Tax Increment Financing
If not for TIF funding, many projects that pass the 'but for' test—meaning they wouldn't occur without this financial tool—would likely go unfunded for decades, stalling crucial developments and funding for Traverse City.
The following resources represent some of the local and state agencies that work with and promote various tax increment financing tools in Michigan.
State Resources
Michigan Economic Development Corporation
The MEDC website provides extensive resources on many TIF tools, showcasing how they support economic development across Michigan (michiganbusiness.org).
NEW! Michigan State Housing Development Authority
MSHDA now offers insights and resources on leveraging TIF for affordable housing projects, contributing to community development, and building workforce and low-income housing. (michigan.gov/mshda)
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy
EGLE, oversees Tax Increment Financing (TIF) plans to help redevelop brownfields. The increased tax revenue from a cleaned-up property reimburses developers for the cleanup and redevelopment costs that might otherwise be left undeveloped for decades (michigan.gov/egle).
Michigan Municipal League
The MML provides educational resources, best practices, and legislative updates on TIF and its utilization in Michigan's municipalities (mml.org).
Council of Development Finance Agencies
The CDFA offers training, resources, and research on development finance, including TIF, tailored to Michigan's economic development professionals (cdfa.net).
Local Resources
County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority
The Grand Traverse County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority provides information on brownfield TIF projects, their impact, and how they have contributed to the remediation and redevelopment of contaminated or blighted properties across the county since 1999 (www.gtcountymi.gov). Each project brings state and regional investments into the city at a 3 to 1 ratio, meaning for every $1 the city contributes, it receives an additional $3.
Downtown Development Authority
The DDA's role is to develop and manage the downtown area. As a core area for the region, the regional contribution to the ongoing maintenance and development of infrastructure used by over 100,000 county residents is essential (dda.downtowntc.com). The DDA is largely funded through DDA TIF plans, which direct regional taxes to city projects at nearly a 1 to 1 ratio.