Legislative leaders say TIF bill will likely be approved

The Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee says there is “some uncertainty,” in the closing week of the 2013 Regular Legislative Session, about the bill that would create a tax increment financing district in Monongalia County.

But Harrison County Delegate Tim Miley says he thinks that proposal will get approval from the full Legislature by April 13th.

“At the end of the day, everyone will do the right thing to make things happen in West Virginia,” he said on Friday’s MetroNews Talkline.

Right now, Delegate Miley says he supports the TIF bill, but is doing a balancing act with it.  “I’m having to work with 99 other delegates that I serve with down here who don’t believe it has the importance that Mon County thinks it has.”

There is also some bargaining going on, he says, for other bills, including the magistrate pay raise bill.

The state Senate approved the TIF bill with a 34-0 vote in March.

Senate President Jeff Kessler, whose Senate district includes part of Monongalia County, says he’s backing the proposal.  “I think it’s important to North Central West Virginia, to our region and our state,” he said.

The TIF district would be the final piece of funding needed for a planned $96 million development project at the University Town Center.

In general terms, when a TIF district is created, an amount is locked in for tax collections as usual.  Anything above that amount would go toward subsidizing the new development project.

“There’s a synergy there (in Morgantown) with young people, energetic people, ambitious people, people who are wanting to build, people who want to get educated,” Senate Kessler said.

“You’ve got to feed that kind of activity to let it grow.”

The project will include a new exit for Interstate 79, located between Star City and Westover, along with the development of a $15 million ballpark for West Virginia University and, in the future, a possible minor league baseball team.

If approved, the sales TIF would join a property tax increment financing district that has already been approved in Monongalia County for the development.

Senator Kessler says he likes the bill’s chances.  “We’ll address the issues that are important public policies and I am confident that will be one that will be addressed.”

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Tim Miley agrees.  “I’m confident that cooler heads will prevail and that the project will proceed as planned.”

The 2013 Regular Legislative Session ends on Saturday, April 13th.





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