Fort Collins City Council approved a new policy for metro districts, potentially bringing some clarity to a development discussion that has been a source of disagreement for the last two years.
Metro districts allow developers to increase property taxes of a development’s eventual residents to help fund infrastructure costs. The approach is controversial because, left unchecked, poorly managed metro districts can lead to significant tax burdens on residents.
Proponents of metro districts say the funding lowers the barrier to entry for development, which has grown increasingly expensive, and presents the city with an opportunity to incentivize things like affordable housing, energy and water efficiency, and neighborhood livability.