WILL DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY CORPORATE WELFARE SLAP FIGHT HELP VOTERS DECIDE BETWIXT QUINTON LUCAS VS. JOLIE JUSTUS?!?!?



This afternoon a Downtown Kansas City Super-TIF went down in flames as the biz elite seem scared that they might hand Quinton Lucas the election with the wrong decision.

KC Biz Journal: Kansas City TIF commission delays decision on luxury hotel

Deets:

After hours of discussion Wednesday, Kansas City’s Tax Increment Financing Commission put off a vote on incentives for a proposed luxury hotel development to be located near the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

Developers Whitney Kerr Sr. of Cushman & Wakefield and Eric Holtze of EJ Holtze Corp. want to build a $63 million project that they claim would be Kansas City’s first five-star-quality hotel. The two said that the hotel, to be located near Wyandotte and 16th streets, cannot be built without incentives, given the high quality of finish required.

Discussion about the project lasted more than three hours as developers advocated for a 75 percent property tax abatement for 23 years on the property, among other public financing assistance. The developers say the incentives would benefit the city because taxing jurisdictions currently receive no taxes from the property . . .

Ultimately, the City Council will vote on the $63 million hotel project next month.

Update with more deets:

KSHB: KC TIF committee debates luxury hotel developer's request for new downtown Hyatt

Meanwhile . . .

KC TIF Watch is ramping up efforts to cap this kind of developer subsidy.

And then . . .

This morning a sponsored content blog offered a presser threat noting that “Committee for Kansas City Jobs” wants to raise $500,000 to oppose the measure that would limit the amount of property tax abatements available to assist developers at 50 percent of what’s allowed by state law. 

And all of this prelude leads us to the question for our blog community . . .

WILL JOLIE JUSTUS OR QUINTON LUCAS CURTAIL DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY CORPORATE WELFARE?!?!?



The consensus among most voters is that Quinton Lucas is more likely to oppose some of the more shocking Super-TIF scams. But close City Hall watchers remember that he talks a great game but usually folds or holds out for a few piecemeal affordable housing crumbs to hand to his constituents. On the other hand, Jolie Justus seems to follow Mayor Sly's pro-development path and looks to continue most of his policies.

More importantly . . .

This isn't an "affordable housing" debate but a longstanding argument over taxpayer subsidy that Kansas City residents have been engaged in for nearly two decades. In fact, taxpayers were so frustrated with the TIF legacy of Kay Barnes that they elected fiscal hawk Mark Funkhouser to turn back the clock. Sadly that plan didn't work thanks to his wife's feet.

Now . . . The war over Downtown good times funded by TIF threatens another local mayoral election.

You decide . . .

Comments

  1. quinton might end downtown tifs but his record on subsidy for the 18th & vine district is nothing to be proud of. He'll gladly keep handing out money to that project.

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    Replies
    1. ^^^ No argument about that, but jolie voted for that one too.

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    2. Kansas City is on it's way to bankruptcy with both of these candidates. I guess there should be some debate about how we get there as long as we all can agree we're going in the same direction.

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  2. The problem with TIF in KC isn't that they're giving out too much money (which this ballot initiative would curb) - it's that they're giving out money to too many projects that shouldn't qualify as development of blighted areas - like the TIF ask for this luxury hotel in the Crossroads, for instance.

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  3. TIF is a scam and so are the abatements. But between these two candidates we can see a clear difference. Jolie isn't just pro-developer. She's a carbon copy of Sly James and there won't be many people to stop the kind of subsidy that will pass under her tenure. At least with Quinton there will be a debate about the merits of each project. Sure, he might equivocate but that's better than no discussion at all.

    Jolie looks like the BIGGER, better Kay Barnes.

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  4. JoCo businessmen with an office in kcmo5/8/19, 4:56 PM

    More streetcar, more TIF, more pie. Vote Jolie!

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  5. ^^^^ Lulz. That's very generous that you would even keep an office.

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  6. Jolie is the TIF candidate.

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  7. I will vote for whoever assures me they will NOT give another penny to 18th and vine!!!

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  8. Tunnel Vision Progressive5/8/19, 5:26 PM

    The failed VisitKC group, bullhorn for the developers and city minions, recently published a report stating KCMO had more hotel capacity than the city needed. City minions did not appreciate this narrative so they are have the failed VisitKC audited. Based on the report this hotel should be dead on arrival.

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  9. 5:09 +$100,000,000 - That's how much we have spent on the 18th & vine disaster so far.

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  10. Dem mayors are dropping left and right with our new rebranded justice dept. Great time to be alive, unless of course you are a dem mayor.

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  11. Anyone who thinks EITHER of these clowns is going to say no to the usual suspect "developers" and their attorneys is living in the same fantasy world that produces "statistics" like 25 million tourists a year in KCMO.
    The people who run for and get elected to political offices in KCMO (and Jackson County) are folks with no real careers or occupations and their entire lives a focused on "moving on up" through the Democratic Party ranks.
    And all on the taxpayers' dime.
    They know where the campaign cash comes from and what happens when you don't take your marching orders from the swells at the Chamber.
    Exhibit A?
    Funkhouser.
    Bring on all the abatements, TIFs, subsidies, outright grants, misuse of "development" statutes, and all the rest.
    Hoping for representation of the people who actually live in KCMO and some moral courage at 12th and Oak is a fool's errand.
    It never changes.

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  12. Group Hopes to Raise $500K to Defeat KC Incentive Cap Initiative

    https://cityscenekc.com/group-hopes-to-raise-500k-to-defeat-kc-incentive-cap-initiative/


    Need to check with Lucas and Justus's handlers

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  13. Neither of these two idiots is going to oppose anything that puts money in their pockets.

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  14. Good Job May the Lord continue to bless in this two candidate ministry of
    de-educating and screwing over others!!!

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  15. What the people want is the last thing that will happen, what the corporations want particularly developers is what will happen first

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  16. Airport project grade management will be our norm, heaven help us.......

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  17. Two observations:

    First, this argument should NOT be driven by the inability of folks to understand that the "I" in TIF stands for "increment" -- I.e. the difference between what the taxes are NOW and what they would be increased to IF the project is built without TIF. No taxing jurisdiction gets LESS taxes than now -- unless the project were to be built otherwise.

    Second, the actual issue is whether KC needs another hotel (or even needed the new 800 room Loews Convention Hotel -- located two blocks from the 900 room Marriot Convention Hotel we already had -- that slid through the old Council during its July, 2015, Lame Duck session.)

    Perhaps these guys are just timing it to try to get it approved by the lame duck Council from June 18 thru August 1.

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