As chairman of the influential Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development Committee, Dr. Nash presided over and directly influenced $6 billion of economic development activity, the biggest economic boom in Kansas City’s history. Some additional policy accomplishment are listed below.
Troy sponsored and instigated the creation of the first significant Tax Increment Financing (TIF) area in the underserved Third District. This TIF area in the heart of the urban core will allow for the construction of a desperately needed grocery store and neighborhood services at 39th and Prospect, one of Kansas City’s most troubled intersections. This TIF plan is linked with a broader program, the Prospect Corridor Initiative, to revitalize the entire corridor and began with Troy launching a 144 hour camp-out on Prospect.
Troy secured over $300,000 in funding for the Champions Sports Complex, providing inner city youth with recreational, educational, and crime prevention activities.
Troy secured funding and sponsored the establishment of a police substation at 39th and Prospect, dramatically reducing crime and improving citizen-police cooperation in the neighborhood.
Troy sponsored or secured more than $142 million in investment in the Third District between 1999 and 2005 alone.
Troy introduced legislation to save the Seven Oaks Shopping Center and Leon’s, the oldest African-American owned grocery store in the country.
Troy was instrumental in the creation of MODESA, providing the stimulus for downtown Kansas City’s rebirth.
Troy secured funding for Project ROAR, an anti-illegal dumping campaign that provided coordinated response to illegal dumping in the urban core.
Troy was successful in obtaining funding to increase the city’s efforts on weed control, mowing, and combatting visual blight.
Troy regularly embraced transparency and open communication with residents, through frequent town hall meetings, community meetings, and visits with neighborhood associations and citizens. Troy often held community meetings on special topics, such as the annual municipal budget, illegal dumping, and economic development.
With former council colleague Jim Rowland, Troy created a race relations initiative called ONE Kansas City, which encouraged Kansas Citians to embrace diversity and engage in meaningful cross-cultural dialogue with one another.
Early in his first term, Troy was successful in keeping a key campaign promise: opening a new, quality grocery store in the Third District. A new grocery store opened on Troost in 2001, shepherded through the approval process by Troy.
Troy successfully lobbied the state legislature to amend state law to allow the city to waive demolition liens for new projects with a public purpose in blighted areas, allowing for more community-conscious economic development and non-profit development in the Third District.
Troy presented a Neighborhood Bill of Rights that outlined the qualities that make great neighborhoods and then secured additional funding or legislative changes to uphold those standards.
Troy was one of the most vocal supporters of a public safety sales tax to improve facilities and equipment for Kansas City’s police and firefighters. Troy also slept overnight in a fire station in each of Kansas City’s council districts to draw attention to the poor living conditions that existed in fire stations.
Troy helped lead the fight to increase funding for indigent health care in Kansas City, first through additional allocations and then through a voter-approved increase in the health levy.
Troy camped out in a low-income housing development, Hilltop Townhomes, for thirty days to bring attention to the plight of that community. Working with community activists, he engaged residents, management, police, and city staff to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood.
Troy has promoted Kansas City internationally, as a city councilman, real estate executive, and non-profit leader. He has led many cultural and trade missions abroad and has brought figures of international renown to Kansas City, including to inner city neighborhoods to interact with residents.