Citizens for Public Accountability and Responsible Development (CPARD)

On Wednesday the I requested a copy of the Brownfield Repayment Schedule (Tax Capture Table Exhibit E, Schedule 1).

This exhibit shows how REIS intends to recapture taxes to pay back the $17mln. Brownfield that the Board of Trustees is scheduled to approve on 12/18.

I am NOT an expert on this but there seems to be some distrubing information on the exhibit I will try to outline here:

1. It appears that REIS will capture ALL SCHOOL OPERATING TAXES from this development until the Brownfield is repayed. CPARD is vehemently against this. They intend to add 500 households but not allow the district to use any of the school operating tax revenue generated by the commercial development. (Residential is generally homesteaded and not charged.) For example… in 2010 REIS claims they will repay $1,482,703 of the Brownfield… $602,910 of that will come from the School Operating taxes generated by the development. in 2011 that number more than doubles to $1,245,857 in School Operating Taxes.

2. It appears they intend to capture ALL of the School Operating taxes until at least 2014. In that same time frame 200 homes will be built and supposedly sold. How will the district pay for and support these additional students with no additional School Operating Taxes?

3. The assumptions seem VERY aggressive or even unrealistic. They assume that homes sold on 50′ lots will sell for an average price of $275,000 and those on 70′ lots will sell for $350,000 average. I think they need to check REAL comps. for the area and give a real basis for these numbers. Local agents tell me this is way too high.

4. They also seem to assume that commercial/office/medical will all be at 100% capacity as soon as the space becomes available. Take a drive down 6 Mile, Haggerty, 275, etc. less than two miles from this project and virtually EVERY commercial space has “For Lease” signs in front of it. This assumption is flawed to the core. They seem to assume at 1,110,000 sq. ft. will be 100% occupied in 2013.

5. They assume that all taxing authorities will allow their tax dollars to be recaptured. Such as: PUBLIC SAFETY, Library, State Education Tax, RESA, Schoolcraft, Wayne County Jail, etc.

Chip Snider is quoted regarding the consent agreement as follows:
“The schools can now relax, and with all reality not be faced with another school.”

How can they relax? More students… same School Operating Taxes for years… To make matters worse the Township agreed in the consent agreement to NOT FIGHT REIS if they ask to capture the School Operating Taxes. Good Lord.

I will try to scan these tables so they can be available to all on Monday. An initial review looks quite bad to me and I hope others will review these documents.

From the Northville Record this week.  We were unaware this would be published and it seems to infer that we want them to vote “yes” again on the consent agreement.  This is not the case.  I was explaining that they COULD vote yes again but the can and should vote no, that was left out.

I have placed comments at the end of the article for clarification.  Please see:

Northville citizens group CPARD wants township meeting on REIS agreement rescheduled

At the last regular meeting of the Township Board of Trustees 12/18 was selected for the public hearing regarding the $17mln. tax funded Brownfield award for REIS.

While we feel it is important for all to attend this meeting to voice their concerns over the decades it could and probably will take to pay this off, we also feel it is fair to let you know that unless the Township acts regarding our suit we will be seeking an injunction/restraining order to stop this vote until our case is resolved.

More to follow.

The Township Board holds its regular meeting on Thursday 11/20 at 7:30PM.

The Board will be setting a date for the public hearing regarding the Brownfield Authority for REIS.

There is nothing else on the agenda at this time regarding our suit, however, if you have the time you may want to drop in and support the residents of Edenderry as many are trying to fight a special assessment district.

Just thought I would throw this out there so there is no confusion. Regarding our OMA action the Township has several options…

1. As soon as they were served (or at any time for that matter) they simply could have re-held the meetings and voted again. Under the OMA they would not have to admit fault. Simply notice the meetings correctly, allow the public to come and exercise their right to speak, vote again and pay a very small legal fee to CPARD. At the time around $1,000 for getting things filed. They would not have put their agreement in jeopardy and would have had minimal legal fees of their own (our tax dollars).

2. They could choose to fight it in court with the best outcome simply being that they do not have to rehold and revote in front of the public. That is it… There is no better outcome for the board than they simply do not have to rehold the meetings. In fighting however, they are running up their own legal fees (our tax dollars). It is very rare with an OMA complaint that the defendant is awarded their legal fees from the plaintiff (CPARD), they have very little chance in recovering their legal fees. So, in fighting, they may be hoping they will run us out of money and we will drop the suit… even if that were to happen, which it will not, they are still almost certain to pay their own legal fees out of OUR taxes. Take the $1,000 in #1 and multiply by ten simply because they do not want to revote on this in a public meeting.

3. They fight in court and lose. At that point they will be forced to rehold the meetings, their agreement could very will be tossed out and they will be paying not only their legal fees but ours also. Since it is being dragged out these fees are going up every day on both sides of the fence. If they take it all the way and lose (quite probable) it could cost the tax payers $50K simply because they do not want to rehold the meetings.

So ask yourselves… What does the Township really want out of this? The only logical conclusion is that they dread holding those meetings again in front of the public and are willing to burn tens of thousands of tax payers dollars trying not to. All they have to do is schedule the meetings, walk in, make a motion, LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC, and revote. No guilt… that simple. Do not be misled.

…or maybe they don’t think it will pass this time…

We know the lines are long but go have your voice heard.

FYI - You can always leave unopposed candidates blank if you want. The vote count makes a point.