This is not a drill! Last week the Republican Congressional leadership and the Administration released the Tax Reform Framework, which did NOT include the federal historic rehabilitation tax credit. The tax reform outline does, however, explicitly preserve business credits in two areas where leaders believe tax incentives have proven effective: research and development (R&D) and low-income housing. This suggests there is an opportunity for action. It’s remarkable how the historic tax credit has positively impacted community economies across West Virginia. Between 2002 and 2016 the historic rehabilitation tax credit has leveraged nearly $175 million in development, created over 3,500 jobs and brought in over $35 million in local, state and federal taxes. While the tax framework envisions repeal of all other business credits, including the historic rehabilitation tax credit, the outline gives discretion to the tax writing committees to decide to retain additional business credits to the extent budget limitations allow. Support for the federal historic rehabilitation tax credit is already gaining momentum in the House thanks to Rep. David McKinley (R - WV, 1). Rep. McKinley is circulating a Dear Colleague letter encouraging other Representatives to support the preservation of the federal historic rehabilitation tax credit. Now is the time to thank Rep. McKinley and ask Representatives Mooney and Jenkins to sign on with their West Virginia Colleague. Learn how below... THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW!The House Ways & Means Committee plans to produce a tax reform bill by the end of October and in the next three weeks it is imperative that you make your VOICE heard NOW! ACTION STEPS: CALL, WRITE, REPEATWrite an Email: The easiest way is to write your Congressman and Senator by sending them a message through their websites. You can use this form letter and cut and paste it into the message system on your Congressman's website (you may have to enter your zip code to authenticate that you are a constituent.) You can find each Representative and Senator's website and other contact information at the link below (for Representative McKinley - tell him thank you for his leadership in preserving the federal historic tax credit).
In your message, tell them the historic tax credit is important to your community and our state. If you have witnessed a preservation project in your community, tell them about it. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has good studies and statistics you can look at as well, but an example you know about is most powerful. Acknowledge that the need for tax reform is clear, but it must not come at the expense of this important economic redevelopment incentive, that more than pays for itself, and has a proven track record of creating jobs, revitalizing neighborhoods and saving historic buildings. To see your Representative and Senator's contact information click here. Call: Use your voice! Pick up the phone and call your congressman’s office and tell them why you support the historic tax credit. Tell them to remember you and your communities when they consider any tax reform. As a constituent your voice is important to your representative! Repeat: Have you emailed and called? Do it again. If you haven’t heard back from your congressman’s office within a few days, call and email again. Encourage your colleagues and fellow community members to do the same; write, call, repeat. The more voices we have telling congress just how impactful the historic tax credit is the better chance we have of getting included in tax reform. Please share your efforts with us and know that we are truly thankful for your efforts on behalf of the historic tax credit. If you have any questions or concerns please contact our office. Thank you! Preservation Alliance of West Virginia
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In early 2016, the Abandoned Property Coalition, a network of community leaders, and local, regional, and national organizations developing community-based solutions to vacant, abandoned, and dilapidated properties across West Virginia, held a strategy session to determine what the Coalition should focus its energy on over the course of the next year. Four people, including representatives from the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, signed on to research the possibility of pushing forward policy around increasing the rate of West Virginia’s historic rehabilitation tax credit from 10% to 25%.
One major issue the group quickly came to realize was that although West Virginia has 92 commercial and mixed-use historic districts ripe for revitalization –developers choose to invest in neighboring states instead of our downtowns due to West Virginia’s uncompetitive 10% historic rehabilitation tax credit. Neighboring states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia, all have 25% historic rehabilitation tax credits. In Governor Justice’s FY 2018 Recommended Budget, all Division of Culture & History funding that comes from the state Lottery Education Fund (fund 3534 in the budget) was to be defunded. However, during the spring special legislative session, the West Virginia Legislature negotiated to pass the FY 2018 budget and continue funding programs made possible through the state Lottery Education Fund. Unfortunately, several historic preservation programs were funded at lower levels than in FY 2017, but there is good news for Fairs and Festivals, which received an increase in funding. Here are how things panned out (this is not a comprehensive list of line items):
Thank your legislators for supporting these important programs! Encourage increased funding levels by inviting them to events or to visit projects that benefit from these grant funds. Now is the time to ask them to consider increasing these funds in FY 2019.
Congressman David McKinley (R-WV-1) has introduced House Bill 3142 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Co-sponsors are Representatives Jenkins (R-WV-3) and Delaney (D-MD-6). The Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area Act of 2017 will bring national recognition for the organization.
Designation as a National Heritage Area will bring national recognition of the importance of the Appalachian Forest Heritage story, technical assistance through the National Park Service, and funding for local projects. Appalachian Forest Heritage Area (AFHA) has been seeking National Heritage Area designation since 2006. “This designation, should it go through Congress, would create us as a National Heritage Area. There are 49 other National Heritage Areas around the country, including two others in West Virginia. It would give national recognition of the national significance of our story,” said AFHA Executive Director Phyllis Baxter. A companion bill, S. 401, was introduced earlier this year by lead sponsor Senator Manchin (D-WV) and co-sponsors Senators Capito (R-WV), Cardin (D-MD), and Van Hollen (D-MD) . It is currently referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Read the full story at 12 News – WBOY – http://www.wvalways.com/story/35818974/mckinley-supports-national-recognition-for-afha Show your support for these bills by thanking your Senators and Representatives for their support, or ask them to co-sponsor the legislation if they have not already done so. Find contact information at the following link: https://www.congress.gov/members?q={%22congress%22:%22115%22} Although the main order of business is to pass a budget, Governor Jim Justice has made it a priority to also include increasing the state’s historic tax credit to the agenda, and we’re really excited about it.
Increasing the state’s historic tax credit to 25 percent will help spark new development in West Virginia’s historic downtowns. As the statewide organization dedicated to attracting and retaining young people in the Mountain State, we know that quality of place is a driving factor for young people in choosing where they want to live and work. Young people want to be where the action is and an increase in historic tax credit will help West Virginia build walkable, vibrant communities that are especially attractive to the next generation. Check out the special session update from Generation West Virginia. After receiving widespread bipartisan support during the regular session, historic tax credit legislation ultimately failed on the final day of regular session. But now we have another chance to increase the state’s historic tax credit, and we need your help to do it. If revitalizing your downtown is a priority to you, let your representatives know by clicking here. By Edward Pride, Preserve WV AmeriCorps
With its doors closed, contents in storage, and contractors walking the halls; the antebellum mansion known as Waldomore, located in Clarksburg, has temporarily closed for an extensive renovation. This renovation is part of a revitalization of Waldomore and its collections. The staff has turned their attention to several crucial matters: developing guidelines for new donations, bringing organization and order to the building’s contents, and reviving the building’s museum function. Permanence requires adaptation. Waldomore was built in 1842 to be the residence of Waldo P. Goff, a successful investor and businessman. The building was enlarged in the 1890s by his daughter, May and her husband Richard Lowndes. Childless and in possession of a landmark property with no clear future, May gave the mansion to the city of Clarksburg in 1930 for use as a library and museum. In the spring of 1931, the mansion underwent a series of modifications before opening as the Clarksburg Public Library’s new home. In 1975, the Library moved to its present building next door and Waldomore took on a new role. The ground floor became a meeting and performance space, with antique furnishing and display cases. The second floor would become home to the library’s regional history and genealogy department. In 1990, an archival collection, the papers and publications of UFO writer and publisher Gray Barker, would be added to Waldomore’s holdings. As the collections grew deterioration of the aging building set in, the charm of the building combatted the sense that things were amiss. Renovation and Opportunity A leaking roof and an outdated electrical system were the largest issues plaguing the building. A new roof in 2013 brought an end to the continual shifting of materials to avoid damaging leaks. Roof replacement prevented further damage but Waldomore still had extensive plaster and paint damage throughout the second floor as well as the electrical system. But a new issue arose: organization of the materials on the second floor In October 2015, Clarksburg was awarded a grant by the WV Division of Culture and History and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval by the WV Commission on the Arts, to replace the electrical system, repair plaster damage, paint, and install new carpeting. This grant provided a unique opportunity to reorganize Waldomore as the complete removal of all contents was necessary for the renovation. Past plans to reorganize the collection had not envisioned the scale of working on the entire contents at one time. Hidden Gems: Collection Material Over the course of the packing process, a large number of the materials discovered were expected such as the wealth of photographs featuring people and locations across North Central West Virginia, negatives from a local photography studio, and numerous artifacts including a box of plant fossils. One of the unexpected discoveries was a large quantity of fine china, including sets from England, France, Bavaria, and beyond. A few pieces had been on display, but significant portions of each set were stored throughout the building wherever space was available. Each time the staff thought they had packed the last piece china, another location would produce more. The most meaningful discoveries were made along the way. The staff uncovered a group of Harpers’ Weeklies and Harpers’ Illustrated Histories of the War of the Rebellion, both of predated 1900. The staff also discovered items that belonged to Richard and May Lowndes, the previous owners of the mansion. From May, a large Staffordshire soup tureen, and from Richard, a group of books complete with bookplates featuring Waldomore. Moving Forward The staff has a new appreciation for the diversity of Waldomore’s holdings. When this process began, we believed that most of the materials would be books, family histories, and genealogy files. We did not anticipate the amount of artifacts and archival materials that were uncovered. Our original plan to create a strong regional history/genealogy library with a few artifacts and 2 archival special collections would need to be altered to include a much larger archival storage area. This has led to a complete redesign of the collection storage areas on the second floor. We have been designing the new areas to maximize their usability and capacity. As the redesign continued, they staff had to identify the appropriate storage conditions for various materials and ensure that they are met. The most visible additions are the two map cabinets to properly store and protect oversize posters and maps. As we have been working on the physical space in Waldomore, we are also revising and evaluating the policies and procedures for Waldomore’s collection. We have reviewed Waldomore’s mission, geographic range of the collection, and the collecting policy to update and streamline these to reflect the current and future nature of the materials in the Collection. Lastly, the staff has developed a system for arranging and organizing collection materials as they return to the building. All incoming materials must be verified against the library’s catalog. Materials that exist in the catalog will be given new labels; uncatalogued materials will be processed, cataloged, and given a label. Once complete, Waldomore will have its first uniform arrangement system; which can be maintained as the collection grows. As the renovation draws to a close, Waldomore finds itself entering a new chapter. With freshly renovated spaces, redesigned storage areas, and cataloged materials, when Waldomore reopens its doors, it will be with a new appreciation of its collection and a revitalized mission. If you would like to see the transformation, please visit Waldomore’s blog, www.waldomore.wordpress.com, or our Facebook page, Historic Waldomore. In President Trump’s FY2018 budget, he proposes to eliminate funding for the National Heritage Areas. The 49 National Heritage Areas across the country – two of which are in West Virginia (Wheeling and Coal) – preserve and revitalize cultural, historic and natural resources, delivering recreational and educational opportunities to visitors, residents and entire regions. Through innovative public-private partnerships, National Heritage Areas have effectively leveraged federal resources, attracting an average of $5.50 of private funding for each dollar appropriated.
Heritage Areas have a proven record of fostering job creation and advancing economic, cultural, historic, natural, and community development. In addition to creating jobs, National Heritage Areas generate valuable revenue for local governments and sustain communities through revitalization and heritage tourism. Lastly, Heritage Areas have undergone rigorous independent evaluations by the National Park Service which document the program’s worth. Please join PAWV in calling your Congressmen by March 24 and request that they ask appropriators provide robust funding for the National Heritage Area program in the FY 18 budget. Robust funding for this critical initiative will enable communities and regions to effectively tell the stories of their past for the benefit of present and future generations. District 1 – Congressman David McKinley – (202) 225-4172 District 2 – Congressman Alex Mooney – (202) 225-2711 District 3 – Congressman Evan Jenkins – (202) 225-3452 You can also encourage your Congressman to co-sponsor HR 1002 – National Heritage Area Program Bill, which would establish a designated program for National Heritage Areas within the National Park Service, including clear criteria for designation and evaluation. According to the bill sponsors, Congressmen Charles Dent (R-PA) & Paul Tonko (D-NY), “National Heritage Areas are considered one of the Department of the Interior’s most cost effective initiatives, relying on a public/private partnership in which every federal dollar is matched with an average of $5.50 in other public and private financing.”
National service is too powerful an idea to be eliminated. In West Virginia alone, the West Virginia Commission for National and Community Service (dba Volunteer West Virginia) administers 12 AmeriCorps State projects and 2 AmeriCorps VISTA projects statewide. These programs support about 900 AmeriCorps members annually in West Virginia. Preserve WV AmeriCorps and Appalachian Forest Heritage Area AmeriCorps programs provide direct service to preserve West Virginia’s heritage, while other programs address health and food security, conservation, veteran’s programs, and education support.
Volunteer West Virginia is working with the WV Council of Churches, Step by Step, First Choice the Harrison County Family Resource Network and other partners to develop an understanding of how AmeriCorps can be part of the solution to WV’s opioid overdose epidemic. Last year AmeriCorps programs supported 472 local sites in West Virginia by placing AmeriCorps members, coordinating service projects, and recognizing volunteers. Their work supports hundreds of nonprofit partners and volunteers working together to solve some of West Virginia’s most challenging issues. In 2016, PAWV’s 19 Preserve WV AmeriCorps members served over 24,950 hours helping 17 sites in local communities. They preserved 33 historic assets and engaged 666 community residents in volunteer projects for Main Street development, historic preservation, and heritage tourism. Each Preserve WV AmeriCorps completes projects to enhance and build upon activities at their site. Their service activities are designed with site and community needs in mind. Urge continuation of and full funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), and for AmeriCorps. Call your Congressional Leaders today! District 1 – Congressman David McKinley – (202) 225-4172 District 2 – Congressman Alex Mooney – (202) 225-2711 District 3 – Congressman Evan Jenkins – (202) 225-3452 Senator Shelley Moore Capito – 202-224-6472 Senate Joe Manchin – 202-224-3954 In Governor Justice’s FY2018 Recommended Budget (SB 199 and HB 2018) all Division of Culture & History programming that comes from the state Lottery Education Fund (fund 3534 in the budget) will be eliminated. Programs that are made possible through the state Lottery Education Fund include the following appropriations (numbers reference line items in the budget):
Defunding these will cause a major detriment to economic development and cultural heritage tourism in West Virginia. What you can do to help? Currently the Senate Finance Committee and House Finance Committee are working on their own FY2018 budget proposals. Contact committee members and ask them to include funding for these line items in their budget proposals. You can find the contact information for the Senate Finance Committee members at http://www.legis.state.wv.us/committees/senate/SenateCommittee.cfm?Chart=fin and House Finance Committee members at http://www.legis.state.wv.us/committees/house/HouseCommittee.cfm?Chart=fin When you contact committee members, you can ask them to fully fund the Division of Culture & History. Offer specific information about what will be lost without this funding. Historic Preservation Grants keep roofs on historic buildings. Private, government, and nonprofit historic building owners can apply for these grants. All properties listed individually on the National Register of Historic Places and listed as a contributing building in a National Register Historic District are eligible. Every dollar in grants leverages an equivalent dollar amount in private and personal funds. These grants can be combined with tax credit incentives, as well. Arts Programming supports activities around the state like the Huntington Symphony, WV Public Theater, and local community arts activities, as well as Festivals from Vandalia Gathering and Appalachian String Band Festival at Clifftop, to Mountain State Forest Festival and fairs in small communities, would all lose funding through the Governor’s recommended budget. These programs utilize state funds to leverage federal, community and private dollars for programs that support jobs, bring visitors to WV tourism destinations, and enhance quality of life that attracts new business. If you want to protect arts and historic preservation funding, please contact Finance Committee members today and ask them to fully fund the Division of Culture & History. Good news! On Thursday, February 16th, legislation was introduced in Congress that would make important changes to the historic tax credit. The bipartisan Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act (HTCIA)(H.R. 1158 / S.425) closely resembles legislation introduced in the last Congress that would improve access to the credit for smaller rehabilitation projects that will help revitalize our small towns and our inner cities.
The legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressmen Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and is supported by 18 cosponsors, including nine Republicans and nine Democrats and eight members of the Ways and Means Committee. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced companion legislation in the Senate and were joined by Senators Cochran (R-MS), Gillibrand (D-NY), Leahy (D-VT), and Wicker (R-MS). The Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act encourages redevelopment of smaller, income-producing properties by:
Please contact your members of Congress and urge them to support the Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act,H.R. 1158 / S.425. Take Action The HTCIA provides Members of Congress with a way to indicate their support for the credit and offers several reform ideas that could be incorporated into a larger tax reform bill. Adding cosponsors to the legislation is a critical step to protecting the historic tax credit during the tax reform process. Urge Members of Congress to co-sponsor the Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act H.R. 1158 / S.425:
Contact district offices of both House and Senate Members and ask to schedule a meeting: To locate the name and phone number of your House Representative go to: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/ To locate the names and phone number of your Senators go to: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?OrderBy=state&Sort=ASC Helpful Tips:
Resources:
o Shaw Sprague (ssprague@savingplaces.org) o Renee Kuhlman (rkuhlman@savingplaces.org) Thank you for speaking up in support of the federal historic tax credit! With your ongoing engagement, the historic tax credit will continue to revitalize our communities, stimulate the economy, and preserve our irreplaceable historic buildings. |
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