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Chamber representative asks Riley County Commission to delay draft RHID policy, cites income and TIF concerns
Summary
A Manhattan Chamber representative urged the Riley County Commission during public comment to delay consideration of a recently circulated RHID policy, citing rapid timing, income guideline discrepancies with city policy and a request for flexibility on tax-increment financing terms.
Tom Phillips, chair of the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce Business Affairs Committee, urged the Riley County Commission on Feb. 13 to delay action on a draft RHID policy so additional stakeholders can review it.
Phillips, speaking during the public comment period, told commissioners the chamber received the county's version of the policy only recently and asked the commission to "slow down and either table it or delay it so that you have an opportunity to hear from other interested stakeholders in the city and in the county." He said the chamber and other business representatives want more time to understand how the policy would affect local development.
Phillips said two provisions in particular concern the chamber: the income-eligibility guidelines in the draft policy and the proposed term for tax-increment financing. "The income guidelines that you have drafted are at about 80% of the average median income," Phillips said, contrasting that with what he described as much lower city guidelines "running at about 20, I think, or maybe it's a 30% of the average median income." He warned such a discrepancy could make certain housing types financially infeasible for developers given local land, material and labor costs.
On tax-increment financing, Phillips said the county's draft proposes a 10-year TIF term but noted state law allows a 25-year issuance. "We would like to continue that discussion and hopefully give yourselves more flexibility so you don't tie into that 10 year time frame," he said.
The remarks were made as public comment; the commission did not take formal action on the policy during the meeting. Commissioners and county staff have discussed the item in multiple previous sessions, and Phillips said the chamber asked only that the county give stakeholders a fuller chance to review the draft before finalizing any policy.
No motions or votes on the RHID draft were recorded during the meeting. The county commission may place the item on a future agenda for staff presentation or formal action after further review by commissioners and interested parties.
