Alright, let’s cut to the bone. GO Topeka, the economic development arm of the Greater Topeka Partnership, is tasked with driving growth, attracting businesses, and boosting the tax base in Topeka and Shawnee County. But its track record’s taken some brutal hits, and the failures sting. Here’s the unvarnished breakdown of where it’s fumbled, with a nod from the voters we can make change.
First, GO Topeka’s been bleeding on the population front. Despite all its talk of “aggressive economic development strategies,” the city’s population growth is stagnant. Topeka’s hovered around 126,000 for years, with no significant bump to show for GO Topeka’s efforts. This isn’t just a number—it’s a screaming red flag that their talent attraction and retention programs, like Choose Topeka, aren’t delivering the bodies needed to fuel a thriving economy. If you’re not growing, you’re dying, and GO Topeka’s “vibrant community” pitch isn’t landing.
Next, the tax base is crumbling under their watch. The City Council’s boneheaded moves—like dumping $9.5 million into a failing hotel and the AT&T building—gutted economic development funds, and GO Topeka’s been complicit in this mess. They’re tied to the Joint Economic Development Organization (JEDO), which funnels a half-cent sales tax into these projects, yet they’ve failed to steer the cash toward ventures that actually strengthen the tax base. Forgoing taxes on a housing project for over a decade? That’s not a strategy; it’s a surrender. The result: a weaker fiscal foundation that chokes future growth.
Then there’s the riverfront debacle. GO Topeka’s been cheerleading grand plans for the Topeka Riverfront, with consultants like Bolton & Menk hired to dream up “innovative concepts.” But it’s a fantasy that’s dead on arrival. The funds are gone, siphoned off by the Council’s misadventures, and public support’s tanking as residents see no tangible wins.
Downtown Topeka’s got some buzz, but the riverfront’s a ghost town of broken promises, and GO Topeka’s inability to pivot or secure alternative funding exposes their lack of clout.
Their incentive programs are another sore spot. GO Topeka loves to tout its Economic Mobility Funds and Small Business Incentives, aimed at underserved entrepreneurs. Sounds noble, but the execution’s a mess. Grants are capped at paltry sums—$10,000 here, $5,000 there—and the application process is a bureaucratic gauntlet, with monthly windows and picky committees. Success stories, like Chef Lamona Scroggins’ $15,000 pitch win, are rare and overhyped. Meanwhile, the broader impact on job creation or business retention is negligible. Compare that to the millions blown on white-elephant projects, and it’s clear GO Topeka’s priorities are warped.
And let’s not ignore the hype machine. GO Topeka’s got a shiny website and reams of press releases about “reaccreditation” from the International Economic Development Council or hosting summits like the Economic Outlook Conference. But it’s all sizzle, no steak. They’re patting themselves on the back while the city’s economic vitals flatline. Their Momentum 2022 and 2027 plans promise “equity and inclusive prosperity,” but where’s the proof? Major industries like fintech and logistics are growing, sure, but that’s more about Topeka’s location and existing assets than GO Topeka’s genius. They’re riding coattails, not driving the bus.
Finally, their leadership’s been asleep at the wheel. Molly Howey and crew keep churning out buzzwords—innovation, collaboration, opportunity—but the results don’t match the rhetoric. The JEDO board, which GO Topeka answers to, has been criticized for lacking focus and failing to adapt to a changing economic landscape. When your big wins are a tech incubator or a young professionals’ networking group, you’re not exactly rewriting the economic playbook.
In short, GO Topeka’s failures boil down to this: they’ve overpromised and underdelivered, squandering funds on flashy flops while neglecting the nuts and bolts of population growth, tax-base expansion, and scalable business growth. Downtown’s pulse isn’t enough to offset the riverfront’s corpse, and no amount of conferences or grants can hide the fact that Topeka’s economic engine is sputtering. They’re not just lost—they’re steering the ship straight into the rocks.
