Earlier this week, we posted a statement from Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley's office explaining what the average resident can do to combat the spread of Tax Increment Financing (TIF). In the comments section of that post, Yellow Dog Democrat offered some additional tips:
Complain...LOUDLY...to your alderman if you live in Chicago, as well as your state lawmakers. Aldermen allow Mayor Daley to abuse TIF districts right under our noses, and TIF districts are authorized and reauthorized by the state legislature.
If you're a member of your local chamber of commerce, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, State Chamber of Commerce, or any other business or professional association, SPEAK OUT. When smart-minded business owners remain silent, policymakers assume that the aforementioned groups speak for them.
Meanwhile, the Reader's Ben Joravsky has a new article out that includes this great synopsis of how TIF works in Chicago:
As we all should know by now, Chicago’s TIFs are supposed to encourage commercial development within certain districts by freezing the property tax yield for up to 24 years. Any new property tax revenues generated in these districts thanks to rising property values go into the TIFs, which are basically bank accounts controlled by the mayor.
To compensate for the taxes they don’t get from the city’s 161 TIF districts, local taxing bodies—the schools, parks, county, etc—raise their tax rates. Don’t be fooled into thinking that TIFs only affect people who live in the districts. They result in citywide tax hikes.
Originally TIFs were intended to eradicate blight in low-income communities that would find it hard to attract investment otherwise. But the rules governing TIFs are so riddled with loopholes—and the oversight of the Community Development Commission and the City Council is so weak—that City Hall has been able to establish TIF districts pretty much anywhere it wants. That’s why such affluent communities as the Loop, the near south side, the near west side, Lincoln Park, and North Center have them. The TIFs have in effect created a second budget for Mayor Daley to control—one that except for extensive coverage in the Reader has been largely ignored by the press or the public. As scams go, it’s a beaut.
Joravsky goes on to highlight a recent court ruling in downstate Belleville that might pave the way for legal challenges to various Chicago TIFS.
Comments
Valerie F. Leonard (not verified) on Sat, 08/09/2008 - 10:11
Lessons Learned From Lawndale
Hello, everyone.
I agree wholeheartedly with the comments and tips made by Josh Kalven and Ben Joravsky. I am the co-convener for the Lawndale Alliance, a group of residents who have come together to advocate for fairness and equity in the redevelopment of the North Lawndale community on Chicago’s West Side. I am deeply honored to have been invited by Blocks Together to provide a presentation on advocacy for tax increment financing districts (TIFs) on July 9, 2008. Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley also gave a presentation on the need for more transparency and greater accountability for local TIFs. Please click onto the link below to access my blog page with the presentation and handouts that I provided to them.
If you need copies of handouts provided by others, please contact Carolina Gaete (pronounced Gi ay tay) at 773-276-2194. It is my sincerest hope that you might find this information useful. Please feel free to share it with others who may find it of interest.
http://valeriefleonard.com/StayingintheLoop/nfblog/?p=203
Post new comment
Progress Illinois' intention is to foster community and to maintain a comfortable and constructive blogging environment. While we encourage and appreciates different points of view, we do not consider it our duty to give a voice to anybody with an opinion.
Discussion on this site is moderated. All comments submitted will be automatically held for review by the editors before posting. Your comment will not appear on the site until it has been approved.
We will not publish comments that we consider:
Please leave a name or nickname when commenting, as it makes it easier for others to respond directly.