Residents criticize Aldermen’s rejection of TIF project, warn of lost tax revenue

Three Germantown residents pressed the Board of Mayor and Aldermen on March 23 over its recent decision not to approve a TIF-related development standard, warning the move could stall development and shrink future tax revenue.

Scott Ballentine told the board he feared the developer could "pull out" if the project stalls and that a vacant lot could become "a blot on the city," potentially increasing residential property taxes if the commercial tax base did not materialize. Rocky Yanda said the project had spent years in local review and that citizen advisory boards, including the Industrial Development Board and the planning commission, had recommended approval. "How can a project go through 4 years of reviews and approvals … and not be approved by the aldermen?" Yanda asked, adding that the stalled timeline could push the project’s completion to "possibly seven years" from now.

Richard Towne echoed the criticism, saying the city "lost a great opportunity" and urging the board to either better understand TIF economics or avoid wasting local staff and EDC time. Speakers repeatedly framed their comments in fiscal terms, noting an estimated loss in shared state sales tax tied to population shifts and suggesting the project could have added to the city’s tax base.

The comments were part of the Citizens to be Heard segment (item 6). Board members did not take immediate action in response to the public remarks during the meeting; the board proceeded to scheduled agenda items including recognitions, permit reviews and multiple resolutions.

The speakers did not provide a formal motion or legal claim; they urged reconsideration of development policy and underscored potential long-term fiscal consequences if projects approved by advisory bodies are later denied by the board.

Next steps: No follow‑up vote or formal direction to staff appears in the meeting record; concerns were registered in the public record during Citizens to be Heard.