Government Stories

East Side investment zone

Councilman introduces east side investment proposal with $15/hour wage provision

As economic development surges in pockets across Kansas City, residents and businesses on the east side shouldn’t be left behind, Scott Taylor said. “Our clock is ticking as a city on this, and we need to do more,” said Taylor, councilman for the sixth district, at-large. At a press conference Thursday, Taylor introduced a draft…

DevOpsDays KC

Tax bill guts historic tax credits used to rehab Westport Commons, Kemper, lofts

Plexpod Westport Commons wouldn’t exist without the historic tax credits used to make the massive renovation and preservation project financially feasible, said developer Butch Rigby. A GOP-led tax reform bill introduced this month to simplify the tax code, however, would eliminate the Reagan-era tax credit program, which provides a 20 percent federal tax credit for…

gig economy

Etsy exec: Tax reform leaves out entrepreneurs of the gig economy

Editor’s note: Althea Erickson, head of advocacy and impact at Etsy, wrote this opinion piece in response to tax reform bills being considered in the U.S. House and Senate. The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. For all the talk of tax reform that’s swirling around Washington, D.C., there’s one group that’s…

Pioneering KCI airport vote should help land top talent, startup leaders say

Capping a six-year journey fraught with turbulence, delays and political drama, voters overwhelmingly ratified plans to build a new $1.3 billion airport terminal, which would replace the existing Kansas City International Airport (KCI). “Kansas City has never been about being just mediocre,” said Michael Wilson, founder of luxury watch brand Niall and a frequent traveler…

Confused about Tuesday’s KCI airport vote? Here’s the breakdown

Update: The votes are in! And turnout was high for a mid-term election! Check out Startland’s coverage of Tuesday’s KCI airport vote by clicking here.  After more than five years of deal-making and debate, the time has come for Kansas City, Missouri, voters to decide the fate of the city’s current 45-year-old airport. On the…