A Tiff Over TIFs

Print More
MP3

A Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, district is a complicated financial tool that helps towns invest in their infrastructure and promote economic development. Since the Legislature approved the concept of TIF districts in 1985, only eight have been created, and two of them are in dispute with the state auditor over whether they owe tax revenue to the state. We talk with state Auditor Tom Salmon about how TIFs work, why they are complicated to administer and what changes he recommends to TIF regulations. We’ll also hear from some of the towns and cities that have TIFs about how they’ve worked.

 

Also in the program: spiny softshell turtles. Last October we introduced you to a brood of these turtles that were being cared for at the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center in Burlington. Spiny soft shell turtles are a threatened species in Vermont and this project aims to help give the baby turtles a head start by keeping them warm enough over the winter to grow bigger than their wild counterparts and protect them from predation. Jane Lindholm updates us on the project from the shores of Lake Champlain.

And we read from your messages to the program.

Comments are closed.