Monday, November 16, 2009

City Council to tap trust fund

On Nov. 16, the Redevelopment Authority and City Council had a joint meeting to discuss the authority's request to tap the trust fund to pay off a $7 million loan.

"It's something we really wish we did not need to do but I think the numbers speak for themselves," said RDA chairman Joseph DiSciullo.

If the city and RDA continued its agreement with the bank, it would be paying about $35,000 monthly or $420,000 annually in interest on the loan, city officials said.

In exchange for council's approval of the request, the RDA plans to replenish the trust fund within five years. The RDA plans to give 95 percent of any future property sale to the trust fund.

This may be the right move for the city but as one resident said, "I think the RDA's borrowing of a loan from the trust fund should have been done a long time ago."

Do you think officials should have acted sooner or waited until January to let the new council members decide?