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Citizen Asks Prosecutor to File Charges in Harrison Square Project

By Jeff Neumeyer
June 18, 2010 Updated Jul 11, 2007 at 7:04 PM EST

Fort Wayne City Attorney Tim Manges believes city officials did nothing wrong in buying land that would be used for the Harrison Square downtown development.

But that land acquisition has become an issue again, now that a local citizen has formally requested the Allen County Prosecutor to file charges against various city employees over how land was purchased for the project.

The main argument from local citizen John Kalb is that city personnel jumped the gun in spending Jefferson Pointe tax revenues on the purchase of at least five pieces of property where the Harrison Square baseball stadium, a hotel and other components are proposed to be built.

Kalb filed a formal complaint with Prosecutor Karen Richards, claiming that Class “C” felony crimes may have been committed.

In May, the city redevelopment commission expanded a special taxing or TIF district downtown, to permit use of tax monies from Jefferson Pointe stores to buy the Harrison Square land.

Kalb says city personnel cut checks in January for the land, and that violated the law.

But Mayor Richard's administration contends Kalb doesn't understand the point of the law.

Tim Manges/City Attorney: "The statute specifically allows TIF funds to be used to purchase many things, including property outside of that TIF area, if the new purchase serves the benefit of the existing TIF area."

Manges says the land purchases clearly serve the benefit of the Jefferson Pointe taxing district and the rest of the community by helping along the Harrison Square project.

The prosecutor's office says it received a letter Monday from a citizen and that the letter is being reviewed.



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