Introduction to the CivicLab & The TIF Illumination Project

December 10, 2014Tom Tresser

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www.civiclab.us

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In the evening – open enrollment workshops on all things civic...

“TIF 101”

“Vegan Cooking”

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What are TIFs?

• Created by municipality (state

statute)

• Boundaries cross political and

community boundaries

• Designed to subsidize some

business project in “blighted” or

under-served area

• Captures “incremental” property

taxes ABOVE base when district

was created

• Lasts 23 years

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How Do TIFs Work?When the TIF is created,

the city tallies up all the

property taxes

generated by district in

that year (called the

"base" amount). After

that, all property tax

increases above the

base (the "increment")

are channeled to the TIF

district.

The property taxes

collected from

properties inside the

district BEFORE the

district was created

that go to units of

government stays

FLAT for the life of the

TIF (23 years).

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Where are TIFs?

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How Much Revenue Do TIFs Collect?

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How Much Revenue Have TIFs Collected?

Ouch!

Source: Cook County Clerk

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154 TIF districts in Chicago.

2012 extraction = $457 million.

281 TIF districts in suburban Cook

County.

2012 extraction = $266 million.

435 TIFs. $723 million.

Grand total property taxes

extracted all of Chicago TIFs

since inception (1986) = $5 billion+

Grand total property taxes

extracted all of Cook County TIFs

since inception = $10 billion

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Click here to open

the 154 PDF

annual reports.

One by one.

KINZIE

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THE CITY HAD

$1.7 BILLION IN

UNSPENT TIF FUNDS

AT THE END OF 2013!

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First ward selected for investigation = 27th Ward, Near North Side – 12 TIFs

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What is the story in the 27th Ward?

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We also show ward boundaries, TIF

shapes, TIF funded projects, CPS

schools closed & schools cut.

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The civics books

say our property

taxes are distributed

like this…

But in 2011 our

property taxes in

Chicago were

REALLY distributed

like this…

• We are told that TIFs have NO impact on our property taxes.

• This bill is from a property inside the Englewood TIF.

• It shows “0.00” impact on this person’s bill. Nothing.

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TIF FUNDS IN THE 9th WARD

TIF FUNDS IN THE 46th WARD Lincoln

Park

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RED =

One Ward

Full Town

Meeting

BLUE =

Multiple-

Ward

Meeting

The 27th Ward TIFs 30

The 27th Ward TIFs 31

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http://tinyurl.com/Empty-All-TIFs

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Volunteer TIF Illuminators Testify…

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114 N. Aberdeen / www.civiclab.us / info@civiclab.us

Investigate.

Fabricate.

Educate.

Activate.