Tag: TIF districts
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Tax increment financing questions topic at Wichita city council meeting
On Tuesday the Wichita city council heard a request by Real Development for a $2.5 million increase in tax increment financing on a downtown project. Discussion during the meeting revealed how little is known about the numbers that the city uses in deciding whether to participate in the project. Numbers that don’t make sense, plus…
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Wichita Exchange Place TIF should be rejected
Tomorrow’s meeting of the Wichita city council will feature a public hearing as to whether a tax increment financing district that benefits Real Development should be modified.
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Wichita Warren Theater IRB a TIF district in disguise
On Tuesday the Wichita City Council will consider an economic development incentive for a local business. The process the city is using to grant this incentive bypasses the scrutiny that accompanies the formation of TIF districts while providing essentially the same benefit.
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Will the real robber barons please stand up?
At the April 13th meeting of the Wichita City Council a request from downtown developer Real Development will be made for an additional $2.2 million taxpayer subsidy for its condo project Exchange Place, located at Douglas and Market. With two weeks to go before this public hearing there is still time for council members to…
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Randal O’Toole on Wichita’s WaterWalk and government planning
As part of Randal O’Toole’s visit to Wichita, he recorded some remarks in front of a few of Wichita’s monuments to government planning. Paul Soutar of Kansas Watchdog recorded video and assembled the remarks. His reporting is Randal O’Toole on Wichita’s WaterWalk and Government Planning.
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Businesses in Old Town Cinema district fought property taxes
As reported in the Wichita Eagle by Brent Wistrom: “Business owners in a special taxing district surrounding the Old Town Warren Theatre have fought to have their property taxes reduced, forcing the city to cover debts incurred when the city bought land, installed utilities and built a park to spur the development.” I guess no…
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Public forum on WaterWalk hotel proposal
On Monday January 25, a group of citizens will hold a public forum concerning the proposal for a hotel in the WaterWalk development in downtown Wichita.
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Estes Park repeals TIF district
A city in Colorado has voted to repeal a TIF district. Wichitans ought to take notice. Randal O’Toole, the author of the post, notes the complexity of the TIF mechanism. This is in line with testimony I’ve delivered to the Wichita City Council, in which I characterized TIF districts as “a confusing arrangement that hides…
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Wichita planning puts freedom, prosperity at risk
Mr. Mayor, members of the council, I’m here today to ask this council to put aside consideration of this proposal. My reasons are not particular to this proposal or planning firm, but rather I am concerned that we believe we have the ability to successfully plan at all.
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Welshimer files for re-election to Sedgwick County Commission
Today, Sedgwick County Commissioner Gwen Welshimer filed for re-election to her position as a member of the commission. Her statement is below. Welshimer, a Democrat, is so far the only candidate in that party. There are three Republicans who have either filed or are considering filing.
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Goody Clancy proposal for Downtown Wichita revitalization master plan
Last Friday a selection committee selected one company from four finalists to lead the planning effort for the revitalization of downtown Wichita. If some city leaders had their way, citizens of Wichita wouldn’t be able to see this document until after the city council makes a decision to follow — or not — the recommendation…
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Wichita planning firm hopefuls make pitch
This past Tuesday and Wednesday, the four planning firms that were selected as finalists for the master plan for the revitalization of downtown Wichita made their public presentations.