Detroit seeks to expand property tax cut

[RustTown]

This is great for resident retention, but I do wonder how they are going to manage to make this up, elsewhere?

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?A...PDATE/707160382

Detroit seeks to expand property tax cut

The city today announced 24 new neighborhoods that will be eligible for Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's expanded Neighborhood Enterprise Zones tax cut.

The discount means anywhere from 18 percent to 35 percent off homeowners' property taxes

[tracer1138]

Someone on Detroityes said something about expanding the tax cuts to all parts of the city equally, but I argue that it's better to do them sporadically. The city should use these tax cuts to focus development and rehabilitation in key areas. Spreading them out over the entire city would diffuse their effects in my opinion where, if positioned properly they could act like a focused shot in the arm to key areas.

For example: there are vast areas of the city that are urban prarrie. Keeping property tax cuts out of those areas could encourage any remaining residents to clear out, aiding in the consolidation of services such as water and police coverage. Those residents, assuming they don't leave the city entirely, would then concentrate in more successful areas of the city or areas that are just on the brink of vibrancy which would be given an added boost by the influx of new residents and the more efficient redistribution of resources.

In this way, the city can use tax cuts (in addition to some prudent planning) as an efficient tool to achieve several ends at once. All this of course, assuming the city has actually put any real thought into it. We can hope.

[RustTown]

Yes, I agreed with that, too. That idea has its backing in the "Shrinking Cities" philosophy, that is, you steer population from the areas of the city already too devastated to recover into much more intact neighborhoods saving money on not having to deliver certian services to these areas (i.e. lighting, fire, waste pick up....)

This really is the smartest way to do it, and I'm really glad that Mayor Kilpatrick has adopted this view. In the long run, it will be better for the city.