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Plan Commission forwards amendments to four tax incremental financing districts to council
Summary
The Madison Plan Commission voted unanimously to recommend city council approval of sixth amendments to four tax incremental financing (TIF) project plans — TID 36, 44, 46 and 51 — after staff described the statutory tests and the Joint Review Board review process and one resident raised concerns about a grant match for Bree Stevens Field.
The Madison Plan Commission on Feb. 17 recommended that the Common Council approve amendments to four tax incremental financing project plans — TID 36 (Capital Gateway), TID 44 (Royster Clark area), TID 46 (Research Park) and TID 51 (South Madison) — forwarding each item with unanimous votes.
Plan Commission staff gave an overview of the commission’s role in creating and amending TIF districts under Wisconsin statutes and summarized the amendments. Economic development staffer Dan said the commission’s role is to hold a public hearing and determine whether a district or amendment meets statutory criteria, including whether a district is a “blighted area,” whether improvements are likely to increase other property values, and whether the city remains below the statutory 12% equalized value cap that limits total TIF value. He also described that amendments commonly reallocate dollars inside a district to pay for roads, property acquisition, lighting, small-business assistance or other eligible projects and that the Joint Review Board — made up of representatives of the city, county, school district, technical college and a public member — reviews council action after the commission and council act.
One registered public commenter, Linda Leonard, spoke in opposition to the amendment for TID 36, saying the seventh amendment includes $1,000,000 for Bree Stevens Field that appears to rely on a $4,000,000 state grant application that was not awarded. “If the city doesn’t get the grant, there really is no authorization there for these other funds to be expended,” Leonard said. Staff responded that parks and TIF staff were asked to identify potential TID matching dollars and that the project plan amendment lists the proposed match; staff said if grant funding is not obtained, the capital project would be reconsidered in the capital budget.
After the public hearing on each item, commissioners moved and seconded motions to forward the amendments to council with recommendations to approve. Motions were made as follows: for TID 36, Alder Field moved and Alder Uguerre seconded; for TID 44, Alder Field moved and Alder Duncan seconded; for TID 46, Alder Uguerre moved and Alder Field seconded; and for TID 51, Alder Eugenegerer moved and Alder Field seconded. Each motion was recorded as unanimously approved by the commission.
Why it matters: TIF project plans authorize the city to commit future increment revenues to infrastructure and development activities in defined areas. Amendments shift money within those districts or add projects; they also trigger review by the Joint Review Board because other local taxing jurisdictions are affected.
Looking ahead: Commission approval sends the amendments to the Common Council and then to the Joint Review Board and the Wisconsin Department of Revenue processes required for TIF amendments. The TID 36 amendment in particular drew public questioning about a park match that staff said would be revisited if grant funding is not secured.
Votes at a glance: The commission recorded unanimous recommendations to council for all four amendments.
