September 25, 2007. Herald-Tribune.
In the not too distant future, the community will look back on Sept. 24, 2007, as the day when the doors of opportunity swung open for Newtown.
That is our hope, in any case.
At a joint Sarasota city and county commission meeting Monday, agreements were signed that will create a new funding source for economically deprived Newtown. Some of the money will help turn decrepit public housing into mixed-income development; some will aid projects that spark jobs and better living conditions in the beleaguered north Sarasota district.
To accomplish this, the commissions enlarged the boundaries of a longstanding, downtown tax-increment finance district. Under the change, property-tax dollars once reserved for the downtown can now be spent in Newtown as well.
Creating this opportunity took many years of persistence. At Monday’s meeting, past and current commissioners were lauded for their leadership.
Their contributions were important, but in many respects, the funding for Newtown was citizen initiated. Such groups as Sarasota United for Responsibility and Equity pushed the issue into the spotlight, making it impossible for elected officials to ignore.
Monday was a day for celebration, but care must be taken to ensure that TIF expenditures are fairly prioritized. Newtown needs significant investment, yet the downtown still needs major funding for strategic transportation and parking facilities.
If properly managed, the TIF-funded improvements will benefit everyone — the downtown, Newtown, and city and county taxpayers.
