What To Do With TIFs?

The CivicLab and its TIF Illumination Project (http://www.tifreports.com) have been investigating Tax Increment Financing Districts in Chicago in new and powerful ways. We've done TIF Town Meetings or Illuminations that covered 147 TIFs across 25 wards. It's time for Chicagoans to weigh in on the future of TIFs. For more information on TIFs and what they do to Chicago, see http://tifreports.com/tif-town-meetings.

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There are 12 TIFs inside the 27th Ward where the CivicLab is located.

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* 1. Should Chicago's Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Program be abolished?

Yes

Comments

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* 2. Even if TIFs were to abolished, there is still $1.7 billion in unspent TIF funds (as of 1/1/13). Should the TIF Program be made accountable to the residents of the ward? Specifically, should citizens vote on any TIF expenditure given to a private company or nonprofit organization?

Yes

Comments

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* 3. If you feel that the TIF Program should continue, please select from these proposed reforms. You can select as many as you wish.

Exclude the Board of Education from the TIF process (that is, no property taxes taken from public schools)

The TIF Program works well, do not change it.

Reduce the life-span of TIFs from 23 years to 15 years.

Require that TIF information (amount of dollars extracted) is placed on all property tax bills for properties inside a TIF district

Sunset a TIF after the project that caused it to come into existence is finished and paid for.

Tighten up the definition of "blight" used to justify a TIF in the first place.

Audit all TIF projects annually to ensure that any promises made to get the TIF subsidy have bben met.

If a TIF audit finds that promises made to the city to secure TIF funding have NOT been met, then that money must be returned to the city.

Comments

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* 4. Please share any thoughts you have regarding Chicago's TIF program.

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* 5. If you would like to volunteer for the CivicLab or the TIF Illumination Project, please share your contact information with us.

We are a co-working space - please let us know if you'd like more information about renting a desk at the CivicLab. It's a dynamic and energizing place to be!

Name

Email Address

Question Title

There are 12 TIFs inside the 27th Ward where the CivicLab is located.

Question Title

* 1. Should Chicago's Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Program be abolished?

Question Title

* 2. Even if TIFs were to abolished, there is still $1.7 billion in unspent TIF funds (as of 1/1/13). Should the TIF Program be made accountable to the residents of the ward? Specifically, should citizens vote on any TIF expenditure given to a private company or nonprofit organization?

Question Title

* 3. If you feel that the TIF Program should continue, please select from these proposed reforms. You can select as many as you wish.

Question Title

* 4. Please share any thoughts you have regarding Chicago's TIF program.

Question Title

* 5. If you would like to volunteer for the CivicLab or the TIF Illumination Project, please share your contact information with us. We are a co-working space - please let us know if you'd like more information about renting a desk at the CivicLab. It's a dynamic and energizing place to be!

* 5. If you would like to volunteer for the CivicLab or the TIF Illumination Project, please share your contact information with us.

We are a co-working space - please let us know if you'd like more information about renting a desk at the CivicLab. It's a dynamic and energizing place to be!