-Agenda
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Tue 12:00 PM - 12:15 PM |
Welcome & Overview
Welcome to the course! This session will introduce CDFA, explain how to use the online software, and discuss the framework for the two-day Intro Tax Increment Finance Course.
Speaker(s)
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Tue 12:15 PM - 1:00 PM |
Setting the Stage: The Basics of TIF
TIF is perennially one of the nation’s most effective and popular development finance tools, but also one of its most misunderstood and controversial. As such, it is imperative for development finance professionals to have a solid understanding of how TIF works to build a successful toolbox of financing programs. This session will focus on understanding TIF and why communities use it to achieve economic development objectives.
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Tue 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM |
TIF Legal & Procedural Nuts & Bolts
Creating a TIF district, for either a large long-term redevelopment or for an individual site/project, requires a detailed understanding of the legal, technical, policy, and strategic issues related to TIF in each state. This session will look at the legal and procedural nuts and bolts of creating a TIF, the main types of development activities that TIF can fund, and district vs. site-specific considerations. Speakers will also cover the similar considerations associated with setting up a special assessment district—a related tool that is increasingly being used in combination with TIF.
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Tue 2:30 PM - 2:45 PM |
Break
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Tue 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM |
TIF Financing Variations
TIF is a very flexible tool and offers multiple variations of the specific revenue sources it can generate and the different ways these revenues are used to support project financings. Speakers will discuss the typical sources for TIF repayments, including property tax, sales tax, and special assessments. The range of ways in which TIF funds can be made available, during or after construction will be addressed, including “pay-as-you-go,” developer financing, revenue notes, standalone TIF revenue bonds, and TIF bonds combined with or enhanced by other funding sources. This session will cover how to establish special assessment districts for additional financing.
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Tue 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM |
The Most Overlooked TIF Element: Addressing Buy-in Public Policy
TIF is designed to be a tool that facilitates both physical and economic improvements that combat blight and disinvestment and support community revitalization. TIF is a taxpayer-funded tool that impacts the local development landscape, TIF requires community input and political support, both of which are critical to a TIF program’s success and all-too-often overlooked. This session explains how cities should engage and incorporate input from citizens, business owners, school districts, and neighboring or overlapping jurisdictions as they design and administer TIF programs.
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Tue 5:00 PM |
Adjourn
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Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Wed 12:00 PM - 12:15 PM |
Revisiting Day 1
Day 2 will begin with a review of key takeaways from Day 1 and the agenda for the second half of the course.
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Wed 12:15 PM - 2:00 PM |
The Basics of TIF Underwriting & Deal Making
Underwriting and structuring are critical elements of TIF transactions and may have significant effects on the project’s chances of success. Due to TIF’s role as a public financing source, the underwriting process can become heavily intertwined with public decision-making about TIF projects. The speakers will provide an introduction to the three main components of TIF underwriting: market analysis, TIF revenue projections, and financial feasibility/”gap” analysis. They will also discuss core elements of a TIF deal, including term sheets, deal components, and development agreements.
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Wed 2:00 PM - 2:15 PM |
Break
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Wed 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM |
Understanding TIF Bond Financing
TIF bonds are one of the core methods by which TIF revenue streams are monetized to fund project costs. This session will cover the process and mechanics associated with these types of bonds and the various considerations around how and when to bond. Speakers will discuss changing market dynamics for TIF bonds and the key characteristics that make a TIF bond marketable.
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Wed 3:30 PM - 3:45 PM |
Break
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Wed 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM |
Combining & Leveraging TIF with Other Tools
During this session, attendees will learn how TIF may be paired with other complementary financing mechanisms to solve difficult gap financing challenges and improve project feasibility. Across the country, communities are reinforcing TIF districts with special assessments and combining TIF with tax credits, tax-exempt bonds, subordinate loan programs, and other federal tools. Speakers will discuss the creative ways to use TIF and how to facilitate successful financing of high-impact revitalization projects.
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Wed 5:00 PM |
Adjourn
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