Tube City Almanac

July 08, 2013

Development Plan Excludes City; Brewster Critical

Category: Politics || By Submitted Report

State Sen. Jim Brewster said he's disappointed in a Senate Republican-sponsored plan that would allow only a few selected third-class cities to participate in a new economic development program.

"There is a great need to generate economic activity and jobs in all third-class cities, and a selected few should not be favored above others," said the McKeesport Democrat and former city mayor. "Economically struggling cities in my district should have access to funding tools to help them create jobs."

The language inserted into the Tax Code bill associated with the 2013-14 state budget authorizes the creation of City Revitalization and Improvement Zones.

It would permit the reinvestment of state and local tax revenues generated in designated zones for projects that revitalize eligible vacant, blighted and/or abandoned properties for commercial, exhibition, hospitality, conference, retail community and mixed-use purposes.

But it specifically excludes cities with populations below 30,000, including McKeesport. Other third-class cities in Brewster's district include Lower Burrell, Clairton, Arnold, New Kensington and Duquesne. None of them would be eligible to participate in the program.

He said the cities being hurt are mostly represented by Democratic state senators. "The program should be inclusive and tax dollars should not be doled out based on politics," Brewster said. "All cities should have a chance to participate and compete fairly."

Senate Democrats offered an amendment that would allow all third class cities to participate in the CRIZ program, but the amendment failed in the Appropriations Committee.






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