RE: Alturas Technology Park

["Bill Strand" <strand@pacsim.com>]

Hi Greg,

You wrote:

"You say the schools are partially exempted. Does that mean they only
receive a portion of the added tax value from the Alturas businesses?"

This is a question I can't answer with 100% certainty. My memory from
several years ago was that the school district received 80% of the financing
rather than the full 100%. However, 80% of revenue that did't exist 5 years
ago is pretty significant.

I am certain that you understand the nature of tax increment financing, but
I thought I would reiterate it for the sake of those who might have missed
this point. No taxes that existed in 1996 for this tax district were taken
away from the city. It is the increase in tax values within this district
since that time that are split between paying the bond for the
infrastructure and the Moscow School District.

And this doesn't even begin to include the taxes of the people who work and
own homes here in Moscow.

A couple of question for you Greg. First, in your earlier post, you
differentiated between spending my money on the east or west side of Moscow.
I'm not certain why you brought that up. Is there a difference if I buy my
groceries at Safeway or Rosauers?

And as for beautifying this area, it was Gene Thompson who personally took
his flat bed truck over to Vantage to hand pick the basalt columns, brought
them back and helped install them. I often see Gene out here working to help
clean this place up as well as the land he donated to the city along the
Troy highway.

I think we could ALL learn from Gene's level of community involvement. He
DOES while the rest of us sit around and ponder.

Bill Strand