id is known as the increment- the difference between taxes paid after appreciation in relation to the base property tax. This newly acquired property tax revenue is used to improve the infrastructure and pay off existing bonds. City improvements are probably the greatest achievement of the TIF program. In Columbus, Ohio the “TIF provides a tool to redevelop a long-neglected inner-city site (Ball 1999).” The site would call for a revamped on and off ramp on I-71. After completion there should be a marked decrease in “traffic congestion in the area (Ball 1999).” . Councilmen in Kansas City believe that “street upgrades are critical because they would provide a gateway to the proposed Town of Kansas Archeological Park (Davis 1999).” Roads are not the only benefactors of these programs. Overall aesthetics within the TIFs are also improved. With the increase in property taxes, better looking housing replaces existing rundown buildings. Carl Anderson, a resident of Chicago, states that “Property values are going up, and it’s starting to look nice. I can remember when we first moved in 12 years ago and my car was in the back and someone burned it (Podmolik 2000).” A long with improved safety people are finding increased street lighting, shrubbery, and green grass. Utilities like buried electric power lines, increased police force, and increased fire support are all faucets of TIFs. An example of how TIFs work to help rebuild a city is as follows:In Melbourne, Florida a once flourishing downtown retail district was in shambles. In 1962, a developer by the name of Simon Debartolo built a mall on Babcock Street that started the downward shift. As shopping trends shifted away from downtown, the downtown retail district slowly lost tenants, faced vacancies and experienced declining property values and rents. The downtown area was soon considered blighted. Property owners t...
