A measure introduced by Republican Senator Jarrett Coleman of Bucks and Lehigh Counties encourages the evaluation of taxpayer funded programs such as the Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone, or NIZ.
This means that the Pennsylvania Senate will be auditing the program that’s intended to fund development in the city’s center.
Various economic development projects inside the perimeter of the NIZ are funded by state and local taxes. One of the biggest of these projects is the PPL Center arena.
Senator Coleman said that Pennsylvania taxpayers “deserve to know if the half-billion dollars of their tax money has been wisely used through this program” and emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability.
Hundreds of millions of dollars have been shoveled into the program; more than $500 million since its creation in 2009. Yet, Coleman argues citizens have no way of knowing whether the program has been successful, and whether their money has gone to good use.
The audit is being done by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee under Senate Resolution 110. It will also look into the Allentown NIZ Development Authority programs created by the PA Department of Revenue.
State Representative Josh Siegel of Lehigh County defended the NIZ, arguing that it’s benefitted the entire Lehigh Valley. He highlighted the jobs, culture, art, and leisure that Allentown’s continued growth has created.
Representative Siegel expressed his confidence that the audit will only reveal positive effects and will show that the NIZ has generated significant revenue, improved public safety, helped finance public improvements, created jobs, increased property values, and reawakened Allentown as a city and a hub of the Lehigh Valley.
