blight yet these hicks on council have no clue and continue making the McWhinneys wealthier with our tax dollars while West Loveland falls apart.
Is there anyone in Loveland interested in looking after the city’s interest other than Cecil Gutierrez and Kent Solt on council?
Carol, I want to echo your concern and make some comments.
1. The County Commissioners have just announced major budget cuts (see last Saturday Reporter-Herald guest editorial by the 3 Commissioners).
2. Frank Lancaster, County Administrator, has also said tax RATES need to increase as more people are now living or shopping in the County.
Lancaster makes an interesting point. If your taxes properly reflect the cost of services than growth actually helps revenue and results in more money commensurate with the increase in people living, working or even just shopping (sales tax) in the county.
What the LURA (Loveland Redevelopment Authority) and Metro Districts for McWhinneyville do is give those taxes to pay-off the debt the district created to SUBSIDIZE McWhinney in building the project. In other words, the developer can off-load many costs like demolition, streets and even a parking garage for Grand Station to debt that taxpayers must repay in the future when they shop there or through property taxes collected on higher property values. It also loads the profit upfront so the developer doesn’t to be concerned about the longterm success of the project.
In the meantime, Loveland and Larimer County still need to accommodate more people in the city or county and the costs associated with this increase in traffic, people, emergencies etc….. An open farm field doesn’t have shoplifters, heart attack victims or fire emergencies the way a shopping center does.
Normally, the shopping center is paying higher property taxes (since the value of land is higher) and full sales taxes so -
1. The shoplifter is in County jail the higher property tax helps pay
2. The ambulance service from the city would come from property and sales taxes collected from the business
3. If the building starts on fire the city has enough sales tax revenue from that business to off-set the costs associated with fighting the fire
In McWhinneyville, the county receives no more property taxes from a shopping mall than from a single family residence. The City of Loveland gets approximately 50% of the sales tax while the rest is diverted towards the quasi-public debt created to pay for McWhinneys upfront costs.
The County Commissioners have come forward to tell everyone the county will be cutting law enforcement activities. For instance, the Meth drug task force that assisted Loveland recently can’t operate when McWhinney doesn’t pay any increased property taxes after bringing tens of thousands into the county.
All in all – don’t ever say we didn’t warn you. Don Williams and his McWhinneycrats on Council are wrecking the longterm financial stability of both Loveland and the County with finance games that make the adjustable rate mortgage schemes look conservative.
We need to stop the madness before it is too late!
I have a bold proposition. Why not make McWhinney pay their fair share of taxes? The council has the option to simply vote no.
If I understand correctly, they can use their special district tax money to actually tear out the dog track and prepare building sites on their newly acquired farms – oops I mean “slums.”
Give me a break. The way to prove the Centerra district was successful is to start charging real taxes to new businesses. More subsidy shows its just a get-richer-quicker scheme for McWhinney and of no real public value what-so-ever.
The same lies, the same fraud, the same exaggerations.
You’re pathetic.
Who is pathetic? I don’t understand the comment.
Anyway, we are planning to attend the August 19, council meeting. If any member of the council votes to abdicate their authority to McWhinney will get an earful from me.