To the Editor:

Once again, Mr. Green is just throwing figures out there in a demeaning way against one of our citizens who disagrees with him (“Urban renewal is legal, beneficial,” Nov. 23). Green also states that Tom Sutton gives “mis-information” in his letter to the editor (“JD urban renewal siphons tax dollars, Nov. 9).

Mr. Sutton has given a lifetime to public service. He was a volunteer firefighter for years, and volunteer fire chief for much of that time. In later years he has volunteered in areas like the food bank and still does. It comes down to whose word is more trustworthy. The facts taken from public records show that the citizens in the outlying communities are contributing to the urban renewal agency program. Every community pays into John Day’s URA through any countywide district who pays property tax. Countywide property tax districts are: Blue Mountain Hospital (in 2019-2020 money was taken for URA from the repayments of the hospital bond also), 4-H Extension District, ESD and the county general taxing district. School District No. 3 and John Day-Canyon City Parks and Rec are also paying into the John Day URA program.

Mr. Sutton expresses questionable legality of such program. While the Oregon Revised Statutes allow this program, how does this fit into the Constitution of the U.S., which it was founded on? Taxation without representation.

Green’s figures are merely speculation, like when starting the greenhouse thing. We all see how that turned out. Total figures from property taxes are $228,472.51 in years 2019-2022. There is no guaranteed repayment date or amount, which Green is calling “incentives are repaid.” Mr. Green also left out in his figures a $2,273,868 Business Oregon loan that must be repaid, against this URA program. This taxpayer money is used mainly for a few contractors who go along with Green’s tax, borrow and spend plan.

I’ll take Tom Sutton’s narrative based on facts on record over Nick Green’s deception any day. The city, since Green’s inception, has never met a project deadline nor met the dollar figure as was first presented to the public.

Bob Pereira

John Day