The Lawndale Alliance

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North Lawndale Community News

Training Session
Saturday afternoon, July 23, 2011
3:00 pm-6:00 pm
10th District Police Station, 3315 West Ogden.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has created a special
Task Force to evaluate Chicago's Tax
Increment Financing (TIF) Program to
determine whether taxpayer dollars are
being used efficiently and to better promote
public and private investment across the
city. The task force advises that TIF funds
are used to build and repair roads and
infrastructure, clean polluted land and put
vacant properties back to productive use,
usually
in
conjunction
with
private
development projects.
In order to improve and strengthen the TIF
program, the Mayor's Task Force needs is
seeking your help! They have created an
interactive
website
for
residents
to
contribute their ideas and give feedback on
how best to improve the TIF program.
This packet will allow us to brainstorm and
discuss issues that are important to you
and give instructions or assistance with
communication this information to the
Mayors Task Force.

Funding TIF Projects

Exercise designed by Jimmy Lee Lard

The Time for TIF Reform is NOW!

Here are topics from the Mayors Task Force website along with their posted comments/responses. In this session
we should explore how this topic impacts our community, determine if there are any comments or responses that
we, as a group or as individuals, should post to the website and be used to create our community agenda to be
presented to the mayor. Use the space provided to respond to any of these topics.

What types of projects should be eligible for TIF funding?

Responses: 5

Views: 152

COMMENTS:
1. 1) Only in poor communities where development is not happening.
(2) Only with consent of property owners affected.
(3) For limited time, not 23 years.
(4) All TIF related data must appear on property owner's tax bills in all TIF districts
(5) All records of what is supported, who gets funds must be posted online and searchable - for the entire life
of the TIF.

2. TIF should be use as a venture fund to help growing inner-city businesses. The funds would generate
revenue that could be used to fund future projects.
A board of private-equity investors, community residents, community chambers of commerce, foundation
program-related investors, and others could guide the funds.

Exercise designed by Jimmy Lee Lard

Private and philanthropic funds could match the TIF. Some might wish higher or lower risk profiles.
According to a recent national study, lack of access to capital the second most severe barrier to the growth of
inner-city businesses.

3. Public transportation expansion or renovation projects, as well as incentives supportive of transit-oriented

development around underutilized stations.

4. What about utilizing the many empty structures across our city parks to convert them into well-run, all-day
purveyors of good food. Being from Argentina, where the economy is shaky at best, and having worked for
the Chicago Department of Economic Development when the Enterprise Zones and other economic
hallmarks were instituted, I could contribute to making Chicago a first-class tourist attraction with
sophisticated -and inexpensive- food venues that would bring year-long revenue to the City of Chicago.
Also, why not rent tents/umbrellas at the beaches? For a country so concerned with sun damage, I am
amazed that this industry, very popular in Europe and Latin America, never got off the ground here. Best,
Diana Eiranova-Kyle

5. I think to help ensure TIF funds are allocated properly you need to have a governing body that represents the
various interests of the neighborhoods. That should include residents, groups like the CHA, police
representation, etc. The governing body can take submissions/requests and vote/make decisions on what's
best for everyone in the community.

Exercise designed by Jimmy Lee Lard

For example, I heard that $10M - $12M has been allocated for a new Jesse White Community Center on
Chicago just West or Orleans and Jesse White is handing out pak hikes while goverment spending is frozen?
That does not make sense! The Community Center does not support a majority of the residents in the
nighborhood. Why build a Community Center in a neighborhood when people from the neighborhood don't
need it? These types of decisions need to be handled by a governing body that represents the community.

6. Your Comment/Response:
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Exercise designed by Jimmy Lee Lard

What is the ONE most important thing you would like to know about the TIF
application process?
Responses: 1

Views: 61

Comments/Responses:
1. - Who starts a TIF - what department?
- What triggers a a TIF - is there any overall plan?
- Who decides what monies get spent from a TIF and what process do they follow?
- Who keeps all the financial information related to TIFs?

2. Your
Comment/Response:
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Exercise designed by Jimmy Lee Lard