Editor, St. Clair Shores Sentinel:

 

Regarding the Corridor Improvement Authority (CIA), if St Clair Shores residents are to make an informed choice to support or oppose this project, they need to also know the following:

 

1. I believe putting the CIA on the council agenda was premature. The Blue Ribbon Study Committee (BRSC) has not completed their job. They were supposed to look at all options to improve Harper, not just funding mechanisms. My three requests to explore zero tax dollar options similar to what the 9/Mack business owners did, are still unanswered.

 

2. The BRSC has also not looked thoroughly at the city's Master Plan and the Harper Revitalization report to give us an idea of what improvements are absolutely necessary and the approximate dollars needed for each.

 

3. The BRSC has also not looked at the impact of capping off the biggest source of revenue the city has (Harper businesses), in order to create the CIA. The automatic inflation increase (approximately 2.8%) to the city's General Fund, pays for increasing costs for city services. When this 2.8% is no longer available and locked into the CIA on Harper, the city will have no choice but to raise taxes or create another millage.

 

4. Mr. Viviano's questions of whether the CIA would be accountable to the business owners or if the CIA is very valid in today's political and economic climate. With 70% of small businesses failing within 2 years, we need to be very careful about taking the decision making process out of their hands and into the hands of the CIA whose livelihood is not directly in jeopardy.

 

The homeowners abutting Harper should be very leery. The CIA has eminent domain-like powers to fix the parking scarcity issues. History has shown outcomes have not always been equitable for long-term homeowners.

 

Erin Stahl,

Mayor Pro Tem

St. Clair Shores