All reports by date

Local government officials are determined to force development to happen when it can’t stand on its own, creating oversupply that hurts existing businesses. Or the private sector happily rakes in all the new incentive cash to do something it would have done anyway.

IFP Backgrounder (2-pg PDF)
Some strange things are happening in Iowa this year:

Residents of Davenport are paying higher county taxes so that the residents of LeClaire can have a new library, and upgrade their sewer system without having to Read more

“TIF practices of some cities in Polk County demonstrate the need for reforms to refocus TIF on its core purposes, to redevelop blighted areas and promote economic development.” — Peter Fisher, Iowa Fiscal Partnership.

New Report Recommends Statewide Reforms to Stop Abuses
Full report plus executive summary (15-pg PDF) November 21, 2011Executive summary (2-pg PDF)Appendix (Maps by community) (9-pg PDF)News release below (2-pg PDF) 
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Poorly understood, hotly debated and often Read more