Historical November–December 2016 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
In this article, I am drawing on questions posted on Next Door by David Garin and Margaret Hermes, longtime residents. Co-editor (and former city housing analyst) Jo Ann Vatcha answered those questions, and Garin and Hermes also supplied thoughts following the meeting.
As I attended the meeting, some of the recollections are mine.
A tax would be enacted by registered voters in Skinker DeBaliviere and property owners.
The proposed tax district does not include Delmar, which has its own district, nor DeBaliviere which enacted its own district recently. Therefore, the only businesses in the district are the Yoga Center building on Pershing and on Skinker two law office buildings and Kingsbury Animal Hospital. Parkview is not included. What about the property owned by Washington University? By state law, Washington U is a nonprofit and tax exempt.
However, a number of properties it owns in our neighborhood were recently renovated, using historic tax credits.
To receive these credits, Washington U created a for-profit real estate entity. Because of the tax credits, it has to pay property tax for 5 years.
After that, it can revert the buildings’ ownership to nonprofit (and tax exempt) status.
The tax could be set as high as 85 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
On a $200,000 house that tax would be about $325/year added to an owner’s property tax bill. Because of the Hancock amendment, the amount you pay in year one is the maximum you would pay.
If the tax is enacted, who decides where the money goes?
There will be a 7-member committee appointed by the mayor. Neighbors can politick with the members or the mayor, but there is no guarantee their views will be heeded.
The ballot measure to enact the tax can contain categories that the funding may be used for, e.g., security.
Some speakers at the September 27 meeting were skeptical of the tax.
A few were interested in security. Marvin Nodiff, another longtime resident, suggested the special committee studying the tax cost out certain security items such as cameras or new lighting.
A survey available on the Council’s website, skinkerdebaliviere.wordpress.com, will be used to gauge sentiment about the tax and preferences for spending tax money if the spending is enacted.
It will be there till November 11.
The meeting, held at Grace United Methodist Church, was wellattended and Beth Bender and Vincent Flewellyn provided significant information.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, November–December 2016.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Source prints 85 cents per 1000 assessed valuation but its 200000-house/325 annual example and previous issue use different denominator. Preserve source inconsistency without silently recalculating.
Original source: SD_Times2016_11.pdf, printed page(s) 6; PDF page(s) 6.
