More and more, CBKC is called upon by individuals or organizations in the community to speak to emerging issues or in other ways support advancing knowledge or engagement on a wide variety of issues.
In September, CBKC President & CEO Emmet Pierson, Jr., was, as Cheryl Barnes, president of Blue Hills Neighborhood Association, said, “… riding around town in a van full of women old enough to be his mother.” In fact, he was touring the city with Ms. Barnes and her colleagues who were learning about projects awarded tax increment financing.
Barnes also is on the board of the League of Women Voters of Kansas City/Jackson/Clay/Cass/Platte counties, and it is in that capacity that she invited Pierson to provide a developer’s perspective on where tax incentive programs are used in Kansas City. Pierson gave a guided tour during a joint session with the League and the Junior League of Kansas City.
“The League of Women Voters of Kansas City is doing a study on how TIF (tax increment financing) and other tax abatement programs are used in Kansas City,” said Barnes. “The committee has had a number of speakers in and we thought it would be beneficial to see how Kansas City tax dollars are being used to support development. We rented a van, got a small speaker system and went cruising through downtown with Emmet pointing out various projects. It was fascinating.”
Barnes explained that the League must conduct a fairly comprehensive study – on any subject – bring back impartial findings to the membership and develop a consensus. Once the League has consensus on a topic, then it can lobby to affect change. Like the rest of the city, members of the League were curious about the tax breaks, but didn’t have a position on them, hence the need for a study.
Pierson said the tour was an example of CBKC living out its mission of connecting, to the community and connecting members of the community to one another. Engaging in this way allows CBKC to listen, share its knowledge and fill communication gaps where appropriate.