Atchison County commissioners say they will reassess neighborhood revitalization program after developer presentation

Roger Caudle, a resident who said he builds houses in Atchison, told the Atchison County Commission on Tuesday that the county's Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) has a long, positive ripple effect on local housing and taxable values.

Caudle said the incentive helps prospective buyers and accelerates turnover of older housing stock, producing more accurate market appraisals and, over time, broader tax revenue. "Anything we can do to incentivize that, is kind of what we're for," he said. "The seeds are flowering, but not that day. You have to wait for harvest." Caudle brought his grandson, Nick, and said developers' work has created neighborhoods attractive to families and out-of-town buyers.

Commissioners agreed the program has produced growth but said county participation needs re-evaluation after recent budget reductions. "When we pulled out, let me make this clear to everybody listening: it didn't affect any other taxing entity," said Commissioner Campbell. "We are administering that program, we always have, and we continue to administer that program. But the county said, based on the numbers, we have to pull out and take some time and look at how we can get back in that makes sense for the county." Commissioner Quinn reiterated support for growth while emphasizing fiscal limits tied to the county's largely property-tax revenue stream.

Commissioners and the presenters discussed the program's history: the transcript record shows a county resolution from 1998 that shaped the program and later updates. Commissioners and Caudle described how incentives for new rooftops and rehabilitated buildings create a cascading effect that opens housing lower down the market chain. Caudle said one buyer moved earlier into a better house because of the incentive, which then freed up an existing house for another buyer.

County officials noted program scale and county fiscal structure prompted the pause. The finance discussion during the meeting noted that more than 20% of county parcels are tax-exempt, shrinking the taxable base and increasing pressure on county property-tax levies. Commissioners said the county will take a closer look at NRP eligibility, county contribution levels and program intent before deciding whether and how to rejoin the program.

No formal vote to change the program was recorded during the meeting; commissioners described the county as having already pulled back and now planning a deliberate review. The board said it plans to seek more data, may schedule workshops with municipal partners, and flagged a third-party analysis that county staff estimated would take roughly three months.

The commission asked staff to return with options that define the county's appropriate level of participation, and to coordinate outreach with cities so municipalities and the county can discuss a shared approach. The commission did not set a final timeline for rejoining the program.