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Resident urges Edina board to reject proposed five-year extensions of two TIF districts
Summary
A member of the public urged the school board to vote against proposed five-year extensions of two tax-increment financing districts, arguing the districts would freeze net tax capacity and reduce school revenue for decades while committing large public funds to development projects.
During the public-comment portion of Monday’s Edina school board meeting, resident Ralph Zichert urged the board to oppose two proposed five-year extensions of existing tax-increment financing (TIF) districts that will come before the board by Dec. 31 and for which the city council adopted related resolutions on Aug. 19.
Zichert said he respects the school district but urged the board to “vote no” when asked to approve the TIF extensions, which he said would freeze net tax capacity for up to 20 years and shift the burden to state funding that he argued has not kept pace with inflation or classroom needs. He told the board the district’s funding shortfall stands “at $1,350 per student and some $12,000,000 annually.”
Zichert criticized the TIF proposals for what he characterized as large public subsidies to development, citing line items he said include $20,000,000 for a parking garage tied to a planned commercial office building and $31,000,000 for a pedestrian tunnel under France Avenue. He also warned that affordable-housing commitments in the TIF districts would include sunset clauses allowing developers to convert units to market rate after 15 years.
The board did not take action on the public comment but acknowledged receipt of the materials Zichert said he provided to staff and said the item would be expected to come before the board later this year in accordance with state statute and city actions.
