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| Is The Genesee County Land Bank Flint's Worst Slum Lord? |
| Yes, they have bitten off more than they can chew |
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17% |
[ 6 ] |
| No, they are just trying to take over all the property in Flint. |
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26% |
[ 9 ] |
| RECALL DAN KILDEE - Lets Clean Flint Up. |
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55% |
[ 19 ] |
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| Total Votes : 34 |
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Adam
F L I N T O I D
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Genesee County treasurer's race could be referendum on Land Bank
GENESEE COUNTY -- The race for county treasurer on Nov. 2 could be shaping up as a referendum on the county Land Bank, a public agency that has grown so big, so fast that both candidates say they want it to shed more of the property it's amassed and one wouldn't mind putting it out of business entirely.
Republican Judy Zabick, 51, who is pushing the issue in forums and talks with voters, called the Land Bank the area's "biggest slumlord" and said she would prefer the county opt-out of taking over tax-foreclosed property altogether.
Deborah Cherry
If Zabik strikes a nerve on the foreclosure issue with enough voters, she would be the first Republican elected to the post in some 80 years, but it won't be easy against Democrat Deborah Cherry, a proven vote-getter as recently as the party primary in August.
Cherry said her opponent goes too far when she talks about eliminating the Land Bank, but agreed that the organization has "to do more to turn property over quicker because it has way too much."
The Land Bank owns about 7,000 properties, including about 10 percent of all parcels in the city Flint, and that number has been on the rise as owners increasingly walk away from vacant lots and deteriorating houses.
The election to fill out the term of former treasurer Dan Kildee is the only countywide contest on the ballot Nov. 2, and Zabik called the future of the Land Bank "the greatest difference between me and my opponent."
Judy Zabik
In counties without a local land bank, the county treasurer or the state of Michigan takes over ownership and maintenance of foreclosed properties. Here, the county treasurer serves automatically as chair of the Land Bank board of directors and the two offices work hand-in-hand during the tax foreclosure process.
"It has become something it was never intended to be," Zabik said of the Land Bank. "It owns more properties than it can maintain."
The criticism isn't the first of the Land Bank. Former Flint mayor Don Williamson also called the agency a slumlord, but it's mostly been portrayed as an agent of positive change in national media stories that have highlighted its role in redeveloping properties like the old Durant and Berridge hotels.
Kildee used his position with the Land Bank to champion the idea of shrinking Flint to conserve limited resources.
But as more and more property owners have walked away from parcels rather than pay taxes for them, the Land Bank has increasingly struggled to be a good neighbor by keeping grass and weeds cut and securing or demolishing buildings.
"I would agree that one foreclosured property is too many," said Doug Weiland, executive director of the Land Bank. "We sell everything we can (but) what we are getting the build-up in is the properties there is no market for."
Weiland said Ziabik, who has run for treasurer twice before, misunderstands the state law that allowed for the creation of land banks, noting there is no opt-out option once the county agrees to handle its own tax foreclosures.
"Until somebody fixes the economy and people stop leaving the area, this problem will continue," he said, whether the county or the state is listed as the owner of a property.
Cherry, 56, a term-limited state senator, thinks she can help achieve that economic turnaround as treasurer.
The Burton Democrat said she would make foreclosure prevention a top priority, working with cities and townships to identify owners who are falling behind in paying taxes and are in the beginning stages of losing their properties.
"The Land Bank also has some great opportunities to rebuild certain areas of the county," she said. "We need to use those in a positive way."
Cherry survived a rough primary election, beating term-limited state representative Lee Gonzales, D-Flint Twp., in a sometimes bitter contest. Zabik ran unopposed in her primary election.
Cherry said the Land Bank has no choice but to scale back the big projects its taken on in the past but said it's unrealistic to drop out of the business of demolishing homes, picking up trash and trying to put land back into productive use. |
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Fri Oct 15, 2010 1:26 am |
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
"I would agree that one foreclosured property is too many," said Doug Weiland, executive director of the Land Bank. "We sell everything we can (but) what we are getting the build-up in is the properties there is no market for."
Anyone have factual numbers for Flint arsons, i.e., total and how many of the properties were owned by the Land Bank, occupied, non-occupied? A woman lived in a house for years and died in a fire where the house was shown on tax rolls to be owned by the Land Bank. |
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Sat Oct 16, 2010 2:54 pm |
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joepierce1988
F L I N T O I D
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[Suntrust Online Banking]http://www.newbusinessbank.com/category/new-business-accounts[/Suntrust Online Banking]
I am unsure how a complaint can be made. Much of the money came from private sources. If Hud said no "conflict of interest" and the state did not see a problem, then what would the complaint be? Only if LISC had an issue and I don't see how they could not know. |
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Sat Dec 25, 2010 12:25 pm |
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Adam
F L I N T O I D
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A 2-acre urban farm is in the works to be developed within Flint city limits
Two Flint women have a creative way to use 16 vacant lots on Beach Street.
On Jan. 26 the Genesee County Land Bank Board of Directors unanimously approved to allow Roxanne Adair, 27, and Joanna Lehrman, 25, both of Flint to lease 16 lots from the Land Bank with an option to purchase the land after five years.
Adair and Lehrman will establish Flint River Farm on the nearly 2-acre property on Beach Street between 12th Street and Wellington Avenue.
"It's really exciting," Lehrman said. "Being able to own a piece of property and being able to pass it on to future generations is something we both value."
Adair wants to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to an area that might not have direct access to them.
"You should be able to grow where you live," she said. "People shouldn't have to move out of the city to eat well. You shouldn't have to live in a rural area to have access to fresh fruits and vegetables." |
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Adam
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Thu Feb 03, 2011 11:59 am |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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| I guess they never heard of having a vegetable garden in the back yard. With raised beds and square foot gardening methods, you can grow a large amount in a small space. When our kids were still at home, we grew enough vegetables to feed all four of us all year in a 30 x 40 foot back yard. |
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I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Thu Feb 03, 2011 1:41 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| Proposals for urban gardening in Detroit encompass even larger spaces. |
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Fri Feb 04, 2011 8:22 am |
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Adam
F L I N T O I D
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Ok so perhaps we should ramp up this urban gardening thing.
Ethanol makers are expected to consume a record 5 billion bushels of corn this year, or some 36 percent of the harvest.
Despite criticism that using food for fuel was driving up prices and contributing to thin stockpiles, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told the conference the government had no intention of scaling back on ethanol.
"There is no reason for us to take the foot off the gas," Vilsack told the conference. "This is a great opportunity for us because we can do it all (we can raise prices and persecute American consumers and cause starvation around the world), make no mistake about it." " |
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Adam
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Fri Feb 25, 2011 10:58 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Urban gardening provides vegetables for urban residents. There have been many stories in the tv and news about how good quality and reasonably priced produce is often hard to find. At least one of these ladies was involved in the gardening projects with the land bank and other groups.
Nothing about ethanol, although the food prices are rising in all of the stores. |
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Fri Feb 25, 2011 2:48 pm |
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Adam
F L I N T O I D
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Tue Mar 15, 2011 11:55 am |
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1pissedoffguy
F L I N T O I D
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| I think urban gardening is a good idea,but I hate seeing people donating the food to soup kitchens. Let the people who have no jobs and go the soup kitchens and pantries work on the gardens . Why should a nice bunch of retirees and well intended folks slave away to so a bunch of ungrateful people can snap up the produce the good people worked so hard to grow? Have someone at the sites telling the people how to weed and do the work but let the 'recipients " do the actual work. Besides, some of them folks waddling into the pantries can stand to lose some tonnage , get a tan,and get good, all in one fall swoop. That makes more sense than the already productive being tapped once again to help the non productive . |
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Thu Mar 17, 2011 11:23 pm |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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| I've seen one of two things happen with urban gardens. Either some idiots destroy them because they don't like who planted them, or people show up, pick everything & drive away. In 2009, we had cherry tomatoes & green peppers in large planters near our garage. Someone regularly picked everything as it ripened. We didn't plant any in 2010. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Fri Mar 18, 2011 8:27 am |
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Adam
F L I N T O I D
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Mon Apr 11, 2011 10:20 pm |
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Adam
F L I N T O I D
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Sun Apr 24, 2011 12:21 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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It is difficult to get good produce in the city and impossible in some neighborhoods. That is the value of community gardens.
Summer food programs in the city were surprising as children did not recognize some very common foods. |
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Sun Apr 24, 2011 7:35 am |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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Provided it isn't stolen as soon as it's ripe, or not grown in contaminated soil.
Back when our kids were still living at home, we grew enough vegetables in our 30x40 back yard to last the 4 of us a year. Square foot gardening really works. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:26 am |
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