The Redevelopment Agency (RDA) is complicated, and even most City Council members don’t fully understand how big of a deal it is. It took me a lot of research and conversations with experts to fully grasp just how massive Vineyard’s RDA is and how much it impacts our city. It was created to clean up the Geneva Steel site and bring in commercial businesses to grow Vineyard’s tax base, but over time, it has been used in ways that don’t align with that original purpose. It has allowed high-density housing on land that was meant for businesses, which doesn’t generate sales tax revenue. It has also funded projects that don’t bring in tax revenue, like the new City Hall, and given away valuable land for free to tax-exempt entities like Utah Valley University and the Huntsman Cancer Institute. While the Cancer Institute is a great addition, that land, like other RDA properties, is tax-free, meaning it won’t generate property taxes for Vineyard.

One of the biggest issues is how the RDA affects school funding. When new homes and businesses are built inside the RDA, the property taxes they generate don’t fully go to the schools like they normally would. Instead, much of that money stays with the RDA, meaning fewer funds for education. This is a huge issue as Vineyard considers joining a new school district with Orem, Lindon, and Pleasant Grove because those cities don’t want to take on the financial burden of Vineyard’s missing school tax revenue. The way RDA funds are used also creates an imbalance—people living inside the RDA still pay property taxes, but that money doesn’t fund city services like it does for those outside the RDA. Instead, it is redirected to RDA projects. Developers also use these funds to pay themselves back for cleanup costs, while the City Council, acting as the RDA board, controls these funds with little outside oversight. This means some people are paying their fair share for city services while others aren’t, even though we all rely on them.

That’s why we need a full audit of the RDA to see exactly where the money is going and whether it’s really helping Vineyard the way it should. But most importantly, I want to push for education taxes to be completely removed from the RDA—none of it should be diverted away from our schools. This directly hurts our children, our teachers, and the future of our community. Vineyard’s schools should not be losing money so that developers can benefit from tax incentives. If the audit shows the RDA isn’t working for the city, we need to restructure it or even phase it out completely.

I’m committed to fixing this issue, finding real solutions, and leading these tough but necessary conversations on the City Council. As complicated as this issue is, we must be open and honest with the people of Vineyard so they fully understand the situation our city is facing.