UPMC Tax Break

I see that the P-G has the story.

As does the Burgh Report.

Of course The Remarkable Rauterkus is in the story as well.

For those who don't know here it is in a nutshell:

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today asked City Council to grant UPMC tax credits in the amount of money it donates to the Pittsburgh Promise, a program to give college grants to city high school students who meet minimum grade requirements.

A sources close to city-council tells me that several council members were surprised to see legislation as they'd thought that the year's business had been finished. Imagine their colletive surprise when suddenly this is dropped in to their collective laps. They tell me that the administration (that would be Mayor Opie and friends) want to "fast track it" before the new year, when the new council members are sworn in.

For your perusal, here's the legislation:

Resolution authorizing the City of Pittsburgh (City”) to enter into an Agreement or Agreements with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (“UPMC”) to grant to UPMC tax credits equal to certain payments made by UPMC or its affiliates to the Pittsburgh Promise Foundation, if by legislation or Court decision, UPMC or its affiliates are made subject to the imposition of taxes by the City.

WHEREAS, UPMC has entered into a Grant Agreement with the Pittsburgh Foundation under which UPMC will make gifts to the Pittsburgh Promise Foundation for the purpose of providing scholarships to residents of the School District of Pittsburgh as they are graduated from the public schools of the School District; (“UPMC”)and

WHEREAS, the City recognizes and acknowledges the charitable status of UPMC and its affiliates; and

WHEREAS, the City, UPMC and its affiliates recognize that in the future legislation or Court decisions could mandate or permit the imposition by the City of a tax or municipal service fee or payment in lieu of taxes..

Be it resolved by the Council of the City of Pittsburgh as follows:

1 The Mayor and appropriate officials of the City are hereby authorized to enter into an Agreement of Agreements with UPMC, in form and substance, subject to approval of the City Solicitor, to grant tax credits to UPMC or its affiliates in the event that legislation enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or final Court decisions mandated or authorized the City to impose any tax or municipal service fee or payment in lieu of taxes on UPMC or its affiliates, such credits to be equal to certain payments which may be made by UPMC to the Pittsburgh Promise Foundation, as may be more fully set forth in such Agreement or Agreements.

2 Any ordinance of resolution inconsistent with this resolution, in whole or in part, is hereby repealed.

I've also been informed that if 25 valid signatures can be delivered on a petition to City Council tomorrow before the meeting tomorrow at 10am, a public hearing can be scheduled for the legislation.

A petition that looks like this:

We, the undersigned below, petition the Council of the City, in accordance with Section 320 of the Home Rule Charter, for a public hearing on legislation introduced in Council on December 17, 2007 that would allow."

The Mayor and appropriate officials of the City are hereby authorized to enter into an Agreement of Agreements with UPMC, in form and substance, subject to approval of the City Solicitor, to grant tax credits to UPMC or its affiliates in the event that legislation enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or final Court decisions mandated or authorized the City to impose any tax or municipal service fee or payment in lieu of taxes on UPMC or its affiliates, such credits to be equal to certain payments which may be made by UPMC to the Pittsburgh Promise Foundation, as may be more fully set forth in such Agreement or Agreements.

I understand that in order to make a valid signature on this petition that I am a resident of the City of Pittsburgh and that I am a registered voter in the city of Pittsburgh .

Name Address

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

Just cut and paste, sign and send it to Mark Rauterkus. Or maybe he has a cleaner copy.