Progress Illinois

In late August, State Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago) introduced a trifecta of bills (HB 6902, 6903, and 6904) that, if signed into law, would revolutionize how the City of Chicago's controversial tax increment financing (TIF) program operates. Fritchey, however, is running for Comm. Forrest Claypool's seat on the Cook County Board of Commissioners and is slated to leave the General Assembly. Will his bills die?

Not necessarily. Earlier this week, State Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago) told Progress Illinois that she is "very interested" in carrying the torch on some version of Fritchey's package. The precise wording of the legislation could change, but Steans said she would look at pushing a Auditor General investigation; examining the definition of blight in the current state TIF law; increasing transparency in "porting" TIF dollars; and excluding certain taxing bodies from the program going forward. "With the mayoral election coming up, the timing is good," Steans said.

What's less clear is how, legislatively, this may play out. It's unlikely the bills will get a hearing during the fall veto session, according to Steans. And state representatives may want to sponsors the bills, as well. "What I don't know is if someone is going to pick this up on the House side," Steans said. State. Rep Greg Harris (D-Chicago) did tell PI he's talked with Fritchey about the bills and Fritchey himself said he's canvassing his colleagues for support. A call to State. Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago), a leader in the Democratic caucus, wasn't immediately returned.

In other TIF news, State Rep. David Miller (D-Lynwood), who is the Democratic nominee for State Comptroller, has proposed an online database to help the public understand how each of Illinois' 1,000 TIF districts are operating if he's elected in November. “There are millions of dollars at stake," he said in a press release, "and taxpayers deserve to know whether or not these TIFs are benefiting their community."

Over the last few months, State Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago) has emerged as the leading state legislator calling for a new approach to the City of Chicago's tax increment financing program. He has introduced legislation in the General Assembly that would send unused TIF dollars back to various government agencies at the end of each fiscal year, a move that would erode Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley's control over the TIF districts and the money they contain. The Board of Education alone could get some $535 million if the proposal was passed out of Springfield and signed into law, Fritchey says.

A story published today by the Chicago News Cooperative says that the North Side representative is now mulling more than reform of Daley's TIF empire. Fritchey, the News Cooperative reports, has "added his name to the list of politicians who say they are considering challenging" the mayor in the Feb. 22, 2011 municipal primary election. Fritchey had this to say about the mayor's style:

People want intelligent debate on decent proposals. They are tired of being told, ‘This is what we are doing, here is the deal, take it or leave it.’ It’s healthy to offer competing alternatives and ideas. Not every proposed idea has to be seen as a challenge to his authority, but that has been the case.

But Fritchey, who is presently campaigning for a seat on the Cook County Board of Commissioners, says he's only considering the idea -- he'd only run for mayor "if I felt there was a broad core of support out there." Similarly, Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd), who recently called Daley a "horrible manager" of taxpayer funds, is tacking toward a re-election bid to city council, as is Ald. Robert Fioretti (2nd), also much discussed in recent weeks as a mayoral candidate.