[Vision2020] Urban Renewal Agency Impact on Taxpayers

[Sam Scripter]

I wondered where I could find the membership of the Moscow
Urban Renewal Agency "Board", so I googled and found the
website.  In case any readers are interested, here it is:

     http://www.moscow.id.us/URA/index.asp

Sam Scripter

Donovan Arnold wrote:
> BJ,
>  
> Taxpayers have been robbed consistently for centuries, where have you 
> been?
>  
> Best Regards,
>  
> Donovan
>
> --- On *Sun, 12/7/08, B. J. Swanson /<bjswan at moscow.com>/* wrote:
>
>     From: B. J. Swanson <bjswan at moscow.com>
>     Subject: [Vision2020] Urban Renewal Agency Impact on Taxpayers
>     To: vision2020 at moscow.com
>     Date: Sunday, December 7, 2008, 11:53 AM
>
>     On November 6, 2008, the Moscow Urban Renewal Agency Commissioners
>     toured the urban renewal districts in Coeur d’Alene that are the
>     subject of the first of two articles in the Coeur d’Alene Press. 
>     The first article is below.  Please note the subscriber comments
>     following the article.
>
>      
>
>     Apparently the Moscow URA Commissioners hoped to gather
>     inspiration from Coeur d’Alene on how to spend more of your tax
>     dollars.   In particular, how to spend your tax dollars to enrich
>     private developers without a vote of the taxpayers. 
>
>      
>
>     Here are some other items the Moscow URA spent your tax dollars on
>     this year:
>
>      
>
>     ·         Spending up to $5,000 of your tax dollars to file a
>     “Friend of the Court” brief for the _Rexburg_ Urban Renewal Agency
>
>     ·         Hiring a new economic development director at a cost of
>     $80,000+ to be shared with the City of Moscow (tax dollars funding
>     both)
>
>     ·         In addition to the economic development director salary,
>     paying the City of Moscow $30,000+ annually for administrative
>     services.  This is $5,000 more than last year because City Staff
>     said they need more money to manage the economic development
>     director.  Is this compound “Bureaucracy Gone Wild?”
>
>      
>
>     The Moscow Urban Renewal Agency Commissioners have the ability to
>     finalize and close out the Alturas Urban Renewal District by 2010
>     and return $300,000 annually as a direct reduction on all property
>     tax bills in Latah County.  They have chosen not to do this and
>     instead vote to continue spending your tax dollars on bureaucracy
>     and to divert funds to the Legacy Crossing Urban Renewal District,
>     where nothing is happening.
>
>      
>
>     Perhaps the Moscow URA Commissioners should take a field trip
>     around Moscow to assess our economic situation.  In particular,
>     note that the national recession is extending to Moscow.   There
>     are layoffs and budget cuts, businesses are not up-staffing and
>     expanding like the URA; in fact, there have been several business
>     closures and will be more.
>
>      
>
>     A $300,000 refund from the Moscow URA would be a welcome gift to
>     property taxpayers in Moscow and all of Latah County.
>
>      
>
>     B. J. Swanson
>
>      
>
>   
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