Wade?

**Verity Title & Escrow Solutions (also referred to as Verity Title & Escrow) is a relatively new, locally owned title and escrow company based in Topeka, Kansas.** It provides residential and commercial title insurance, escrow services, closings, title searches, and related real estate transaction support across Kansas.

### Company Background

- **Founded**: Around 2025 (as a new/local entity), with operations ramping up in late 2025/early 2026.

- **Leadership**: 

  - **Christine Caplinger** — Owner/CEO/Attorney. She has deep Topeka roots, a family legacy in business ownership, and runs Caplinger Law (focused on business and estate planning). She emphasizes integrity, transparency, tech-driven processes, and client-first service.

  - **Stephen Wade** — President. He brings executive and operational experience (previously Topeka City Manager and in CFO/executive roles).

- **Locations**: Main office at 5930 SW 29th St., Suite 200, Topeka, KS 66614. New satellite office opened in April 2026 at 534 S Kansas Ave., Suite 1210 (downtown Topeka) for greater accessibility.

- **Affiliations**: Part of WFG Agency Division (as a title agent); member of ALTA (American Land Title Association). Small team (2-10 employees).

- **Approach**: They highlight modern technology (online portals for tracking, secure payments, real-time updates), precision, local knowledge, and a supportive culture. They position themselves as a fresh, trustworthy alternative in Topeka’s title industry.

The company actively markets itself as community-oriented and is involved in local real estate events, expos, and media (e.g., TV segments on homebuying).

### The Facebook Post and "Building Topeka Together"

- This is part of **Verity Title’s branding/marketing campaign**. The exact post (or very similar ones) appeared on their Facebook page (facebook.com/VerityTitle) around early January 2026, showing the team photo with the headline “We’re building something new in ...” and the Verity logo.

- **"Building Topeka Together"** is their tagline/hashtag for community engagement and growth messaging. It ties into Topeka’s broader economic development efforts and appears across their social media, ads, and events. The photo emphasizes their team as the “heart” of the company, focusing on people, precision, and local pride.

- The image you shared matches their promotional materials: four smiling professionals in business attire against a wood-paneled background. It likely features **Christine Caplinger** (possibly the woman second from left or similar positioning based on prominence), **Stephen Wade** (likely the man in the blue shirt), and two other team members (women on the ends, consistent with small-team promo shots). These posts promote their new office openings, services, and community involvement.

### The People in the Photo (Inferred from Context)

Exact left-to-right identification isn't publicly captioned in every post, but it aligns with leadership and key staff:

- **Left**: Likely a team member (e.g., escrow officer or closer, common in such group shots).

- **Second from left**: Possibly Christine Caplinger or another key female professional.

- **Center/Right of center**: Stephen Wade (tall man in blue shirt, glasses).

- **Right**: Another team member (e.g., sales/support role).

The campaign humanizes the company by showcasing approachable, professional staff.

### Broader Context and What’s Known

- **Market Position**: Topeka has other title companies (e.g., Kansas Secured Title). Verity differentiates with tech, local ownership, attorney leadership, and a “fresh start” vibe post-2025 founding. They’ve been active in realtor outreach and media.

- **Reputation**: Early-stage positive mentions in local news, Instagram reels (ribbon cuttings, expos), and real estate circles. Emphasis on trust, accuracy, and avoiding common pitfalls like wire fraud. No major red flags or controversies found in public records.

- **Services**: Standard title/escrow plus emphasis on residential, commercial, refinance, new construction, and 1031 exchanges. They stress clear communication and online tools.

### What’s Not Fully Known / Gaps

- Full detailed bios or headshots for all four individuals in the specific photo (beyond Caplinger and Wade) — the meet-the-team page highlights the overall team but individual spotlights are limited.

- Financials, client reviews volume, or long-term track record (being new).

- Any deeper political or controversial ties (Stephen Wade had a high-profile, contentious stint as City Manager pre-Verity, involving disputes and a claim against the city, but that’s separate from the company).

**Summary**: This is promotional content for a newish, attorney-led, tech-forward local title company in Topeka pushing community growth and reliability. The post is straightforward marketing to build visibility and trust in the real estate market. Verity appears focused on differentiating through people, precision, and presence in a competitive local industry. For more, check veritytitle.com, their Facebook, or contact them directly at (785) 284-5933.

Henry McClure

785.383.9994 

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Do Kids Actually Walk to Landon Middle School? Let’s Look at the Facts

By Henry McClure

Topeka voters keep hearing the emotional argument: “We can’t allow Maverik because of the kids walking to Landon Middle School on Fairlawn.”

Sounds scary. Sounds like we’re protecting children.

But is it true? Let’s cut through the rhetoric with actual facts from USD 501.

The Official Policy

According to the USD 501 Transportation Handbook:

• Middle school students get a free bus only if they live 1.0 mile or more from the school.
• If you live closer than 1 mile — which covers almost the entire area around Landon and the old Ramada/Maverik site — you walk, you bike, or a parent drops you off.
• Walking is the default for most students in that zone.

Landon Middle School’s own handbook even has specific instructions for walkers arriving at school.

The Geography

The proposed Maverik site is only about 360 feet from Landon Middle School. That’s roughly one city block.

Any kid living near Fairlawn and 6th, or in the immediate neighborhood, is well under the 1-mile limit. The school district designed the attendance zone expecting many of these students to walk.

The Real Numbers

District-wide Safe Routes to School data shows:

• About 12% of students walk to school.
• The majority are driven by parents.
• Only about 16% ride the bus.

So yes — some kids do walk to Landon, especially those who live close. The district plans for it. They open the doors early for walkers. They expect students to walk up to a quarter-mile to a bus stop if they qualify for the bus.

The Bottom Line

Council members used the “protect the children walking to school” line to justify killing a private business that would have cleaned up a blighted vacant lot, created 20–50 jobs, and started paying taxes on land that’s given the city zero for years.

But the school district itself already treats walking on Fairlawn as normal and acceptable for middle schoolers.

They can’t have it both ways:

• Claim it’s too dangerous to add a convenience store next to an existing walking route…
• While their own policy sends kids out to walk that same route every day.

If the intersection is truly that dangerous for children, then USD 501 and the City should fix the crossing, add lights, crossing guards, or change the attendance boundaries — not kill a legitimate business on a vacant lot.

The emotional argument sounded good in the council chamber. The facts show it was overstated.

The vacant lot is still empty. The kids are still walking (or being dropped off). And Topeka is still out the jobs and tax revenue.

This is exactly why so many people are fed up with how “economic development” really works in this town.

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RE: Kansas City vs. Topeka

Good morning Mr. McClure,

Thank you for your message.  This message serves as confirmation that your email has been received by the council members. 

 

Tonya L. Bailey

Sr. Executive Assistant to the City Council

City of Topeka

215 SE 7th St. Rm 211

785-368-3710

 

“The preceding email message (including any attachments) contains information that may be confidential, protected by the attorney/client or other applicable privileges or that may constitute non-public information. This message is intended to be conveyed only to the designated recipient(s). If you are not listed as a recipient of this message, please notify the sender immediately by replying to this message and then delete it from your system. Use, dissemination, distribution, or reproduction of this message by unintended recipients is not authorized and may be unlawful.”

 

From: Henry McClure <mcre13@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2026 4:29 PM
To: Governing Body <governingbody@topeka.org>; Spencer Duncan <sduncan@topeka.org>; City Clerk <cclerk@topeka.org>; countyclerk@snco.us; Kevin Cook <kevin.cook@snco.us>; MCRE Media <mcre1.9999@blogger.com>; James L. Bolden Jr. <jbcarpet2@aol.com>; Charles Baylor <cbaylor1@hotmail.com>; tquinn@cjonline.com; Victoria Calhoun <victoria.calhoun@ksnt.com>; WIBW Melissa Bruner <melissa.brunner@wibw.com>; Molly Howey <molly.howey@topekapartnership.com>
Subject: Kansas City vs. Topeka

 

Notice: -----This message was sent by an external sender-----

 

Topeka vs. Kansas City: Two Approaches to Economic Development — One Welcomes Private Investment, the Other Often Blocks It

Topeka and Kansas City (the broader metro spanning Missouri and Kansas sides) are both in the same state ecosystem, yet they handle private-sector growth in strikingly different ways. This contrast is clearest in cases like the rejected Maverik project in Topeka versus Kansas City’s aggressive pursuit of large travel centers and logistics investments.

1. Scale, Ambition, and Results

• Kansas City Metro: Actively courts and fast-tracks major private investments, especially along highways like I-70 and in logistics hubs. Examples include:

KC leaders view these as catalytic: more traveler spending, tax base growth, and strengthened logistics (critical since trucking dominates U.S. freight).

• Buc-ee’s in Kansas City, Kansas (Wyandotte County): A massive $95 million, 74,000 sq ft travel center with 120+ gas pumps, EV chargers, and hundreds of parking spots. Broke ground in late 2025 near Kansas Speedway after approvals and ~$13 million in tax incentives for infrastructure. Expected to create 200+ jobs and draw millions of travelers.
• Wally’s Travel Center in Independence, MO: World’s largest planned Wally’s (54,000 sq ft, 84 pumps) on a former big-box site off I-70. Unanimous approvals, with the developer funding major road upgrades.
• Broader successes: Logistics Park Kansas City (hundreds of millions in private investment, thousands of jobs), major expansions by companies like Americold, and ongoing TIF/Opportunity Zone projects that turn blighted land into revenue generators.

• Topeka: Strong on stability (ranked #5 nationally for economic strength in some 2024 reports) but struggles with execution on market-driven projects. The Maverik proposal — private redevelopment of a long-vacant I-70 motel site into a modern convenience/truck stop — was approved by the Planning Commission (twice) but rejected 9-1 by City Council in August 2025 over traffic and school concerns. No similar large travel center wins on prime corridors.

2. How They Use (or Don’t Use) Incentives and Tools

• Kansas City: Proactively deploys a full toolkit — Tax Increment Financing (TIF), Chapter 353 abatements, Opportunity Zones, sales tax incentives, and public-private partnerships. They invest in infrastructure (roads, utilities) to unlock private dollars, often requiring developers to contribute significantly (as with Wally’s and Buc-ee’s). The Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City (EDCKC) and Unified Government focus on maximizing private investment and blight removal.
• Topeka: Relies heavily on the $5 million annual half-cent sales tax via JEDO/Go Topeka for incentives, marketing, and targeted deals (e.g., Magellan Financial expansion with $1.4M incentives for 175 jobs). This works for some expansions but creates the hypocrisy you’ve highlighted: taxpayer money chases deals while a zero-incentive, private Maverik project on a blighted site gets killed by NIMBY opposition.

3. Handling NIMBY Concerns and Process

• Kansas City: Balances local input but prioritizes citywide benefits. Large travel centers get approved with mitigations (turn lanes, improvements funded by developers). Leadership frames them as economic wins that improve corridors long-term.
• Topeka: Localized concerns (Fairlawn traffic, Landon Middle School safety) dominated the Maverik debate. Council sided with vocal residents over broader tax revenue, jobs (20–50+), and blight removal. The process allows emotional testimony to override data-driven Planning Commission recommendations.

4. Outcomes for Everyday Residents

• Kansas City attracts more private capital, creates visible growth (new jobs, cleaner sites, stronger logistics), and generates sales/property taxes that support services. It’s not perfect — traffic and rapid change bring challenges — but the metro grows faster in diversified sectors (logistics, tech, health).
• Topeka maintains lower costs of living and government stability but risks stagnation: vacant lots stay vacant, potential tax revenue is lost, and the $5M economic development spend yields fewer “walk-in” wins. Blight persists on key gateways like I-70.

The Core Difference: Kansas City treats economic development as a partnership with private markets — remove barriers, provide targeted help where needed, and say “yes” when a solid project shows up. Topeka’s bureaucracy and council politics often say “maybe… but no” to the very projects their $5M machine is supposed to celebrate.

This isn’t about one city being “better” overall. Topeka has advantages in affordability and stability. But on turning private investment into real growth — especially on underused commercial land along major highways — Kansas City’s proactive, pro-development mindset delivers results that Topeka’s approach currently does not.

Voters in Topeka should ask: Why are we paying millions to attract business while rejecting the ones that arrive ready to build? Kansas City shows a clearer path — one that welcomes shovel-ready projects like Maverik instead of sending them packing. Topeka can adopt that mindset without losing its character. It starts with leadership that prioritizes the broader economic good over the loudest neighborhood voices.

 

 

 

---

From: Henry McClure <mcre13@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2026 4:17 PM
To: dbanks8487@yahoo.com <dbanks8487@yahoo.com>; sduncan@topeka.org <sduncan@topeka.org>; City Clerk <cclerk@topeka.org>; molly.howey@topekapartnership.com <molly.howey@topekapartnership.com>; tquinn@cjonline.com <tquinn@cjonline.com>; Victoria Calhoun <victoria.calhoun@ksnt.com>; Melissa Brunner <melissa.brunner@wibw.com>; MCRE Media <mcre1.9999@blogger.com>; James L. Bolden Jr. <jbcarpet2@aol.com>; Charles Baylor <cbaylor1@hotmail.com>
Subject: Real News - But it starts with calling out the hypocrisy.

 

Topeka’s Economic Development Hypocrisy: We Pay Millions to Attract Business — Then Slam the Door in Its Face

By Henry McClure

Topeka, we have a problem.

Every year, Shawnee County taxpayers hand over roughly $5 million from our half-cent sales tax to the Joint Economic Development Organization (JEDO) and Go Topeka. That money pays for incentives, marketing campaigns, workforce programs, and glossy pitches telling the world we’re “open for business.” Officials celebrate every deal that brings a handful of jobs or a few million in private investment, bragging about return on investment and economic multipliers.

Then a real, private-sector company walks in the door — no taxpayer handouts required — and we send it packing.

That’s exactly what happened last August with Maverik, the fast-growing, trucker-friendly convenience and fuel chain. Maverik wanted to redevelop the long-vacant former Ramada West/Holidome property at 605 SW Fairlawn — prime real estate right off I-70. Their plan: a modern ~6,000-square-foot store with fresh food, 10 car fueling islands, dedicated truck lanes, and a scale. It was exactly the kind of high-volume travel center that fits perfectly on a major interstate corridor.

The Topeka Planning Commission reviewed it thoroughly. They approved it — twice. First the full truck-friendly version, then a scaled-back proposal with just the convenience store and car pumps after neighbors raised concerns. Traffic studies were done. Mitigations were offered.

On August 12, 2025, the City Council voted 9-1 to reject the entire project. Only Councilman David Banks had the courage to vote yes. The rest cited traffic on Fairlawn and safety fears for students at nearby Landon Middle School. One more eyesore stays empty. One more private investment that required zero city dollars is gone.

Think about that for a second.

We spend $5 million a year of your sales tax money to chase economic development. We offer tax breaks and grants to companies that want public assistance. Yet when a business shows up with its own money, sees market demand on I-70, and is ready to turn a blighted, tax-producing-nothing vacant lot into jobs, property taxes, sales taxes, and fuel taxes, we kill it over neighborhood complaints that could have been addressed.

This isn’t just bad policy. It’s hypocrisy on a grand scale.

Maverik wasn’t asking for millions in incentives. They weren’t demanding special treatment. They simply wanted to operate where travelers and truckers already stop — the backbone of America’s economy. Trucking moves over 70% of domestic freight. A quality fuel-and-food stop like Maverik strengthens logistics, supports local jobs (20–50 positions per site with benefits), clears blight, and generates ongoing tax revenue from a site that has contributed exactly zero for years.

Instead, we get to keep looking at weeds and cracked pavement while Go Topeka keeps spending your money on the next PowerPoint presentation.

The average voter gets this. You work hard, pay your taxes, and watch your city struggle with vacant properties, stagnant growth, and budget pressures. Then you hear officials talk endlessly about “attracting investment” while the same officials — responding to organized neighborhood pressure and emotional testimony — block the investment that actually showed up.

This isn’t about being anti-neighbor or anti-safety. Traffic and school zones matter. But so does the bigger picture: a stronger tax base that funds better roads, schools, and services for everyone — including the families on Fairlawn. Rejecting shovel-ready private development on a blighted site doesn’t make the corridor safer or quieter. It just guarantees the problems of vacancy and lost opportunity continue.

Topeka deserves better. We deserve leaders who understand that economic development isn’t just about the deals we chase with taxpayer dollars. It’s also about not killing the ones that arrive on their own.

The next time Go Topeka or JEDO asks for another round of your half-cent sales tax money, remember the Maverik site. Remember the 9-1 vote. Remember that while they’re busy “creating” development with your cash, real development got shown the door.

Voters, it’s time to hold them accountable. Demand that economic development means saying yes to private investment that actually builds Topeka — not just funding another bureaucracy that talks a good game.

The vacant lot at Fairlawn and 6th is still waiting. So are the jobs, the taxes, and the progress that could have been there today.

It’s not too late to change course. But it starts with calling out the hypocrisy.

 

 

 

 

Time Kills Deals 

785.383.9994

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