Councilman Adrian Garcia is trying to get TIRZs (tax increment reinvestment zones) to pay for law enforcement services:
Houston City Councilman Adrian Garcia is working on a plan to get the city’s 22 tax increment reinvestment zones to start paying for law enforcement-related services, which may be a much-needed boost for the short-handed city police department.
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The zones are special districts created to attract investment to an undeveloped area. The zones have been created to rejuvenate development in sections of the city.
In a TIRZ, the property tax paid to the city and other participating governmental agencies is frozen at the amount collected when the zone was created. If the tax base increases through redevelopment or inflation, any additional tax revenue is dedicated to projects within the zone.
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Phasing in his plan began during the city’s budget hearings earlier this month when Garcia submitted an amendment to a Senate bill that was passed in mid-May.
The bill allows the city to recoup the cost of municipal services rendered to these zones, and Garcia’s amendment calls for the city to recover police-related expenses from the TIRZs in Houston.
When Orlando Sanchez filled in for Edd Hendee (KSEV-700) recently, he discussed TIRZs and how the entities don’t pay for increases in municipal services. Councilman Garcia’s plan is a good step to see if any of these TIRZs can afford to pay for the services they use.
