Purchase of Development Rights (PDR), Who Benefits

Dissent

8/9/09

This dissent is regarding Grand Rapids Press Article of 7/22/2009 by Rick Wilson: Despite Budget Crunch, Kent County officials near agreement on farmland preservation.

I am writing this article as a former County Commissioner and Supporter of Purchase of Development Rights but not for Kent County to fund Purchase of Development Rights (PDR). I think that expanding the grant program will continue to be an effective tool. It is a fact that the cities in this county contribute approximately 70% of general fund revenue through property taxes, as people that live in the city of Grand Rapids I want to know how this program is going to benefit city dwellers. Some of the wealthiest farmers in the Area will be subsidized to not develop their land under these conditions. This program will create an urban growth boundary. As a tax paying citizen I can understand planned growth and the need to take waste and speculation out of the axiom, however, the question becomes who is kept out and how does this affect the city that I live in. Even with the public helping to pay for this we will not have access to hunting, fishing and sight seeing on these properties. This growth boundary takes away from cities and limits creative activity for city dwellers to have places to go for small “get a ways.” Some cities are a hot bed for criminal activity and some communities are disproportionately represented in the crime statistics and jails and prisons. What does this program do to help deal with the disproportionate factors of criminal activity that comes from a community is a powder keg because of lack of jobs and places to go and things to do. The proper use of land is a powerful tool in the development of infrastructure in our communities; planned development is the way to go. But by defacto certain groups are left out of the planning process. We in the city of Grand Rapids have been trying to build a youth center, through the Concerned Citizens’ Council, for the past 10 years, various people and representatives have approached Kent County Government for financial support to help in this venture and as county tax payers we have been turned down flatly. The preservation and education of our children is our major growth industry. We don’t need to continue to send out youth to jail and prison in a disproportionate manner in this county.

W. Paul Mayhue
Former Kent County Commissioner
16th District