HomeMy WebLinkAbout3-11-13 News Release-Equitable Distribution of City Resources NEWS S RELEASE
Date: Monday, March 11, 2013 } Time: 9:00 a.m.
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From: 3rd District Council Member,Valerie Schey Contact: 574.210,9623
3r" District Council Member calls for a more equitable distribution of
City resources
3rd District Council Member, Valerie Schey, is calling upon her Council Colleagues and the
City's Administration for a reevaluation of the City's distribution of economic development
resources.
Schey says, "By comparison to the large number of'financial and staffing resources that the
City provides to support South Bend's Central Business District, our community corridors
and neighborhood leased business districts receive little, if any, City support."
To illustrate her point, Schey highlights a series of recent and on-going expenditures made
on behalf of South Bend's Central Busyness District which include a $38,000 urban
development study for downtown (2/13), a $15,!0-00 on an economic impact study for
downtown (12/12), a $281,000 two way traffic stutiy for downtown(12/12) (the 3rd since
2006 with a total spent of$586,000), over$540,000/year in tax payer subsidies to support
the DTSB Office, interfund transfers required to support the police substation downtown,
debt payments due on the College Football Hall of )Fame through 2015 and ongoing debt
and operational payments due to support Covelslri Stadium. These expenditures are just a
couple of examples Schey provides.
South Bend's City Plan that was published in 2006 calls for economic development that
promotes a healthy and diversified economy. Scheyistates, "As a City,we need to do a better
job of ensuring, that our economic development funds that are not restricted by geographic
boundaries (e.g., County Option Income Tax and Economic Development Income Tax funds)
are distributed more equitably to support our community corridors and our neighborhood
based business districts."
As a recently appointed member of South Bend Redevelopment Commission and a member
of the Council's Personal and .Finance Committee, Schey is committed to worming with the
Council and Administration to reevaluate the Cityint funding priorities in order to ensure a
more equitable distribution of economic develop m resources.