HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-13-14 Press Release - Henry Davis Common 1
South 1 rts
NEWS RELEASE
Date: Monday, October 13, 2014
From: Council Member Henry Davis,Jr. Contact: 235-5983
2"d District 315-4112
Email: hdavis@southbendin.gov
Councilman Davis requests commission over budget and TIF Priorities
The South Bend Common Council has worked diligently to provide a finished comprehensive
budget for the city. The budget is not only numbers but reinforces our moral template for the
next year. Along with this moral document there is an effort to add more funding for perceived
pet projects, and calling for the extinction of two main arteries in the city through the expansion
and realignment of TIF boundaries. As much of the downtown is encompassed in the 2°d District,
I feel compelled to bring some daylight to the potential disastrous impact killing off the main
arteries into the City.
I have worked tirelessly for the South Bend community for a decade hoping to improve the
economic conditions on the western half of the city and these upcoming votes are critical for the
next 20 years.
With the poverty rate being more than 25%,unemployment rate well over 10%and over 74% of
our children on free and reduced lunch and several schools on 100% free lunch we need to revise
our priorities to help combat poverty and crime. South Bend is again at a cross road.
"We will be remembered for the work we have done for the least of us and not for the favors we
have paid back to the wealthy," says Davis,Jr.
Today, during the Common Council meeting I will present a resolution to create a commission to
examine the past uses of TIF funding and the proposed uses of these revenues. We need to know
what the true impact of spending this revenue has for the city and how these dollars can be spent.
The fact remains that 84% of the time these dollars have been used to create public-private
partnerships in which the community has not seen the promises of these partnerships come to
Tuition. It is imperative to slow the current actions to improve the transparency of these
transactions. We as Council members are responsible and accountable for how we vote and the
lasting impact it has on the total South Bend community.