South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

Residential TIF not answer to building a better Crestwood, reader says

To the editor:

As a Crestwood resident of Ward 4, I congratulate Cindy Minor on her recent appointment to the Board of Aldermen, following Mike Tsichlis’ resignation.

I am also a parent of a second-grader who attends Long Elementary, a National Blue Ribbon School. I, along with all the parents at Long, am most proud of the unparalleled educational experience our students receive. My daughter is surrounded by quality teachers and staff who can be counted on to provide learning opportunities for optimal educational growth.

My request for Mrs. Minor is to uphold Lindbergh’s local, state and national significance as a destination school district; not to dilute our children’s access to the best education in Missouri by allowing any tax incentives to be applied to the residential development portion of the Crestwood mall property.

It costs $10,067 per year to educate a Lindbergh student. If new students enroll in our district without sufficient tax revenue to educate them, this financial shortfall will greatly disadvantage not only the new children, but also the more than 6,300 students who currently attend Lindbergh schools. Mrs. Minor, please listen to and represent your constituents in Crestwood, many of whom are part of the larger “Lindbergh family.”

We all want to see strong renewal on the Crestwood mall property, but a residential TIF — tax-increment financing — is not the answer to building a better Crestwood.

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