Dear Editor,
In February, Torgesons, submitted an application to the (SBURA) TIF Board for $900,000.00 of taxpayer funded corporate welfare. I will admit I’m not sure what they required our money for. The TIF advisory board agreed to recommend to the city council to give them $300,000.00 of their $900,000.00 request. At the March 4 SBURA TIF meeting Councilman Bill Kennedy showed up and inquired to the TIF board if they thought there was a possibility, they could give Torgersons another $600,000.00 but in installments.
Councilman Kennedy is a city council member and has the power to approve or disapprove the TIF’S yearly budget. I, for one, find it highly unethical for a councilman asking an advisory board if they thought they could increase the payments to a private business. Then Mr. Kennedy can show up at his city council position and vote on this very issue. But speaking of ethics I just remembered the city of Billings did away with their Ethics board. How handy is that! The public cannot hold their public officials to ANY standards. It sounds to me that the city (The Magic City) could use a DOGE of our own.
Lori Nelson
Billings, MT
