-Agenda
Thursday, August 7, 2025
| Thu 11:00 AM - 11:05 AM |
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.
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| Thu 11:05 AM - 12:35 PM |
Understanding TIF: The Basics, Legal Considerations, and Procedures
This session introduces Tax Increment Financing (TIF), one of the most widely used—and often misunderstood—development finance tools. We’ll explore how TIF works, why communities turn to it, and the legal and procedural steps needed to create and manage a TIF district. From district-wide projects to site-specific strategies, participants will gain a practical foundation in how to approach TIF effectively and in compliance with state-specific requirements.
Speaker(s)
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| Thu 12:35 PM - 12:45 PM |
Break
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| Thu 12:45 PM - 1:30 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.
Speaker(s)
- Emily Metzler, Managing Director, Stifel Nicolaus & Company, Inc.
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| Thu 1:30 PM - 3:25 PM |
TIF Deal Structure: Underwriting, Negotiating and Bond Financing
This session explores the essential elements of structuring a TIF deal—from underwriting and negotiating to financing with bonds. Participants will learn about the core components of TIF underwriting, including market analysis, revenue projections, and financial feasibility. The session also covers term sheets, development agreements, and the fundamentals of TIF bond financing, including how these bonds are structured, when they’re used, and what makes them successful in today’s market.
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| Thu 3:25 PM - 3:35 PM |
Break
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| Thu 3:35 PM - 4:15 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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| Thu 4:15 PM - 4:55 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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| Thu 4:55 PM - 5:00 PM |
Closing Discussion / Final Questions
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