BRANSON MO NEWS: Branson officials will be seeking a second opinion on a potential conflict of interest in placing board of aldermen members on a tax increment financing board.
Commonly referred to as a TIF, the financing option has been used before by Branson to help developers fund projects in undeveloped or underdeveloped areas such as Branson Hills, Branson Landing and The Shoppes at Branson Meadows.
Branson Mayor Karen Best made the announcement during a Branson Board of Aldermen meeting Monday. Best said Joe Lauber, of Lauber Municipal Law in Lee’s Summit, who is advising the city on TIF projects, informed Best it could be a problem putting aldermen on the TIF commission.
“In this process we have received notification from Joe Lauber that his recommendation is the three board members that I have recommended appointing to the TIF commission would be a conflict of interest,” Best said. “It’s not necessarily against statute, but his recommendation is for the three board members to not serve on this committee.”
Best recommended a total of six members to the TIF commission, including aldermen Bob Simmons, Betsy Seay and Mike Booth.
According to Best, the TIF commission includes 11 total members.
“I was on the TIF commission for the two previous TIFs we have in Branson, being the Landing and Branson Hills,” said Booth, who was a member of the Branson School Board during those TIF projects. “Aldermen were on each one of those.”
Interim City Administrator Stan Dobbins said Lauber’s recommendation was referred to as a possible problem.
“He said in his opinion it was a possible problem,” Dobbins said. “When asked to provide case law or statues indicating where it was a problem he said there is none. He said it’s based on common law that has not been written into …
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