The City of Binghamton is launching a program to reduce “blight” throughout the city. That is, they want to reduce the number of run-down and abandoned properties that tend to drag down neighborhoods and lower property values for homeowners situated near those run-down properties. On the whole, I would say it is a noble goal.

There has always been tension between too much government intervention and control, and not enough. We have struggled, as a nation, with that tension since our founding. It was present between the federal government and the state governments, between state governments and counties, and between counties and local municipalities. It is nothing new. When people live close together, the government plays a role in protecting some citizens from others who will not “do their part” to maintain their property. However, the government’s role must always be tempered against the rights of the property owner. As I said, it is a tension–a balancing act.

I believe the City of Binghamton has a responsibility to tackle the issue of blight in our neighborhoods, and they now are. The City has just mailed letters to 230 property owners who have been identified as owning vacant and unkept properties in the City. The property owners will be forced to pay $50 to register their property with the City and file a plan for how they will either clean it up or sell it. If they fail to register, they will be fined $500 per year as an added “incentive” to get it cleaned up or sold.

That sounds reasonable to me. I can support the City’s plan and I congratulate Mayor Matt Ryan on this initiative. However, I do have one concern. Mayor Ryan wants to add yet another person to the payroll to manage the blight program. According to the Press & Sun-Bulletin:

The program means another position in the city’s Code Enforcement Department: a $30,000-per-year vacant-property officer. Keith Heron, a 23-year veteran of the department, will fill the position. The city plans to pay the salary and benefits with unspent federal grant money.

Why do we need a new position? Why not make it part of an existing position? What is Mr. Heron’s current set of responsibilities and who will perform those responsibilities once he transfers to this new position? No doubt tracking and dealing with 230 property owners will take time–but full time? Funding this new position with “unspent federal grant money” is a prescription for growing the City’s payroll in future years. Once a position like this is created, it almost never is eliminated in future years. Which means we now have to find money to fund not only a $30K salary, but health insurance, benefits, vacation, and all of the associated costs of one more person added to the payroll. Not just for this year, but future years as well.

It’s a good initiative–well intentioned–but with poor execution. I would encourage Mayor Ryan to rethink the need to add another new person to the City’s payroll.

What do you think? Is this a good initiative? Do we need a full-time person to do it? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.

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