The Snake Oil of Business Tax Incentives
From Governing: Every politician wants to appear to be creating jobs. The problem is that in America today most elected officials think that the way to do this is through the use of tax incentives....
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Memphis Myths: The Wheel Tax
Well, it was bound to surface sooner or later. Anytime there’s a debate about new taxes or increasing the sales tax, the Shelby County wheel tax is almost certain to make an appearance. As usual,...
View ArticleJimmie Covington: County Vote Could Cut City Sales Taxes in Half
If Memphis city officials are successful in getting a half-cent local sales tax increase approved by city voters on Nov. 21, the projected $47 million in new revenue from the tax could be cut in half...
View ArticleSetting the Record Straight on County Wheel Tax
The facts have been presented before on this website and it’s probably foolhardy for me to try to convince people in Memphis and Shelby County that much of what they believe about the county’s wheel...
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Nothing More Taxing Than Complex Public Financing
Nothing is quite as confusing as government financing, and that’s never been truer than now. There seems to be big numbers everywhere, and judging from public debate and comments on The Commercial...
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Shelby County Zones Out on School Funding Priorities
When it comes to the Tourism Development Zone, it seems that the Shelby County Board of Commissioners is on the verge of gagging on a gnat while swallowing a camel. But when you mix in the opportunity...
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Double Taxation Gives Non-Memphis Taxpayers the EDGE
Here we go again. Some members of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners are again talking about holding up Memphis Mayor A C Wharton’s nominations to the board of EDGE (Economic Development Growth...
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EDGE Review Needs To Resist Business As Usual
It’s hard to get too excited about the announcement that Memphis and Shelby County Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE) is undertaking a “top-to-bottom review” of our local payment-in-lieu-of-tax...
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Public Want More Neighborhood Services, Willing to Consider Changes to Police...
Memphians are supportive of changes in police and fire services, but they want more funding for libraries, community centers, and parks. Those were two of the major conclusions from the public polling...
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Cities Consider Commuter Taxes to Drive Up Revenue — 165,679 Commute to...
Note: According to Governing’s data, 42.3% of the Memphis workforce are nonresidents – or 165,679 workers. 43,603 are reverse commuters. From Governing: Taxes on commuters (and reverse commuters)...
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Data Points: House Values and City Budgets
As we’ve written before, City of Memphis government doesn’t so much have a management problem as it has a math problem. That’s why this recent headline in The Commercial Appeal was one of the most...
View ArticleDowntown Columbus Tax Breaks Raise Questions
From Columbus Dispatch: The city of Columbus bypassed $8.3 million in property taxes in 2013 as part of a 12-year-old effort to increase the number of people living Downtown. The neighborhood has...
View ArticleD.C. Looks at Better Taxation and a Commuter Tax
Two interesting ideas from Washington, D.C. – a Tax Revision Commission and a commuter tax. From Governing: Is it Time to Put a New Commuter Tax in Drive? D.C.’s Tax Revision Commission has suggested...
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Assessed Value of Property Falls for Second Year in a Row
By Jimmie Covington The assessed value of property for tax purposes in Memphis and Shelby County has dropped overall for the second year in a row, according to certified tax roll figures released...
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Memphis Tax Burden Less Than DeSoto County, $1 Day More Than Germantown
There’s yet another study – this one by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities – that concludes that differences in state taxes “have little to no effect on whether and where people move.” The...
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City Budgeting As Contact Sport
There is no drama in local government that rivals the drama of a tough budget year, but this year is the Towering Inferno of city budgeting. City of Memphis budget hearings have been...
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Facts on Firing Line in Labor Firefights
Despite protests to the contrary, the Memphis firefighters union’s statement connecting tax freezes and city budgets (in its case, pension funding) was not an illogical connection to...
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Climbing Public Safety Budgets Contributed To Today’s Crisis
There is a developing theme on social media that demonstrates just how badly Memphis police officers have shot themselves in the foot with their sick-out. It’s this oft-read...
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Getting Off Auto-PILOT and Finding the Facts on Tax Freezes
We are awash in opinions, spin, arguments and counter arguments, and justifications regarding the PILOT program and its $75-85 million in tax abatements, but we are marooned when it comes...
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Referendum Taxes City Council for Better Options for New Money
There is logic in resolving the City of Memphis crises involving employee benefits from within the expenditures for personnel, and that’s one of the reasons why using a sales tax...
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