Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Development Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hillsdale TIFA review committee seeks clearer mission, new goals; requests research on Dawn Theater and tax impacts
Summary
At its Feb. 24 meeting the Hillsdale TIFA Review Committee reviewed documents from Andrew Gelzer, agreed to draft a clear mission statement and consolidate goals, and asked staff to research Dawn Theater divestment options and whether changes to tax structures (including a local income tax) would affect TIFA revenue.
The Hillsdale Tax Increment Finance Authority (TIFA) Review Committee reviewed documents provided by committee member Andrew Gelzer at its Feb. 24 meeting and agreed to refine the authority’s development plan by drafting a clear mission statement and consolidating the committee’s goals.
Committee members said the development plan should be cleaned up so historical accomplishments are moved to a separate document on the City website, and they identified the creation of goals with precedent as a near-term priority. Members were asked to come to the next meeting with four to five proposed goals each.
The committee also directed staff to seek a clear answer about possible divestment options for the Dawn Theater with the State and asked for further research into how a hypothetical change in the property-tax structure would affect the Authority’s revenue, including whether TIFA could collect tax dollars from a local income tax.
As part of the conversation about preserving the tax base, the committee cited the sale of 44 N Howell to Hillsdale College as an example that removed approximately $7,000 per year from TIFA funds. Members discussed drafting language intended to reduce future erosion of the tax base.
Members said they would review semi-local comparables — Holland, Marshall and Tecumseh — for guidance in restructuring the development plan and goal language. Olivia Smith, the city’s zoning administrator, was listed as present.
The meeting adjourned at 8:43 a.m. The committee scheduled its next meeting for March 3, 2026 at 7:30 a.m., to be held in the Dawn Theater because of potential room conflicts at City Hall.
