When Should Private Money Pay for Public Projects?
With major projects ahead for city facilities, Patch wants to know when you think Hopkins should rely on private organizations to foot the bill.
2017 is looking to be an expensive year for the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Expected projects for that year alone include a $5,000 information desk and kiosk, $138,510 in theater seat and back replacements and $220,000 worth of heating, ventilation and air conditioning units. Such expenses aren’t a foregone conclusion. If the existing equipment exceeds its expected lifespan, Hopkins will be able to delay some of those purchases. Still, the facility has some major costs ahead. Mayor Gene Maxwell suggested there might be a way around that, though. With the projects still five years out, the arts board could raise private donations to fund some of the projects. Individuals or businesses could sponsor a seat, for example. Partnerships with …
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James Warden
3:13 pm on Wednesday, July 25, 2012
The key word is "rely." Some necessary projects wouldn't bring in enough private money to get off the ground. At other times the city might not want to put the burden wholly on private money. Street assessments, for example, are in effect private money paying for public projects. As you know, Hopkins divvies up street repair costs between the nearby homeowners and taxpayers at large. And … more ›