7411-99 Urge General Assembly to Change Enterprise Zone Prog

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KESOLUTIONNO. 7411-99 BY: Corrigan, FitzGerald, George Roth, Seelie, Skindell, Smith A RESOLUTION urging the Ohio General Assembly to thoroughly review the existing Ohio Enterprise Zone Program (the "Program") and change the Program by correcting its harmful effects upon older, mature communities in Ohio, rather than approving a lengthy renewal of the Program in its present form. WHEREAS, the Governor of the State of Ohio has proposed that the Program be renewed in its present form for a period of five (5) years starting June 30, 1999; and WHEREAS, the General Assembly previously authorized a study by Cleveland State University on the merits and effects of the current Program, such study now still being completed in its final form; and '-~ i,~-WHEREAs, this Council believes that the current Program encourages the inapp{0priate use of tax abatement,.by newer, less developed, affluent communities to displace businesses, jobs and residents from Ohio's older, mature communities, thereby inducing continued urban sprawl and ?lacing inequitable burdens on citizens Whose taxes have not been abated. BE IT~RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF LAKEWOOD, STATE OF oHiOi ~, Section I. This Council hereby supports the efforts of State Senator Charles Horn and other legislators to require a thorough, objective review of the current Enterprise Zone Program and correction of its harmful effects, rather than renewal of the current Program for five (5) years, as part of the 6verall 8t~t~d~et'bill. ' ~ · ~- '~'~:.~ Section 2. This Council urges the General Assembly to consider carefully the effects of the current Program, as described in this Resolution, and either modify the Program to restrict its application to only economically distressed areas, as intended in the original 1982 legislation, or to allow the currently authorized Progr.am to expire. 'Section 3. The Clerk of Council is hereby authorized and directed to send a certified copy of this Resolution to Governor Robert Taft, the Ohio Department of Development, all State Senators from Cuyahoga County, and the members of the First Suburbs Consortium. Section 4. It is found and determined that all formal actions of this Council concerning and relating to the passage of this Resolution were adopted in an open meeting of this Council, and that all such deliberations of this Council and of any of its committees that resulted in such formal action were in meetings open to the public in compliance with all legal requirements. Adopted: ~.~ 7 Approved: ~/~ ~[ [~7~ President Mayor