Regional Economic Development: Downriver as a Case Study

The seventeen communities of the Downriver Detroit area have traditionally been economically vibrant. Their decline in recent years is due in great measure to excessive tax burdens and the politicization of community services. The authors explain how this area can revive by rolling back property taxes, privatizing a number of municipal functions, avoiding government-directed economic development schemes, and making certain improvements to the transportation infrastructure. The many lessons from the Downriver experience are applicable to communities all across Michigan. 32 pages.

Contents

• I. Introduction
• II. Basic Economic Development Theory
  • Linkage Between State and Local Economic Development
• III. Detroit, Downriver and Oakland County
  • Property Tax Abatements
  • Recommendations
• IV. Downriver's Property Tax Burden
  • Recommendation
• V. Privatization Downriver
  • Ecorse
  • Other Prospects and Recommendations
• VI. Education Downriver
  • Recommendations
• VII. Transportation Downriver
• VIII. Downriver Community Conference
  • Summary
• Endnotes
• About the Authors