TIFs aren’t just a tool for economic development. They’re a tool for consolidating power. By Ben Joravsky and Mick Dumke, “Shedding Light on the Shadow Budget,” Chicago Reader.
Category: TIF
De Nile
ReNew DeKalb wants to give more than $1 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) money to Preservation of the Egyptian Theatre. Who doesn’t love the Egyptian? I love P.E.T.’s director and its board because they follow the rules, and because they try to provide events for every budget. But we’ve given the Egyptian $592,500 since…
FY2012 Budget Comments, Smart-Alecky Edition
The proposed budget for fiscal year 2012 is now available. I’ve just begun reading it. Here are a few reactions so far. [From the 2025 Vision Statement] Its downtown is the heart of the community… Translation: We hate that the Super Wal-Mart is the closest thing DeKalb has to a town square.
Special Meeting on Muni/Police Building & Financing
A special meeting Monday of the DeKalb City Council and the Financial Advisory Committee is set to examine two Municipal Building remodeling/building options with emphases on police station space needs and improved access for people with disabilities. The Good One of the options presented includes a proposal to sell off city property worth $2.2 million…
TIF Protest in Chicago
Chicago Sun-Times: “Anti-TIF marchers demand $4M from N. Side auto dealer”: About 150 teachers, parents and activists marched into the Grossinger City Autoplex and demanded a check for $4 million Saturday. That would be the “TIF” money — protestors called it “The Mayor’s Slush Fund” — diverted from the public schools and given to developers…
LUST at First & Locust
On July 22, 2010, the City of DeKalb received a No Further Remediation (NFR) Letter from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for the property it owns at First and Locust streets (AKA “skating rink site”). [A]n NFR Letter signifies that compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements has been achieved, all corrective action (if any) has…
Firefighters-Saving-Cats Open Thread
This is primarily a “No, I haven’t dropped off the face of the earth” message. Anyway, feel free to use this space for commenting on the cat story, the TIF articles from the Daily Chronicle, city budget, etc.
City Budget Open Thread…Mayday! Mayday!
The proposed City of DeKalb FY 2011 budget has total expenditures going up by about $5 million over last year, mostly due to increased spending on the downtown TIF, health insurance and the airport. The budget as drafted will be balanced IF: there are cuts of 25-30 staff (or, alternatively, everyone takes a 12% pay…
Comments on 4/12 Meeting
I jumped in about 7:30 last night, in the midst of citizens’ comments so the proclamations must have taken a long time! Here’s my assessment of what I saw. The Bad The saddest part, of course, was Council’s approval of almost all of ReNew DeKalb’s wish list. With that they closed the door on the…
Verbic Does Work for Barb City Manor
Third Ward Alderman Pam Verbic did finally return my e-mail inquiry regarding her employment at Barb City Manor, confirming that she has worked there part-time for the past three years. You will recall that such a connection will require her abstention from votes on BCM and TIF 2. Thanks to others who made the same…