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Giving developers a break on impact fees may or may not spur development in DeKalb…and members of the City Council want to see whether or not doing so has helped other towns, before deciding whether or not to take that step. During Monday night’s Committee of the Whole session, city staff outlined some of the potential benefits of lowering impact fees; they note that this would be just the beginning, as they put together a package of changes which could be of interest to developers.
Economic developer Jason Michnick suggests that the city grant a two-year waiver of water and transportation fees, and also give new homeowners a $1-thousand sales tax rebate for the purchase of household items.
Mayor John Rey says there’s much for the Council to consider, so they want firm data on what benefits or problems other cities have had with such incentives.
During the regular meeting, the Council debated the make-up of its Economic Development Commission; there was much discussion of how many local residents should serve, and how many – if any – from outside DeKalb.
They eventually settled on five local members, and two from out of town who have local business interests.
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18 Comments
Not true
Homes for who? People are leaving in droves! Let’s sell and occupy the vacant properties that exist.
IMO, either a town grows or it dies…. people don’t move into a town to ‘fix it up’.
There dieing
how bout using all these empty spaces first.DeKalb is going to shits nothing in town to do.stores u got to go to rockford etc.AND How many more freakin banks we need GEEZ!!!
I think they’re trying to get people to build on those empty home lots we have so many of. DeKalb is not recovering as fast as many places are. We’ve had almost no permits pulled in several years now…
DeKalb County Online Ya right
why more houses being built we need places to work at.and they can buy all the houses that r for sale here.pretty soon its gonna be a Ghost Town .many r moving
Totally agree that we need more places to work. However new businesses rarely move into a town that’s getting smaller instead of bigger….
DeKalb County Online exactly
DeKalb County Online lower your taxes might help
Yes taxes need to be lowered but that can’t happen without growth in new construction EAV. Why? Because $110 million in debt bonds were sold to construct the new DeKalb high school and a grade school in Cortland. The debt repayment schedule was predicated on DeKalb getting $60 million in new construction every year of the debt term. Without an increase in new construction EAV taxes are going to rise exponentially. Since DeKalb is tying their pension obligations to your property tax bill there is even more pressure to get new construction going.
Mac McIntyre didn’t need the school
but we have them and the debt moving forward.
Tax payers will pay for it. Dekalb sucks
If homes are built… taxes are split up between more people…
DeKalb County Online not true
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Truth hurts Dekalb