TAX-EXEMPT PARCELS STUDY

DOWNTOWN JACKSON PARTNERS COMMISSIONED THE TAX-EXEMPT PROPERTIES STUDY. FOR YEARS, THE CITY OF JACKSON REQUESTED CONSIDERATION FROM THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI FOR THE INORDINATE NUMBER OF TAX-FREE PARCELS IN THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, AND THE ENTIRE CITY OF JACKSON.

IN ORDER TO QUANTIFY THE EXACT NUMBER OF TAX-FREE PARCELS, IN 2008 DOWNTOWN JACKSON PARTNERS CONTRACTED WITH THE CENTER FOR URBAN PLANNING AND POLICY ASSESSMENT AT JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY AND THE CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT TO PERFORM A STUDY ON THESE PROPERTIES TO DETERMINE THE ACTUAL MONETARY TAX LOSS THE CITY AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT HAD TO ENDURE EACH YEAR. THE STUDY WAS USED AS A TOOL AND A REFERENCE POINT IN MAKING A CASE FOR SOME FORM OF PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES FOR THE CITY OF JACKSON AND THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.

COMPLETED IN 2009, THIS STUDY BROUGHT FORWARD MANY INTERESTING STATISTICS, WITH THE MOST COMPELLING BEING THE DISCOVERY THAT 61% OF THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT WAS TAX-FREE. ADDITIONALLY, THE STUDY SHOWED THAT THE THE NUMBER OF TAX-FREE PARCELS FOR THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI HAD INCREASED FROM 804 PROPERTIES IN 1996 TO TO OVER 1,840 IN 2008.