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BREAKING NEWS: WPB Mayor vetoes $114 million payout to developer

MAYOR EXPLAINS BELOW IN HER OWN WORDS WHY SHE DID IT

Vetoed! West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio has killed a $114 million dollar taxpayer payout to a local developer.

In her first veto as mayor, Muoio killed a plan to give away almost 30 years worth of public tax dollars to one developer trying to build a project downtown. The $114 million dollar deal was passed by the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board on Monday by a vote of 3-2. Commissioners Paula Ryan, Shanon Materio and Keith James voted to give away the money. Commissioners Cory Neering and Sylvia Moffett voted against. (The Mayor doesn't get to vote).

The Developer, Michael Masanoff, said he needed the money in order to build the Transit Oriented Development (TOD), a project near the downtown TriRail station.

Supporters of the deal argued Monday the benefits generated by the creation of a new TOD far outweigh the cost to taxpayers. They also argued the $114 million dollars (which is the amount of property tax revenue expected to be created by the project over almost 30 years) is money the city would never see in the first place unless the project is built.

Mayor Muoio, in a public letter to residents released Thursday, fired back calling the deal irresponsible and dangerous. She wrote no incentive package, not even the deal given CityPlace, has ever approached $114 million dollars.

"My decision to veto the funding is not easy. A transit-oriented development supports many of my administration’s goals. Alternative modes of transportation, walkability and reducing carbon emissions are all priorities close to my heart. I support the project. But I do not believe we should give away $114 million dollars of the public’s money to get it," wrote Mayor Muoio.

She also revealed since Monday's vote, her office has received calls from other developers angry over what they perceive as preferential treatment.

READ THE ENTIRE LETTER BY WEST PALM BEACH MAYOR JERI MUOIO BELOW:

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Why I Vetoed $114 Million in Public Money For The Transit Village

An Open Letter to Our Residents

Yesterday, for the first time as Mayor of the City of West Palm Beach I exercised my authority to veto a vote by our city commissioners.

The commissioners, serving as members of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board, voted Monday to give away $114 million dollars in future tax revenue to a private developer.

The developer, Michael Masanoff, wants to build a mixture of residential, office and hotel space in an area just north of the downtown TriRail station. His project is commonly known as the Transit Oriented Development (TOD). Monday Mr. Masanoff asked the CRA to give him $114 million dollars in return for building his project.

The deal gives Mr. Masanoff one hundred percent of tax revenue created by the project for twenty-nine years. We would receive no property taxes created by the project until approximately 2045.

The vote to give away the tax dollars was 3-2. Commissioners Paula Ryan, Shanon Materio, and Keith James voted in favor of the payment. Commissioners Cory Neering and Sylvia Moffett voted against it. As the Chairperson of the Board, I do not vote. The Board’s approval came over the strong objections of the city’s Finance Director, City Administrator, and CRA Executive Director. All three testified the project does not warrant such a level of funding.

Even in our city’s darkest economic times, we have never given away one hundred percent of our tax revenues to a developer. CityPlace, built at a time when no developer would consider construction in or around the acres of blight that afflicted our downtown, only received eighty percent of the tax revenues as an incentive. Surely today, with billions of dollars in new development in the pipeline, we do not need to use $114 million dollars of public money to convince a developer to build in our city.

I have heard the argument that this is essentially “found” money only generated because of the project. Supporters claim there would not be $114 million dollars if it were not for the project. Do we really believe the only way for a project to succeed in today’s economy is to receive a $114 million dollar government handout? Michael Busha, the Executive Director of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, even while testifying in favor of the TOD, admitted that he had never heard of this level of public support being offered for a private sector project.

The precedent set by this level of public subsidy is irresponsible and dangerous. And with all due respect to my colleagues on the dais who claim this deal sets no precedent, they are not fielding the calls to my office from other developers outraged at the preferential treatment.

No incentive package for a developer has ever approached anything close to $114 million dollars. Even the multi-use project planned for our old city hall site, for example, is receiving less than $3 million dollars in public incentives.

My decision to veto the funding is not easy. A transit-oriented development supports many of my administration’s goals. Alternative modes of transportation, walkability and reducing carbon emissions are all priorities close to my heart. I support the project. But I do not believe we should give away $114 million dollars of the public’s money to get it.

I applaud Commissioners Cory Neering and Sylvia Moffett for seeing the error of granting such a deal, and I hope their colleagues on the CRA Board have a change of heart should this issue return for additional consideration.

JERI MUOIO

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