By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
Here's a potential bombshell that could finally -- finally -- improve KC's development process:
Jackson County may file a lawsuit to clarify just how much power the taxing jurisdictions have when it comes to protecting the money that taxpayers give to them..
The jurisdictions -- primarily the county, the Kansas City Library and school districts -- need more power to make sure KC officials do not give away too much of the jurisdictions' public funds to subsidized development.
The issue came up Wednesday at City Council Plans and Zoning Committee meeting.
KC Library Director Crosby Kemper III expressed the correct view that taxing jurisdictions too often are cut out of the TIF process. That's partly because the number of city votes on the TIF Commission exceeds the number of votes for taxing jurisdictions -- even though the schools, library and county often lose more money through the subsidy process than the city does.
Kemper said he thought the whole development process needs to be improved, which is true. He said Jackson County is contemplating a lawsuit against the EDC to straighten out the roles of all the players involved.
Jackson County spokesman Calvin Williford, had no comment on a possible lawsuit.
However, Williford -- a county representative to the TIF Commission -- said county officials were "very interested in clarifying" the roles of the taxing jurisdictions.
He said the EDC's legal staff had issued several "questionable" opinions designed to preclude the taxing jurisdictions from being involved in the scrutiny of TIF projects.
The taxing jurisdictions are correctly and finally getting tough on TIF projects.
They need to make sure more of their taxpayer funds are used to provide basic services to residents -- and not subsidies for private developers.
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kcwatchdog is off base...again
I have criticized the EDC on several occasions, so you can stop making your off base assertions, kcwatchdog. The EDC does make mistakes, as does the City and the taxing jurisdictions. Just because you are a former taxing jurisdiction employee doesn't mean that you know everything there is to know about tax incentives and that you are right...it just means you're no longer a taxing jurisdiction employee.
And, as for Tom's assumption that I'm Joe Gonzales...that would be an incorrect assumption.
Hello tom
Not sure what your intent is with these introductions or what your interest is with tif, but as a long-time kc resident and former taxing jurisdiction employee, I have seen how edc and the yahoos at the city have ripped this city off with thier irresponsible use of tif. insidedud (who defends the edc at every opportunity) is one of many, who continue to misrepresent the facts about tif and how is buddies at the edc have been working in the interests of the taxpayers which based on recent events it is becoming clear that they are not.
Hello tom
Not sure what your intent is with these introductions or what your interest is with tif, but as a long-time kc resident and former taxing jurisdiction employee, I have seen how edc and the yahoos at the city have ripped this city off with thier irresponsible use of tif. insidedud (who defends the edc at every opportunity) is one of many, who continue to misrepresent the facts about tif and how is buddies at the edc have been working in the interests of the taxpayers which based on recent events it is becoming clear that they are not.
Hello tom
Not sure what your intent is with these introductions or what your interest is with tif, but as a long-time kc resident and former taxing jurisdiction employee, I have seen how edc and the yahoos at the city have ripped this city off with thier irresponsible use of tif. insidedud (who defends the edc at every opportunity) is one of many, who continue to misrepresent the facts about tif and how is buddies at the edc have been working in the interests of the taxpayers which based on recent events it is becoming clear that they are not.
introductions
since there are only about five people that consistently post on yael's tif entries let's just get it all out there so that we can have a civilized discussion. i'll start. my name's todd. i just recently moved to kansas city after living in arizona for a few years. phoenix is nice, but i've come to love kansas city over the last couple months.
now, insidebub is, of course, joe gonzales the tif executive director of the edc. who's everyone else?
Dear Insidedud...
Policies dont make process, people do. So why dont you remind your cronies at EDC to get with the program and start implementing the economic development policy as they were charged to do. oh wait, that would actually require them to break ties with the developers whose interests they are really serving (since that is who pays them) vs. working on behalf of the city and all the other taxing jurisdictions that actually have a stake in the money that they so freely want to give away. again, the policy isnt the problem; its the EDC stupid.
Council will be responsible for its criminal action-Go to Prison
Detroit City Council President Pro Tem Monica Conyers Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bribery
http://detroit.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel09/de062609.htm
FBI and IRS have been notified about the criminal move of Council,
to release taxpayers' cofidential info to non-govenmental entities.
City council will eliminate the taxpayers'watchdog, which oversee all the tax incentive projects-development Fiance division.
FBI-Kansas City
Address:
1300 Summit
Kansas City, Missouri 64105
Telephone:
(816) 512-8200
Email:
http://kansascity.fbi.gov/contact.htm
http://www.irs.gov/compliance/enforcement/index.html
Council Violate Federal Law to elimitate the Taxpayers' watchdog-Development Finance Division
YOU CAN CALL CITY ATTORNEY FOR MORE DETAILS AT (816) 513-3142
http://cityclerk.kcmo.org/liveweb/Documents/Document.aspx?q=9n70IJbUfJGjGRirEgITnUHGj0vFyN5F45tuDDQYJPqlSMmhMqaDstB83Eb3p7fu
http://kansascity.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=3436
http://kansascity.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=26
Ordinance 090447
Let us remember these councilmembers who
want to eliminate taxpayers'protector- Development Finance, which analyzes and oversees all the tax incentive projects and eliminate them in 2011.
And, while I'm thing about it
Yael,
You seem to be talking out of both side of your mouth on this one. You say that the development process needs to be fixed, but isn't this the development process that resulted from the City's Economic Development & Incentives Policy that you championed?
Oh, wait, I forgot, as an editorial columnist you can be contradictory and self-serving. Silly me! You just keep on doing what you're doing while the rest of us see what you're doing and roll our eyes...again and again and again.
Wake me when it's actually filed, Yael.
Perhaps this rumored lawsuit really is overdue. Clarifying the roles of the taxing jurisdictions in the TIF process does need to happen; but not for the reasons that Yael seems to think. It seems pretty clear to me that the taxing jurisdictions are only allowed to participate as temporary members of a TIF Commission when a new TIF Plan or a TIF Plan Amendment is being considered. They have absolutely no standing in any other matter considered by a TIF Commission, such as Redevelopment Agreements, MBE/WBE matters, cost certifications, or approving the recommendations of Advisory Committees. Of course, the taxing jurisdictions already know this...perhaps this is why this lawsuit has been rumored for months, but has yet to be filed. The threat of a lawsuit is often enough to get some changes or concessions, but it really only works when you actually have a chance of winning it.
Long overdue; but also the need for discovery
This development is long overdue, and TIF should have been challanged in court years ago. Good for Kemper and the County. I suggest that any lawsuits be used for "discovery" to obtain information for possible litigation against the EDC, Barnes, Cauthen, "developer buddies", and others connected with this destruction of the City's asset and revenue base. Perhaps, a class action suit also should be brought against the earnings tax, since it appears that these funds have not been used as intended in the legislation.