Douglas County Commission Summary
Week of July 9, 2026
Commission advances payment in lieu of taxes for KU Innovation Park
KU Innovation Park tax rates to scale up over 10 years
Startups exempt from proposed KU Innovation Park tax payments
KU Innovation Park details economic return on county investment
Future corporate tenancy would eventually trigger tax payments
Financial safeguards included to protect KU Innovation Park debt
County faces imminent deadline for West facility funding
Commission receives notice of Eudora TIF district
Commission advances payment in lieu of taxes for KU Innovation Park
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Kan. — The Douglas County Commission unanimously directed county staff at its July 8 meeting to finalize a payment in lieu of taxes agreement with KU Innovation Park. The 10-year voluntary framework aims to have the park's mature, revenue-generating companies contribute to local property taxes. Staff will incorporate a newly proposed administrative fee into the document before bringing the final agreement back to the commission for a formal vote.
KU Innovation Park tax rates to scale up over 10 years
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Kan. — Under the proposed payment in lieu of taxes agreement, eligible tenants at KU Innovation Park will begin paying $2.12 per square foot in 2027. Douglas County Appraiser Brad Eldridge said the starting figure represents about 25 percent of the fair market tax rate for Class A office space, factoring in a standard 75 percent tax abatement discount. The rate will increase by 5 percent annually, reaching $2.77 per square foot by the end of the 10-year agreement, at which point the county will reassess the contract.
Startups exempt from proposed KU Innovation Park tax payments
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Kan. — Early-stage tech and bioscience startups will be exempt from the proposed payment in lieu of taxes agreement at KU Innovation Park. KU Innovation Park CEO Adam Courtney said the fees will only apply to mature, for-profit companies with positive cash flow. Early-stage startups, research-based tenants, nonprofits and vacant spaces will not be subject to the fees — a provision designed to protect companies that are still actively investing capital to scale their operations.
KU Innovation Park details economic return on county investment
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Kan. — KU Innovation Park officials presented an economic impact update to the commission, reporting what they described as an 8-to-1 return on local government investment, though the methodology for that figure was not immediately provided. Lindsey Slater, KU Innovation Park's vice president of strategic communications, said the park currently houses 77 companies, supports more than 800 jobs and generates over $53 million in annual payroll. Data collected from employee keycards indicates that approximately 60 percent of the park's workforce resides within Douglas County.
Future corporate tenancy would eventually trigger tax payments
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Kan. — Responding to a commissioner's inquiry about whether a large corporate tenant like Panasonic could eventually lease space in KU Innovation Park's upcoming Phase 4 building, CEO Adam Courtney said such a corporation would meet the criteria of a mature company under the new tax agreement. However, Courtney noted that the new tax structure would not apply to Phase 4 tenants until their initial leases are renewed, as the financial pro forma for the current construction was finalized prior to the new tax negotiations.
Financial safeguards included to protect KU Innovation Park debt
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Kan. — The proposed payment in lieu of taxes agreement includes protective measures to ensure KU Innovation Park does not default on its existing debts. The agreement features a debt service coverage ratio safeguard of 1.15. KU Innovation Park CEO Adam Courtney said that if the park were at risk of falling below that ratio — which he said it never has — the tax payments would be accrued and paid later, ensuring the long-term viability of the park's services and its Phase 3 and Phase 4 financing.
County faces imminent deadline for West facility funding
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Kan. — Douglas County will need to make critical decisions regarding the KU Innovation Park West facility before the end of the calendar year. County Administrator Sarah Plinsky told the commission that action must be taken to address the West facility before the second round of payments is due in September. The impending deadline factored into the commission's decision to target 2027 for the rollout of the new tax agreement, avoiding simultaneous financial burdens.
Commission receives notice of Eudora TIF district
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Kan. — The Douglas County Commission officially received a letter from the city of Eudora regarding the establishment of a new tax increment financing district. TIF districts are used by municipalities to subsidize redevelopment, infrastructure and other community-improvement projects by capturing projected increases in property tax revenue.
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