On the low end of the level playing field
Why is our La Entrada Building A still empty after more than a year?
Well, it isn't because San Angelo stole anything from us to put in their industrial park.
"San Angelo's northeast industrial park - long a lightning rod that has attracted criticism from opponents of the half-cent sales tax, who point to it as an example of wasteful spending - received a ringing vote of no-confidence Thursday from the San Angelo City Council.
The council, in a goal-setting workshop designed to set a vision for the city, questioned the effectiveness of the park and appeared to coalesce around San Angelo Regional Airport as a better site to attract industry.
"I don't want to criticize the industrial park," said District 1 Councilman John David Fields, who owns airport-based Ranger Aviation and has long touted the area as a better-suited spot for industrial development, "But, shoot, if it's not working, let's try something different."
Unfortunately, giving the money back to the taxpayers never seems to be an option. Rather, a sitting city councilman who owns an airport-based business is advocating for tax subsidies to be spent in the same area where said councilman owns a business interest.
Sounds oddly familiar.....
Moving on.....
"On top of the surprising council conversation, Planning Director Shawn Lewis revealed that the city's third-party planning consultants, in a report submitted in the past week, labeled the park - located at the juncture of U.S. Highways 67 and 277 and Loop 306 in Northeast San Angelo - an "outdated failure," even though it's less than 10 years old.
Only two businesses have ever located in the park, dubbed the San Angelo Business and Industrial Center, since its opening in 2002, and one of those enterprises has since closed."
[Snip]
"The discussion came as a surprise, said City of San Angelo Development Corp. second vice president Tommy Hiebert. The COSADC, which administers the city's half-cent sales tax, funded the rest of the park and heard from its engineer Wednesday about the progress of designs for the second phase of the project. [Emphasis sooooooo mine.]"
To review:
- Only two businesses have ever been located in the park and one is now gone.
- The city's own consultant labeled the 10 year-old industrial park an outdated failure.
- Plans are being made for Phase 2 of the development. [But, of course!]
Sure...why wouldn't it be surprising? The suspending of suspended disbelief accompanied by the employment of empirical evidence of a lack of performance is really kind of changing the rules when it comes to the evaluation of economic development programs isn't it?
7 Comments
Hey, buddy, I'll match my shrill against anyone's any day.
Well, we do have them beat in one regard.
Though, we could send them the greatest export we have to offer to the internet community so he can comment on the issue......%%% I'm sure some plans for their development park would spring forth, for the right compensation.
WOW. I looked at the ED Tax spreadsheet and through 2006 San Angelo has collected $33.7 Million, yet they have blown through $34 Million and have about $3.9 Million in the bank!
Their line items shows about $800,000 in grants, $25,000 in fees and $3.3 Million in other revenue. So they aren't deficit spending, though they seem to be making a great return. I wonder what that "other revenue" is.
It looks like the COSADC is on the hook for funding the bonds for the industrial park, because the largest expenditure is about $3.3 Million a year to the City of San Angelo... which looks vaguely like the note payment for Midland's Stadium.
At least it's not just us. I think the main problem is that most humans are apparently stupid, consumed with their own self-interests, or a comination of both.
V: I think that the most likely explanation is that these are good, well meaning people who are just wrong on the issue at hand.
The San Angelo city councilman with the airport business-interests reminds me alot of Mr. Perry with his vast property ownings along Wall Street.
The almost $3 million in taxpayer funded improvements along Wall Street sure benefit him alot. The state paid $800,000 for street improvements and the City spent our money for wide sidewalks, brick turning lanes.... Maybe that's why he keeps saying "he wants to give back to the city that has given him so much...".
Read the comments to the Story on the Paper's site. I thought the commenter's at the Well and the MRT were shrill in regards to Economic Development Folly.