City presenter urges 10-year renewal of Leavenworth Neighborhood Revitalization Area; board tables request for more data

Miss Holler, the city presenter, asked the Leavenworth USD 453 Board of Education to support a 10-year renewal of the Neighborhood Revitalization Area (NRA) interlocal agreement that has operated for roughly 20 years.

The NRA offers a temporary property-tax rebate tied to the incremental increase in a building’s assessed value after qualifying improvements. Miss Holler said the program targets downtown and the northeast sector, where older housing and higher poverty rates have contributed to blight. She cited redevelopment projects that used the NRA, including multiple downtown loft conversions and commercial renovations, and said the program has supported housing units that could be available for teachers and students.

Board members sought concrete metrics. One member asked how the program’s results compared with inflation and requested numbers for property-value increases among participating parcels; Miss Holler said she could provide county reports and increment figures but did not have a detailed comparative analysis at the meeting. She said there are currently 26 properties in the program and cited 2024 figures showing the district deferred about $217,000 in tax revenue tied to rebates for that year.

A board member moved to table the item for a month and asked staff to submit written questions; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The board requested further financial analysis, including comparisons to broader housing-value trends and more precise increment figures for participating parcels.

Next steps: staff will provide the requested data to board members in writing and return the NRA renewal to the board agenda at the next meeting.