Kapszukiewicz testifies today on land bank reform
This release came in yesterday from the office of Lucas County Treasurer Wade Kapszukiewicz:
Lucas County Treasurer to Testify On Behalf of Land Bank Reform
Lucas County Treasurer Wade Kapszukiewicz will testify Wednesday before the Ohio House of Representatives in Columbus on behalf of the land reutilization reform movement, commonly known as county land banks.
Treasurer Kapszukiewicz has been working with Representative Peter Ujvagi and Senator Mark Wagner for legislation to allow Lucas and other Ohio counties to establish land banks as a tool to protect neighborhoods from the blighting effect of vacant and abandoned properties.
“Local officials need to look for creative ways to address the problems created by vacant and abandoned properties in urban areas,” said Kapszukiewicz. “A land bank program will allow communities to be able to take control of their own destinies instead of being held hostage by out-of-town land speculators or Wall Street banks.”
The passage of this legislation will give the counties the tools to do their job – tools necessary to collect taxes in a better way, to bring a focused approach to land use and economic development, and to stabilize and protect our neighborhoods.
The proposed legislation was modeled after the successful Genesee County, Michigan program. The program created by Dan Kildee, who as Genesee County (Michigan) Treasurer, pioneered the use of land banking to promote urban revitalization in his native Flint, Michigan.
Momentum for land bank reform has grown in recent months, as several major cities across the country have adopted the policy as a mechanism to fight the rising tide of home foreclosures and the urban decay accelerated by the national housing crisis.
In December, the state of Ohio extended land banking authority to Cuyahoga County, which is currently the only political subdivision in Ohio with the ability to enact the reform. If adopted, the legislation will allow Lucas and all counties with a population greater than 100,000 the option of organizing a CLRC, or County Land Bank.
I don’t know if I would want to use Cuyahoga County as an example of enacting reform. I think quite a few of the elected and appointed officials of that county are under indictment or investigation by the federal authorities.
November 4th, 2009 at 4:38 pmNot related to Land Banking. It’s also why Issue 6 passed yesterday.
Which is something to watch as well.
November 4th, 2009 at 4:44 pm