Existing funds should be utilized

To the editor:

Over the course of the past few weeks there have been articles concerning the City of Portland, Portland City Council and tax increment financing (TIF) district funds all related directly or indirectly to various aspects of downtown flood issues.

The city is considering handing Indiana Department of Environmental Management $41,000 to close out, not complete, the wetlands restoration at the failed XPLEX site on the city's north side. Wetlands have a multitude of benefits, the most important one of which is to slow and hold water flow, especially in time of heavy rains. The city owns the land and should fully consider the total wetlands restoration opportunity as an economical, positive step toward slowing downtown flooding.

City council is currently considering a proposed property tax increase for funding of flood and storm sewer work in downtown Portland. The tax study presented states it would generate $326,000 yearly to be used for obtaining grants and funding bonds for the designed work. A few days later, it comes out that the TIF district fund has about $800,000 available. It was acknowledged in the meeting of the redevelopment commission that those funds could be used for downtown flood issues as well.

How much does the current TIF district generate annually? What can the current available tax funds (local option income tax, economic development income tax and TIF) provide as quick-start funding for positive steps toward this long-running issue?

Reaching a long-term planned multi-step solution for downtown flood control including a reasonable and measured tax response that fully utilizes all currently available tax funds to create a positive end to downtown Portland flooding is what the businesses and citizens of the city deserve.

Jeff Hiser

Portland