In the tongue-in-cheek photograph, the yardstick-wielding Auger is pinching Bullock's ear, forcing him to write over and over on a chalkboard - a la Bart Simpson - the following sentence:
"I will not give incentives for retail development."
"It was meant as a joke," says Auger of the photo displayed on the cover of an invitation to the league's convention next month.
But the issue is serious. For Utah cities, the writing is on the wall (or at least the chalkboard): Tapping tax dollars to lure Wal-Marts, Costcos or Gateway-type malls is under fire.
Cities and their redevelopment agencies drew criticism during the 2005 Legislature for using RDAs - including condemnation powers - to attract retailers and the tax riches they bring. State lawmakers reined in RDAs and are reviewing further rules for them.
So, does the photo imply that the league and its member cities are ready to sign on to the restrictions?
Definitely not. In fact, the league maintains that cities should be able to offer incentives to help snag retailers.
"There has been so much talk about economic development," explains Lincoln Shurtz, a legislative analyst for the league. "We caught a lot of flak on it, and we wanted to have a little fun with it."
The league is known in city and media circles for such whimsy. Its annual phone directories bear cartoons poking fun at local issues.
At least one RDA critic hopes the chalkboard photo indicates a change in the cities' thinking.
"Just to look at this is encouraging," says Mike Jerman, vice president of the business-backed Utah Taxpayers Association.
It's "hilarious," adds Robyn Bagley, co-founder of the Citizens Coalition for RDA Reform, "if it were only true."
The coalition and the taxpayers association have been trying to persuade Utah cities to stop forking over property-tax dollars for developments that feature retail outlets, among other things.
Their reasoning: Retail-driven RDAs may bring additional revenue to targeted communities, but they do so by shuffling where shoppers spend money and do little to boost the overall economy.
RDAs are designed to let cities tap future property-tax dollars - including those destined for schools - to upgrade infrastructure, such as roads and utilities, on blighted land. The improvements are seen as necessary to entice development on parcels that would be too pricey to build on without city aid.
The issue flared this past year after some cities began calling open fields blighted. Utah lawmakers responded by slapping a moratorium on new RDAs in February and have worked since to craft a plan that narrows what RDAs can do.
As for the league's chalkboard photo and others inside the invitation, they are getting mixed reviews from a key player. "I didn't like them that much," Auger concedes.
jsantini@sltrib.com
