Latest news with #Steptoe&Johnson
Straits Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Trump nominates Darryl Nirenberg as new US ambassador to Romania
Trump nominates Darryl Nirenberg as new US ambassador to Romania WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has chosen Darryl Nirenberg, a lawyer and former U.S. Senate staffer, to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Romania. The White House and State Department have yet to comment on the outcome of Romania's presidential election on Sunday, which was won by the centrist mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, who defeated a far-right candidate. Nirenberg, a longtime Washington lawyer currently at Steptoe & Johnson law firm, was chief of staff for late Republican Senator Jesse Helms, a conservative who died in 2008, and was a counsel for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The nomination requires approval by the U.S. Senate, which is dominated by Trump's fellow Republicans. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mon Commission weighing in on Bridgeport TIF lawsuit
Mar. 29—MORGANTOWN — The city of Bridgeport is suing the director of the West Virginia Department of Economic Development, and the Monongalia County Commission is making sure its thoughts are heard on the matter. This past week, the commission approved the engagement of Steptoe & Johnson to represent it as an intervening party in Bridgeport's lawsuit against Michael Graney in his capacity as head of the state development office. The issue at hand dates back to 2023, when the legislation that provides the framework for tax increment financing districts was amended by the West Virginia Legislature. The primary effect was to allow the life of the 30-year districts to be extended by 15 years, to a maximum of 45 years. It did something else as well. It removed a statutory mandate previously included in the TIF Act requiring the consent of any municipality within which a TIF district is located, either wholly or in part. Instead, counties seeking to extend the term of a TIF district need only to hold a public hearing and seek the approval of the director of the West Virginia Department of Economic Development. Bridgeport believes that to be "unconstitutional on its face, " and filed suit in Kanawha County Circuit Court in response to the 15-year extension of the Charles Pointe TIF district approved by the department of economic development and finalized by the Harrison County Commission in August 2024. The Charles Pointe TIF District straddled Bridgeport's boundaries when it was created in 2005. It was formed with the understanding of all parties that it would be fully annexed into the city. The annexation was completed the following year, more than doubling the size of the city according to court filings. In the suit, legal counsel for Bridgeport argues the 2023 TIF Act amendment allowing for the extension of the district without the city's approval "purports to retroactively rescind the obligation to obtain the city's consent to this radical change in circumstances which materially and adversely impacts the city and adds 15 years of obligations that were never contemplated under the original agreement to approve the TIF district." The explanation continues. "The city and its taxpayers will be required and obligated for the additional fifteen years to provide fire, water, police, public works maintenance, snow removal, emergency services and other benefits for the TIF District and its private developer while being deprived of tax revenues that would have accrued to the city at the end of the 30-year period." As it often is, money is at the crux of the matter. In this case, property taxes. At the implementation of a TIF district, a property tax base is set. For the life of the district, levying bodies like counties and municipalities receive their share of that base number while any increase, or increment, that comes as a result of improvements goes back into the district. Extending the district without the consent of an impacted municipality, Bridgeport claims, represents an illegal taking of 15 years worth of future property taxes while the city remains on the hook to provide for infrastructure and public services. If that argument sounds familiar, it should. It was made here nearly two years ago. Within months of the 2023 amendment to the TIF Act, the Monongalia County Commission held a public hearing regarding a 15-year extension of the University Town Centre TIF district. The department of economic development approved the extension, pushing the district's termination date out to 2057. The town of Granville immediately called foul. Granville Mayor Patty Lewis said allowing the district to be extended without Granville's input was "a gross injustice." While Granville was central to the district's creation in 2012, the portion of the district within that town was largely built out by 2023, meaning the town was looking ahead to the original 2042 termination of the district to begin reaping the additional property taxes — an estimated $510, 000 annually in 2023 numbers, according to Lewis. "I'm not even sure how that's legal, to take money from another governing body without their permission, but [the legislature ] saw fit to pass that, " she told The Dominion Post at the time. "I guess it is legal, but it's got to be morally wrong to do that." In response to Lewis' commentary, members of the Monongalia County Commission pointed out that since the creation of the University Town Centre TIF, Granville's budget jumped by more than 162 %, from $2, 917, 311 in the 2012-13 fiscal year to $7, 651, 070 in 2023. The town's budget for the upcoming 2025-'26 fiscal year is closer to $9 million. Lewis countered that the town's expenses have jumped precipitously as well, noting Granville went from "three employees and three broken down vehicles, " to providing 24-hour police and fire protection as well as an on-call public works crew. Lewis said she intends to watch the Bridgeport case closely. The Monongalia County Commission intends to do more than watch. "We are interested in making sure the statute stays the same. We're intervening to say the statute should remain, because that could affect our TIF districts, " Commissioner Sean Sikora said. "We don't want to sit silent and have a judge make a decision based on input from just one entity. We want to get involved so we let the state know, 'Hey, this affects more than just one area.' It could cause a lot of upheaval in existing TIF districts."
