In accordance with state laws, the transit agency in Houston will have to pay property taxes on land it purchased for transit-oriented developments. Because the land will be developed privately, the law says it is not a public use and is not exempt.
"Todd Mason, Metro vice president of real estate services, responded that the project's benefits in increased transit ridership and eventual tax revenue would outweigh costs in taxes or lost interest stemming from the purchase. And if the project falls through, he said, Metro will probably be able to sell the land at a profit."
"Like other governmental bodies, Metro doesn't pay taxes on property it uses for public purposes."
"But land held for private use is taxable, even if Metro owns it temporarily, said County Tax Assessor-Collector Paul Bettencourt and County Appraisal District Chief Appraiser Jim Robinson."
"'The law is very specific that a political subdivision has to hold property for a public purpose (to qualify for the exemption), and I'm not convinced that what they want to do is a public purpose,' Robinson said."
Read the full story: Metro can't hold proxy tract tax-free, officials say
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
Colorado’s Largest Data Center Could Rise Next to Homes — Without a Public Hearing
The proposed campus would consume 11 times the power of Denver International Airport; as it has across the country, opposition mounts.
Nation's most wind-powered state turns to coal as data centers increase energy demand
For the first time in decades, Iowa has increased its generation of coal power.
NYC cools commuters with city's first rain garden above a bus stop
New York City officials say the plants in the rain garden can absorb 16 gallons of rainwater during heavy storms.
Brightline West’s future may rely on $6 billion federal loan
The company has until Nov. 2 to make a $400 million equity investment into its proposed high-speed rail line.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association