1. Mount Clemens tackling blight Steve Pardo / The Detroit News April 4, 2005 http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060403/METRO03/604030337/1014

2. Blight as an Externality MOUNT CLEMENS -- Kathleen McQuitty has spent thousands of dollars over the years to beautify her home on Moross. But the improvements are overshadowed by debris littering a nearby yard, including a junked truck on blocks. "I am tired of this. I am tired of looking at this every single day," she said. "I demand that something be done." McQuitty was among about 100 residents who packed a Mount Clemens library meeting room recently to brainstorm solutions to combat blight. Many said they are fed up with what they consider spotty enforcement of existing laws and a lackadaisical attitude toward those who allow their properties to get run down and cluttered.

3. What do the laws do? The goal, according to City Commissioner Matt Dreger, is to take the feedback and tweak the rules and regulations to more effectively combat the problem. "When visitors drive down streets in our city, we must be concerned with what our community looks like," Dreger said. "Cities become desensitized. And we are all in this together, whether we like it or not." The city has a long way to go. Dreger marked on a city map all the homes and businesses cited by the building department as blighted. About 200 red dots pocked the city map with few discernable patterns.

4. Current Ordinance The current ordinance -- written in 1981 and amended in 2001 -- calls for a city official to give notice to the home or business owner, who then has 10 days to correct the problem. If the owner doesn't comply, the city can clean up the area and bill the owner. And failure to comply can result in a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine and 90 days in jail. But it takes time and effort to take people to court. Many citations stretch on for months or even years before penalties are imposed. A January report, for example, showed 231 blight cases on the books. Twenty-seven were resolved that month, leaving 204 unresolved.

5. Resources Mount Clemens has one of the lowest median income levels in the county and one of the highest poverty rates. With a 2000 median income level of $37,856 and a poverty rate of 13 percent, the city is ahead of only Center Line, which has a $31,667 median income level and a 15 percent poverty rate, according to the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. In 2000, the county's median income level was $52,102. "We're trying to find the weak link in the system so we can get some of this stuff resolved," Dreger said. "If somebody doesn't have the resources, you can fine them until the cows come home and you're not going to get any money."

6. Questions What kind of property is affected? Who owns it – Mt. Clemens residents or someone else? How do you enforce laws?

7. The Economics Supply- Totally Inelastic Demand Why? P0P0 D w/ Blight P1P1 Inelastic Supply. Demand decreases because property is less desirable (P 0 – P 1 ) reflects impact of blight. Has been done with hedonic models Price Quantity