City of North Bend release - Local leaders from across Coos County gathered Monday at Southwestern Oregon Community College to learn how urban renewal can be used as a powerful tool to improve their communities—without raising new taxes.  The training, led by Elaine Howard of Elaine Howard Consulting, LLC, provided a comprehensive overview of how Oregon cities and counties use urban renewal and tax increment financing to revitalize neighborhoods, address blight, and fund infrastructure and economic development projects. The event was made possible by a generous grant from The Ford Family Foundation.  Urban renewal is not a new tax. Instead, it allows cities and counties to reinvest future increases in property tax revenue within a specific area, known as an Urban Renewal District, to fund improvements such as street upgrades, building rehabilitations, parks, signage, and utilities. The concept is often misunderstood, but the goal is simple: provide a local funding source for redevelopment projects that may not otherwise be financially feasible.  “This training gave all of us a better understanding of what urban renewal is and how we can use it responsibly and effectively in our communities,” said North Bend Mayor Jessica Engelke, who also serves as a commissioner on the governing bodies of the North Bend and Coos County urban renewal agencies. “It’s about keeping tax dollars local and reinvesting them in infrastructure projects instead of sending them to Salem. For example, with school taxes, the state uses a per-student funding formula to backfill revenues—urban renewal ensures that growth-related dollars stay in the community where they’re generated.”  Representatives attending the training included officials from the cities of Bandon, Coos Bay, Coquille, and North Bend, as well as Coos County Board of Commissioners, which all operate Urban Renewal Agencies. Each of these jurisdictions has at least one active Urban Renewal District. Participants also included South Coast Development Council staff, and elected and appointed representatives from the Bandon, Coos Bay, Coquille, and North Bend school districts.  Elaine Howard’s presentation covered the legal framework for creating and managing Urban Renewal Districts in Oregon, the financial mechanics behind tax increment financing, and the process of adopting or amending urban renewal plans. She also highlighted successful projects from around the state that demonstrated how urban renewal funding has improved storefronts, streetscapes, and public spaces in small towns and larger cities alike.  According to Howard, urban renewal can only be used in areas that meet the state’s legal definition of “blight,” which includes underutilized land, deteriorating buildings, or inadequate infrastructure. Once a district is formed, future growth in property tax revenue within the district can be reinvested locally over time, up to a pre-approved limit.  The session also addressed common concerns about the impact on other taxing districts. While urban renewal temporarily redirects a portion of new tax revenue, the base level of funding remains intact, and the long-term improvements often generate increased property values that benefit all taxing entities.  Engelke emphasized the importance of public understanding: “Urban renewal can sound complicated, but it’s really about using a portion of future tax growth to build stronger, safer, and more vibrant communities.”  The full video of the training session is now available to the public at https://youtu.be/5Jj9fyt_vhg, and local leaders are encouraging residents, business owners, and appointed and elected officials to watch and learn more about how urban renewal can support economic growth and community revitalization across Coos County.  More information on North Bend's urban renewal are and tax-increment financing is available at https://www.northbendoregon.us/ura