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South Bend Redevelopment Commission <br />Rescheduled Regular Meeting -June 25, 2008 <br />6. NEW BUSINESS (CONT.) <br />A. Public Hearing <br />(1) continued... <br />THOMAS ZMYSLO: 51042 Prairie View <br />Way, South Bend. I offer you today a <br />petition of remonstrance in regard to this. <br />My wife is the president of the German <br />Township Neighborhood Association. With <br />the week's notice or so that we've had on this <br />issue, we've talked to people around St. <br />Joseph County that have offered to put <br />signatures on this petition against the <br />expansion of the Portage Prairie into the <br />AEDA. I'm here as a St. Joseph County <br />taxpayer today and a member of the German <br />Township Neighborhood Association and <br />I'm here to ask you to vote against expansion <br />of this TIF. During the winter I attended a <br />house panel hearing. I don't know how <br />many of you were there. At that time it was <br />at IUSB in regard to the new tax law. At that <br />time the house panel had a hearing, they <br />pretty much chastised the local government <br />officials and politicians in this area and <br />around the state for the use of these TIF <br />areas. The reason for the high taxes, the <br />reason for the new law that just went into <br />effect, because the taxpayers of the State of <br />Indiana, St. Joseph County, South Bend, <br />whatever, are tired of high taxes. There's <br />four reasons in St. Joseph County we have <br />high taxes: too much government spending, <br />too many non-profits, too many tax <br />abatements, and too many TIF areas. I <br />understand there's $27M in this TIF area <br />right now. And I guess there's five other TIF <br />areas, from what I understand, or so in St. <br />Joseph County. I don't know what amount <br />of money is in those areas. Can you imagine <br />17 <br />