Opinion: Children shouldn't fund convention centers
Under a practice called tax-increment financing (TIF for short), areas slated for development may, under a variety of state laws, divert property tax growth to fund projects. In lay terms, the property tax designated for public schools goes, in part, to subsidize development.
If you are a tax or public finance expert, you'll notice some details about TIF aren't explained here. However, for the average taxpayer, I want to make the implication of this practice clear — in the last academic year, the Salt Lake City School District lost $35 million, 10% of our current budget, to development.
This amount would have paid for the equivalent of 277 teachers and could have funded the general operation of 35 elementary schools. In a year when we are operating only 22 elementary schools, after our board voted to close four schools last year, this number matters to the community. Because demographic studies show that gentrification has contributed to our declining enrollment overall, not only does TIF decrease our ability to fund the needs of children, but it also reduces the total number of children we can serve.
Last week, a committee voted to allocate $300 million more in tax increment to fund the Convention Center Reinvestment Zone. As a voting member of the committee, I learned just one hour before our vote that the total impact had jumped from $21 million to $300 million.
Mayor Jenny Wilson indicated in the meeting that all committee members have a shared vision of a convention center with an additional ballroom. I have to say, as an individual school board member who voted no on funding the zone, my vision is not for convention center ballrooms or hotels. My vision is for the 83 teachers per year, or 14 elementary schools per year, that this diverted tax could fund.
Proponents of TIF will tell you that eventually, in 20 to 30 years per project, school districts will have more property tax to fund our work. The problem is, a kindergarten student does not need more property tax revenue for their future children — they need a teacher in their classroom today.
I understand that our city and county are growing, and with that growth comes the need for development, but I do not believe Salt Lake City's children can bear the cost.
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