http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-881514.mp3
Kansas City, Mo. – The Kansas City Council made a late-hour attempt to stave off a threatened lawsuit by Jackson County over the Tax Increment Finance Commission.
Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders and others say the county, school districts, and libraries lose money to TIF projects, yet have no representation.
Sanders threatened the lawsuit and said it would be filed unless the city reformed the TIF commission to meet a state law requiring an 11 member commission and not six as it stands now.
Kansas City Councilman Terry Riley presented the resolution, contending it was not a reaction to the looming lawsuit.
"We want to make sure that all of them are receiving their fair , so that school districts, libraries and other taxing districts and jurisdictions can operate in a manner and at the level in which they should. And so I am not responding to what they have done," says Riley.
The mayor appoints members to the commission but was not present to vote yesterday. The emergency resolution passed unanimously.
Jospeh Bednar, the attorney handling the case for Jackson County, suggests the lawsuit will proceed.
County Executive Sanders said this week the city and county have been negotiating the TIF question more than two years without progress.