Proposed Ordinance — Community Improvement District Transparency & Accountability
Drafted — Not Yet SubmittedI independently drafted a proposed ordinance to strengthen financial transparency, public accountability, and oversight of Community Improvement Districts (CIDs) operating within the City of Independence. Community Improvement Districts can collect taxes or assessments for designated improvements and services. My proposal would establish clearer requirements for showing residents how that money is collected, spent, and connected to measurable public benefits. The ordinance proposes quarterly financial reporting, a centralized City-hosted transparency portal, public access to governing documents, independent audit triggers, conflict-of-interest disclosures, and consequences for failing to meet accountability requirements. My objective is to ensure that when taxing authority is granted for a public purpose, residents can see the financial results, understand who makes the decisions, and evaluate whether the promised improvements are being delivered. This is an independently drafted legislative proposal. It has not been submitted to or adopted by the Independence City Council.
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I developed this proposed ordinance to address how Community Improvement Districts report their finances, document public benefits, and remain accountable to the residents and businesses affected by their taxing authority.
**Quarterly Public Financial Reports**
Each CID would provide a plain-English report identifying taxes collected, expenditures made, vendors paid, projects completed, projects delayed, and anticipated future spending.
Reports would also disclose board membership, compensation, and overlapping financial or organizational relationships.
**Centralized Public Transparency Portal**
The proposal would require CID financial reports to be published through a City-managed online portal rather than relying exclusively on individual district websites.
Residents would have access to archived reports, downloadable financial data, and visual summaries of revenues and expenditures.
**Financial Audits and Performance Reviews**
The ordinance identifies circumstances that would trigger financial and performance audits, including unusually high administrative expenses, certain related-party transactions, significant project delays, and extended periods without completed public-facing improvements.
It also proposes a public performance review every five years.
**Resident Questions and Public Responses**
Residents within a CID would have a formal process for submitting written questions about district finances or activities.
The proposal establishes a 30-day response requirement and an escalation process when questions remain unanswered.
**Conflicts of Interest and Financial Safeguards**
The ordinance calls for disclosure of related-party transactions, board conflicts, property acquisitions, compensation, investment policies, and project spending.
It also proposes restrictions intended to prevent CID resources from being used to absorb unrelated development or financing obligations.
**Enforcement and Accountability**
The draft includes proposed consequences for noncompliance, including restrictions on discretionary expenditures, additional audits, public hearings, corrective-action requirements, and potential proceedings under applicable Missouri law.
Some proposed enforcement provisions, particularly those involving suspension of taxing authority, mandatory spending restrictions, dissolution, and financial recovery, require further legal review to determine whether the City has the necessary authority under Missouri law.
**Current Status**
This ordinance remains an independently prepared legislative draft. It has not been formally submitted, introduced, or adopted.
The complete six-page draft is retained as a supporting document for further review and potential future consideration.
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