Testimony Before the St. Louis County TIF Commission on the Proposed Ellisville TIF

In theory, establishing a TIF district involves serious and impartial deliberation and calculus. A city intends to revitalize a part of its community, but first it must go through a complicated process designed to test whether certain tax incentives are allowed. The city contracts with urban planners who independently determine if the proposal could happen “but for” the taxpayer assistance, and also if the area meets the standards for a designation of “blight,” or “conservation” (or another appropriate designation), making it eligible for subsidies. A developer is then brought into the process and, with the assistance of the government and the taxpayers, produces an economic growth engine that provides jobs, a revitalized community, and (eventually) an expanded tax base.