Wary of tax increases, weary of layoffs and determined to avoid bankruptcy, Providence Mayor Angel Taveras had only to gaze up at his city's Ivy League campus to see a way out of the morass.
On College Hill sits Brown University, with a $2.5 billion endowment and property worth an estimated $1 billion. Brown would pay the city $38 million in property taxes each year - more than enough to solve the city's budget problems- if only it wasn't tax exempt.
And so city officials and state lawmakers applied some pressure, and last week Brown agreed to contribute $31.5 million to Providence over the next 11 years. The money comes on top of nearly $4 million the university already voluntarily gives the city every year
.
The town-vs.-gown confrontation reflects a trend across the nation as cities desperate for revenue try to get more money out of tax-exempt institutions such as universities and hospitals.
David Thompson, vice president of public policy at the National Council of Nonprofits, wryly calls such agreements "mandatory volunteerism."
"It's 'We need money, you have money, and we're going to pressure you to do this unless you give us a voluntary payment,'" he said.
Baltimore officials, for example, threatened to tax hospital and university dorm beds before Johns Hopkins University and other tax-exempt institutions agreed to make contributions.
The use of payment-in-lieu-of-tax deals is on the rise. Such agreements have been carried out in at least 18 states since 2000, mostly in the Northeast, according to a study by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
City leaders say it is a matter of fairness to taxpayers. As universities and other tax-exempt organizations expand, they consume more city services while taking property off the tax rolls.
Syracuse, N.Y., Councilman Patrick Hogan said hospitals in his city have recently embarked on big expansions, as have Syracuse University and another college.
"They've gobbled up property that used to be taxable," he said. "That just moves the burden of paying for fire protection, police, garbage collection and everything else onto the remaining taxpayers. I'm just saying it's time for them to kick in a little more to support these services."
Hogan said the city may have to tax commuters if the nonprofits don't agree to pay more.
Cities have found other ways of generating money from tax-exempt organizations. Chicago, for instance, recently announced it would begin charging nonprofits a water fee.
Religious organizations and small charities are also tax-exempt, but there is little talk of targeting them for contributions. Going after churches is a political non-starter, and nonprofit community organizations don't have much money to offer.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/07/4471985/cities-seek-more-money-from-tax.html
LOL
And I am sure the universities will get it all back with increased tuition fees from the students.
On College Hill sits Brown University, with a $2.5 billion endowment and property worth an estimated $1 billion. Brown would pay the city $38 million in property taxes each year - more than enough to solve the city's budget problems- if only it wasn't tax exempt.
And so city officials and state lawmakers applied some pressure, and last week Brown agreed to contribute $31.5 million to Providence over the next 11 years. The money comes on top of nearly $4 million the university already voluntarily gives the city every year
.
The town-vs.-gown confrontation reflects a trend across the nation as cities desperate for revenue try to get more money out of tax-exempt institutions such as universities and hospitals.
David Thompson, vice president of public policy at the National Council of Nonprofits, wryly calls such agreements "mandatory volunteerism."
"It's 'We need money, you have money, and we're going to pressure you to do this unless you give us a voluntary payment,'" he said.
Baltimore officials, for example, threatened to tax hospital and university dorm beds before Johns Hopkins University and other tax-exempt institutions agreed to make contributions.
The use of payment-in-lieu-of-tax deals is on the rise. Such agreements have been carried out in at least 18 states since 2000, mostly in the Northeast, according to a study by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
City leaders say it is a matter of fairness to taxpayers. As universities and other tax-exempt organizations expand, they consume more city services while taking property off the tax rolls.
Syracuse, N.Y., Councilman Patrick Hogan said hospitals in his city have recently embarked on big expansions, as have Syracuse University and another college.
"They've gobbled up property that used to be taxable," he said. "That just moves the burden of paying for fire protection, police, garbage collection and everything else onto the remaining taxpayers. I'm just saying it's time for them to kick in a little more to support these services."
Hogan said the city may have to tax commuters if the nonprofits don't agree to pay more.
Cities have found other ways of generating money from tax-exempt organizations. Chicago, for instance, recently announced it would begin charging nonprofits a water fee.
Religious organizations and small charities are also tax-exempt, but there is little talk of targeting them for contributions. Going after churches is a political non-starter, and nonprofit community organizations don't have much money to offer.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/07/4471985/cities-seek-more-money-from-tax.html
LOL
And I am sure the universities will get it all back with increased tuition fees from the students.