The City of Wichita has launched a new web site providing information about Community Improvement Districts, or CIDs, the special taxing districts designed to spur economic development in specified areas.
The Office of Urban Development will manage the web site, where residents can identify existing CIDs, view interactive maps of the district and read related background material. Businesses within a CID will also post signs directing the public to the website.
Two of the City’s five CID’s will begin collecting taxes July 1. The Fairfield Inn at WaterWalk and Drury Plaza Broadview are both scheduled to begin operations in the next few months. CIDs approved by the City do not begin collecting taxes until notification is sent to the state.
CIDs were created by the Kansas Legislature. They must be approved by local governments such as the Wichita City Council. Developers may use funds from the special taxing district to offset a portion of development costs for projects. State law allows developers to petition municipalities to establish CIDs, which can assess sales taxes of up to 2% for eligible improvements.
