Robert Wirth: Downtown business owners will be taxed twice

One man, one vote – except on whether or not to set up the Downtown Benefit District! Votes are being weighted by the amount of property held. That’s the same as saying the more net worth you have the more votes you get.

If a person contributed to the formation of the district, such as the $1,000 from the Doubletree, the money is returned when the district is formed. Isn’t that the same as getting political contributions returned with taxpayer money if your candidate wins? Also, the ballot is not secret – which can lead to intimidation. Finally, sure government entities will contribute, but with taxpayer money; individual property owners are paying out of their pockets. In effect, downtown property owners are paying twice!

The boundaries of the so-called benefit district were deliberately drawn to favor government-owned properties. Governments are the largest property owners, therefore they have the most weighted votes. The total assessment comes to $700,000 a year for 15 years with a possible 5 percent increase per year, depending on inflation. This comes to a minimum of $10.5 million for the 15-year period, a tax increase with little guidance in how the money will be spent.

This story was originally published August 12, 2015 at 11:22 AM with the headline "Robert Wirth: Downtown business owners will be taxed twice."