𝐍𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝟏 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝟔 𝐃𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬⁣

Over the last several posts, we’ve talked about what CIDs and TIFs are, where they’re located and why cities use them.⁣

As we have been walking through this CID/TIF series the Budget series has been running as well… which allowed us to evaluate both concurrently. One number immediately caught my attention.⁣

Lenexa expects to receive about $30.7 million through its Economic Development Fund in 2027. Much of that money is tied to CID and TIF districts and flows through the City to reimburse eligible development costs.⁣

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐱 𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐈𝐃/𝐓𝐈𝐅 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐬. ⁣

Now, to be clear, that doesn’t mean one out of every six property-tax dollars is going to developers. Much of this money is legally restricted and can’t be spent on everyday City services like police, parks or street maintenance.⁣

But it does tell us something important. Development incentives aren’t just an occasional tool in Lenexa… they’ve become a significant part of how the City finances growth.⁣

That stood out even more when I realized Lenexa has about the same number (or MORE!) of active CIDs as Overland Park, despite having less than one-third of the population. Shawnee, by comparison, has just two.⁣

These programs play a much bigger role in Lenexa than many residents probably realize. The real cost for families is coming next week.. stay tuned!⁣

What surprised you most during this series?