Posted: | March 27, 2014 11:50 AM |
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From: | Representative Julie Harhart |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | CRIZ Legislation |
I will be introducing legislation to modify the City Revitalization and Improvement Zone (CRIZ) in the following areas: pilot zone, contracting authorities, and calculation of the local baseline tax. The major component of my proposal expands the definition of pilot zone to allow for zones that span multiple municipalities. Specifically, the definition would allow a pilot zone to consist of two or three contiguous municipalities with a combined population of between 30,000 and 60,000. This proposal is in addition to the original pilot zone definition in current law. With regard to eligible contracting authorities, my legislation allows industrial and commercial development authorities (ICDA) to serve as the contracting authority for the purposes of applying for and administering a CRIZ. Many municipalities already have these in place and it does not make sense to me to have our small municipalities shell out money to set up a new authority when they have an ICDA they can utilize to perform the same functions. Finally, a technical issue was brought to my attention with the original legislation regarding the local baseline tax. While the original law referenced the local baseline tax, it did not provide for its calculation. My proposal includes a section calling for the local taxing authority to calculate and verify the local baseline tax. I am hopeful with these changes we can strengthen the impact of the CRIZ incentives and assist more communities than originally envisioned. If you agree, I welcome your co-sponsorship and encourage you to add your name to this legislation. |
Introduced as HB2183