Tag: TIF districts
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Wichita TIF District Reveals Lack of Confidence
Tell me, if real estate developers require an incentive to do something, what does that tell us about their level of confidence?
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Wichita TIF public hearing was bait and switch
The officials involved — council members Jeff Longwell and Lavonta Williams, who negotiated the addition of the parking with county commissioners; Allen Bell, who is Wichita’s director of urban development; and Mayor Carl Brewer — need to answer to the citizens of Wichita as to why this important business was conducted in this haphazard manner…
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Wichita TIF districts mean central government planning
As the City of Wichita moves towards more government subsidy and planning instead of entrepreneurship, we should make sure we know what we’re relying on.
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Downtown Wichita Arena TIF District Testimony
At the December 2, 2008 meeting of the Wichita City Council, John Todd and I testified against the expansion of the Center City South Redevelopment tax increment financing (TIF) District, commonly known as the downtown Wichita arena TIF district. You can read John’s remarks here, or watch a video from YouTube here. Bob’s remarks are…
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Sedgwick County Commission Urged to Veto Wichita Arena TIF District
From Darrell Leffew. The Wichita City Council voted December 2nd. to approve the TIF District for the Arena area, including a large sum for parking. As a voter and taxpayer in the County and Wichita, I respectfully request each of you on the Board of County Commission to veto that TIF. The Arena sales tax…
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Jim Skelton is Frustrated
At yesterday’s meeting of the Wichita City Council, council member Jim Skelton expressed his frustration with last-minute additions to the plan for the Center City South Redevelopment tax increment financing (TIF) District, commonly known as the downtown Wichita arena TIF district. The problem is two-fold: First, when plans change at the last minute, there is…
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Wichita Center City South Redevelopment TIF District Testimony
From John Todd. Update: Watch John’s testimony on YouTube here. Testimony delivered by John Todd before the Wichita City Council on December 2, 2008 in opposition to the proposed Tax Increment Financing (TIF) plan for the Center city South Redevelopment District located generally around the new Intrust Bank Arena. In 2004, proponents of the new…
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Late Changes Don’t Inspire Confidence in Wichita Government
At today’s Wichita City Council meeting, Councilmember Jim Skelton revealed that the plan for the downtown Wichita arena TIF district had changed. A provision for up to $10 million in parking was added. I had looked at the agenda report less than 24 hours before the start of the meeting. The plan for parking spending…
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Downtown Wichita Arena TIF District Still a Bad Idea
Say no to expansion of the Center City South Redevelopment tax increment financing (TIF) District. Remarks to be delivered at the December 2, 2008 meeting of the Wichita City Council. Watch the video here. Mr. Mayor, Members of the Council: It is the case the the City of Wichita is proposing to limit this TIF…
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Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer’s Reformulated TIF Plan Still a Bad Idea
Today the Wichita City Council holds a special meeting to consider a reformulated plan to provide tax increment financing (TIF) for the area surrounding the downtown Wichita arena. It’s still a bad idea. It appears there are two major changes in the new plan. First, the TIF district is smaller. Second, spending on the district…
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Should a Beat Journalist be a Layman?
Keeping TIFs from a public tiff by Wichita Eagle business reporter Bill Wilson on the Eagle’s Business Casual blog contains some comments that are troubling to me. In these comments, reporter Wilson wrote this: “Instead, a TIF, to this layman, actually is a government bet on the success of a development.” (emphasis added) Now I…
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Records Requests Sent Today
Today, I’ve made two records requests under the Kansas Open Records Act. The first, to USD 259, the Wichita public school district, is this: All correspondence between USD 259 and Schaefer Johnson Cox Frey Architecture and its representatives from July 1, 2007 to the present. I ask for both written and electronic correspondence such as…