The Kansas City Citizen’s Commission On Municipal Revenue
A Kansas City citizens’ commission that the mayor appointed recently released a draft report on changes to the city’s municipal...
If You Need A Subsidy In Chesterfield, Where Don’t You Need One?
Monday night, the Chesterfield City Council gave preliminary approval to a new outlet mall development that plans to impose a...
Taxes And TIF In The Liberty School District
Soon, Tax Increment Financing (TIF) may claim another win. And when that happens, taxpayers can claim a loss. Kansas City...
Depressing News From Ellisville
The vote of the five members of the Ellisville City Council in favor of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is just...
Big Night For Ellisville
So, what is it going to be, Ellisville? TIF or no TIF? Tonight is the scheduled final vote on the...
EEZs Are An EZ Path To Corporate Welfare
In a very funny 1983 episode of “Family Ties,” the father, Steven Keaton, reads an FBI file describing his mild...
Revisionist TIF History From Columbia’s City Manager
The Columbia Missourian has published an overview of the statewide use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF), a development subsidy that...
TIF Gives Cities An Unfair Advantage Over Other Governments
Would you like to be able to unilaterally take some of your neighbor’s money and spend it in ways that...
Richmond Heights: TIF Gone Bad
Richmond Heights is the latest city in Missouri to dangle Tax Increment Financing (TIF) incentives in front of hungry developers...
Good Call, Ellisville
Ellisville officials made the right decision last night. They decided to delay a vote on the much-discussed Tax Increment Financing...
What Now, Ellisville?
The current Ellisville City Council is scheduled to vote on the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) proposal tonight. Last night’s election...
Good Deal, Bad Deal
In Saint Louis County, the TIF council recently rejected a TIF proposal from an Ellisville Walmart, but now the City...
Why On God’s Green Earth Can Cities Override The County TIF Commission?
I have been able to determine that the best and worst laws are in Missouri. This is the best law....
TIF Is A Bad Idea That Refuses To Die
Tax increment financing (TIF) is the Rasputin of Saint Louis County – the bad idea that keeps coming back and...
Ceux Subventionnes (The Subsidized Ones)
It is not our intention to be the Inspector Javert to the Jean Valjean of Winghaven, constantly chasing Paul McKee’s proposals...
A Tale Of Two County Executives (More Similar Than Different)
Last month, I attended a tax increment financing (TIF) commission meeting in Saint Charles. Last Wednesday night, I planned to testify before the Saint Louis...
Making a Good System Better: Suggestions for Kansas City Government
All politics, as they say, is local. But the politics in some places (think St. Louis and St. Louis County)...
We Need TIF Reform, Not Higher Taxes
I am happy to report that voters on Tuesday defeated a proposed property tax increase in the Liberty School District. I...
TIF is Everyone’s Education Problem
Remember the school district in Kansas City that is asking for a tax increase because of lost tax revenue? Show-Me Institute’s...
St. Charles Collecting Business License Fees It Is Not Authorized To Collect
While researching Tax Increment Financing, I visited the St. Charles city website. While there (it is a very good municipal website),...
