Thomas A. Cunningham practices in the areas of municipal finance, redevelopment, and local governmental law. Tom’s experience includes service as public finance counsel to numerous municipalities and local government entities in St. Louis County and throughout Missouri. 

Tom has extensive experience in the use of economic incentives for development projects and capital facilities financings for and "on behalf of" local governments and public agencies utilizing general obligation bonds, leasehold revenue bonds, special obligation bonds, industrial revenue bonds, TIF Bonds, NID Bonds, Chapter 100 Bonds, 501(c)(3) Bonds, and tax anticipation notes. He has acted as bond counsel, issuer's counsel, developer's counsel, borrower's counsel, and lender's counsel in numerous local government financings and refinancings. During the last ten years, he has participated in transactions representing over $500,000,000 of public improvements.

Tom serves as City Attorney for the City of New Florence, and as Special Public Finance/Redevelopment Counsel to the cities of Bowling Green, Festus, Greenwood, Louisiana, Moberly, Raymore, Rock Hill, St. Ann, Ste. Genevieve, Wentzville, and Wildwood, and as General Counsel to the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission. Tom is a frequent lecturer statewide on the use of public incentives and redevelopment tools in Missouri including NIDs, CIDs, TIF, TDDs, Transportation Corporations, and real property tax abatement under the Urban Redevelopment Corporations Law. Tom is the author of "Urban Development," Chapter 19 of the Missouri Bar Real Estate Practice Deskbook. Mr. Cunningham received his B.F.A. in Design from Syracuse University, his M.C.R.P. from Rutgers University, and his J.D. from Boston University School of Law, where he served as Managing Editor, Boston University Legislative Services.

In addition to his practice in the area of municipal finance, Tom regularly advises municipal officials and developers in the resolution of complex zoning and land use questions. He has assisted numerous communities in the development of strategic plans, capital development programs, economic development strategies, and plans of intent for annexation. He has been a featured speaker at regional conferences of the American Planning Association and has lectured on municipal development topics throughout Missouri.

Tom has developed comprehensive zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations, signage controls, capital facilities programs, development and redevelopment plans, urban design guidelines and enforcement and administrative procedures for some thirty-five communities. Three of these projects have received the Missouri Chapter of the American Planning Association's Excellence in Planning Award. Tom has authored a two-volume Model Historic District Zoning Ordinance and Design Standards for the State of Rhode Island and co-authored the Model Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

In addition to his legal credentials, Tom has over eighteen years of planning experience as a consultant to local, state and federal governments. Tom's experience also includes public sector service as Planning and Community Development Director of the City of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, a city of 40,000 where he administered a $2.2 million annual CDBG entitlement program and directed the city's extensive and highly successful downtown and neighborhood revitalization programs. He has prepared development guidelines for Dearborn Park, 50 acre new-town-in-town in Chicago; public participation strategies and comprehensive development plans for Salt Lake City, Utah; and model environmental assessment formats under New Jersey's Coastal Area Facilities Review Act. Tom is a charter member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, the American Planning Association and a member of the Missouri Municipal Attorney’s Association.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
National Association of Bond Lawyers
Missouri Municipal Attorneys’ Association
St. Louis County Municipal League
American Institute of Certified Planners (Charter Member)
American Planning Association (Charter Member)
Certified Planner in Charge, Missouri, Nebraska

COURT ADMISSIONS
Missouri Supreme Court
Illinois Supreme Court
United States District Court, Eastern, District

PUBLICATIONS & SEMINARS
Missouri Municipal League Annual Conference, Practical Redevelopment in a Post-Kelo World, October 2006.
URBAN REDEVELOPMENT, Missouri Real Estate Practice, Continuing Legal Education Deskbook, 4th Ed., and Supplements through 2006; Missouri Bar.
St. Louis County Municipal League, Proposed Missouri State Constitutional Initiative: The Tuohey "Eminent Domain" Amendment, September 2006.
Missouri Municipal Attorneys Assn, Practical Redevelopment in a Post-Kelo World, July 2006.
American Planning Association, APA Module 12 – Legal Development Financing, February 2006.
Wentzville Economic Development Planning Committee, Public Incentives & Financing Options, April 2005
American Planning Association, APA Module 6 – Legal Aspects of Planning & Zoning (Including Financing & Development Economics), November 2004.
Missouri Municipal League, Comprehensive Review of Revenue Sources for Capital Improvements & Services, September 2004.
St. Louis County Municipal League, Traditional and Non-Traditional Revenue Sources, January 2004.
URBAN REDEVELOPMENT, Local Government Law, Continuing Legal Education Deskbook (with Irvin Dagen) & Supplements; Missouri Bar.
Institute of Property Taxation: "Overview of Economic Development and Redevelopment Financing and Incentive Programs – Midwest Region (Missouri, Illinois, Kansas and Iowa)" address to Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.
Listed as Sole Bond Counsel in The Bond Buyer's Municipal Marketplace (the "Red Book").

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