Evans Whitaker, Anderson University

(The TATT Governance Committee is still securing additional new board member commitments that will be announced at a later time)  

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What is the economic impact of development patterns on county and municipal budgets? How do location and building type affect cost of services such as sewer, water and utilities, not to mention property tax revenue production?

Across the country municipalities and counties are facing budget shortfalls and even bankruptcy. According to Joseph Minicozzi, AICP, if local governments better understood the impact of land use decisions on budget bottom lines, they may approach those decisions differently. 

At the second event in the 2015 Shaping Our Future speaker series, Mr. Minicozzi will provide a basic overview of how property tax policy impacts county and municipal budgets and basic lessons in the cost to serve varying development types. He will demonstrate how the design of cities impacts both counties and their incorporated municipalities and how more compact development patterns generally make better economic sense in the long run. Finally, he will share land-use policy ideas and incentive programs that have been used by other localities to encourage economically sustainable development.

The event will also include presentations from Upstate governments who have experienced the positive impacts of investing in their downtown core areas - and the dangers of growing without asking whether that growth will pay for itself in the long run - as well as a representative from the National Association of Homebuilders to report on market trends as evidenced by their recent national consumer preference poll, with a focus on what millennials are looking for in their first home purchase.  

The event will be held from 3:00-5:00 p.m. on May 19th at the Crowne Plaza in Greenville with a networking reception to follow. Cost to attend is $10 and advance registration is required. The event is being co-sponsored by the Greater Greenville Association of Realtors and the Greenville Homebuilders Association.

The Shaping Our Future Speaker Series is a regional collaboration between Ten at the Top, Upstate Forever, the Riley Institute at Furman University, the Greater Greenville Association of Realtors, and the Upstate SC Alliance. The goal of the series is to inspire dialogue regarding the connections between land use decisions, transportation options, housing choices and quality of life.