Last night, dozens of concerned Pawtucket citizens testified at the Council's budget hearing on the Mayor's new budget. Front and center: a passionate debate about why the City should not cut services to the library, Daggett Farm and Blackstone Valley Visitor Center. That was the thrust of the major concerns that surfaced. Overwhelmingly, I think the community recognized the necessity and pragmatism of the proposed budget, and some even argued the budget doesn't go far enough to reduce the size of government. The main topic last night revolved around short term solutions to cut expenses. Virtually no discussion broached the real challenge: how to grow municipal revenues without increasing property taxes.
Pawtucket, like many New England and Rhode Island cities, is facing continued deficits resulting from decreased revenues and all the usual "expensive" suspects: pension funds, personnel, school budget, overburdened municipal services, etc.
Mayor Grebien and the City Council are faced with tough decisions on where to cut. Clearly, cutting expenses appears to be the only immediate option to avoid a receivership situation like our one-square mile neighbor. Cutting the budget is a necessity in the short term, but it won't solve the long term problem: a lack of sustainable revenue.
Pawtucket's prime source of revenue is commercial and residential property tax. Given that most of the buildable land in Pawtucket is taken up, most might make a short-sited observation that the City is "built out" and can't grow any more. I always chuckle when I hear someone say an entire city (or state) is "built-out." It is the most ridiculous thing anyone could ever say about any place of scale...just visit China before you say Pawtucket is built out.
It is impossible to build out a City. What? You say? There is a finite amount of land, but an infinite amount of air space. Go vertical! Let's put an end to inefficient, sprawl development. Let's incentivize urban, mixed-use development. Let's put a higher emphasis on better building bulk-standards and quality site-planning that maximizes existing infrastructure, transit and density. I'm not suggesting Pawtucket try to be Shanghai, but we can start with replacing a few surface parking lots in the downtown with multi-story, mixed use buildings.
The City can increase its revenue by adopting policies to better utilize the downtown, industrial parks and riverfront. Look at the tax revenues of mill buildings that have been redeveloped. A snapshot of before and after tax rolls show an exponential increase in tax revenue after redevelopment. Ironically, Pawtucket's most valuable land (greatest potential) is currently some of the most underutilized land in the entire City. There is a real opportunity to expand the property tax base by better utilizing this land.
Dozens of buildings in the downtown have empty upper floors. There are MILLIONS of square feet of empty buildings within walking distance of a proposed commuter rail station. The riverfront zones slated for development in the City's comp plan are virtually a blank slate waiting for the right investment opportunity.
The Pawtucket Downtown Growth Center is not just a fancy planning map. It's a real policy strategy to grow revenue and position the City in a fiercely competitive regional market. To succeed, the City will need to invest in the neighborhood of $10M to $20M in public infrastructure investments (just within the growth center bounds and not counting cost for commuter rail) to catalyze the full potential of private development. Perhaps a bond on the ballot is in order?
The Pawtucket Foundation's new strategic plan is based on the policy of growing revenues in the Pawtucket Downtown Growth Center. Each district within the growth center has a distinctive neighborhood character with unique attributes on which to base economic development objectives. Whether it's the river, the arts, tourism or attractive transit, all of these assets are part of a larger vision to rebuild the urban core into an attractive, sustainable quality place.
Pawtucket, like many New England and Rhode Island cities, is facing continued deficits resulting from decreased revenues and all the usual "expensive" suspects: pension funds, personnel, school budget, overburdened municipal services, etc.
Mayor Grebien and the City Council are faced with tough decisions on where to cut. Clearly, cutting expenses appears to be the only immediate option to avoid a receivership situation like our one-square mile neighbor. Cutting the budget is a necessity in the short term, but it won't solve the long term problem: a lack of sustainable revenue.
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| Skyline of Shanghai, China. Photo by author. |
It is impossible to build out a City. What? You say? There is a finite amount of land, but an infinite amount of air space. Go vertical! Let's put an end to inefficient, sprawl development. Let's incentivize urban, mixed-use development. Let's put a higher emphasis on better building bulk-standards and quality site-planning that maximizes existing infrastructure, transit and density. I'm not suggesting Pawtucket try to be Shanghai, but we can start with replacing a few surface parking lots in the downtown with multi-story, mixed use buildings.
The City can increase its revenue by adopting policies to better utilize the downtown, industrial parks and riverfront. Look at the tax revenues of mill buildings that have been redeveloped. A snapshot of before and after tax rolls show an exponential increase in tax revenue after redevelopment. Ironically, Pawtucket's most valuable land (greatest potential) is currently some of the most underutilized land in the entire City. There is a real opportunity to expand the property tax base by better utilizing this land.
Dozens of buildings in the downtown have empty upper floors. There are MILLIONS of square feet of empty buildings within walking distance of a proposed commuter rail station. The riverfront zones slated for development in the City's comp plan are virtually a blank slate waiting for the right investment opportunity.
The Pawtucket Foundation's new strategic plan is based on the policy of growing revenues in the Pawtucket Downtown Growth Center. Each district within the growth center has a distinctive neighborhood character with unique attributes on which to base economic development objectives. Whether it's the river, the arts, tourism or attractive transit, all of these assets are part of a larger vision to rebuild the urban core into an attractive, sustainable quality place.
