Friday, May 11, 2007
News / Clout City Ben Joravsky, city planner
Posted by Ben Joravsky on 05.11.07 at 04:02 PM
Could it be that the city's stealing my ideas?
In the March 16 Reader I predicted that the mayor would try to finance a large chunk of the Olympics with property taxes taken from several tax increment financing districts, noting that there was one ripe for the creating in the rapidly developing stretch along Vincennes and King Drive between 41st and 35th.
Sure enough, at a Tuesday meeting of the Community Development Commission meeting (the appointed body that's supposed to oversee TIFs), the CDC recommended approval of the so-called Pershing/King TIF district, which would run roughly between 39th and 41st and King and Vincennes. Lame-duck alderman Dorothy Tillman endorsed the TIF without giving any indication of exactly how the money would be spent.
After the meeting I called her successor in the Third Ward, alderman-elect Pat Dowell. Dowell said she wasn't sure what the TIF was intended to fund, but she didn't think it had anything to do with the Olympics--it's been in the works for a while, she said. I asked whether she'd support the TIF when it came before the City Council, and she said she'd have to look into what residents thought before making that decision.
The City Council generally follows the CDC's lead when it comes to TIF proposals. But then the CDC's generally following the local alderman's lead when it makes its recommendations -- in effect, one body rubber-stamps the other. So this TIF proposal presents us with an interesting situation. If Dowell comes out against the Pershing/King TIF, will the City Council side with her and override the CDC? Or will it follow the CDC, effectively taking the side of an ousted alderman?
You know which way I'm leaning.
Comments (12)
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It's a cheap TIF parlor trick: 1. The only hard part is finding an area that's not TIF'ed already. 2. Predict it will go TIF. 3. Hang around long enough.... ... you look like an URBAN PLANNING GOD!
How about an article on: 1) who the members of the CDC are 2) who appointed them 3) the process involved in selecting them 4) if this process requires any oversight or approval from the city council 5) the history of where every dollar from every single one of these many TIF'S has gone, ie. the individuals and/or companies who have received same 6) what the results of these expenditures were 7) the specific governmental agencies whose budgets have been negatively affected by TIF'S and the names of those heading these agencies and how they got their jobs, etc.? 8) the effects said negatively affected agencies' actions have had on the citizens these agencies serve 9) the relationships, if any, between those who have benefited from TIF monies and those who have control over who gets TIF monies 10) the yearly salaries of those who are empowered to determine an area's TIF status and those who control the use of TIF monies 11) all political contributions made, by those who receive TIF monies, to those who determine who receives TIF monies Inquiring minds want to know.
A parting corrupt cheap shot by the cheapest sell out Aunt Tomasa of them all Dorothy the rat/not the hat Tillman.
"I asked whether she'd support the TIF when it came before the City Council, and she said she'd have to look into what residents thought before making that decision." ---Pat Dowell Thats all we need, a windsock for an alderman. Take a stand dammit !
That IS all we need, an alderman who actually listens to, and respects, the thoughts and opinions of his/her constituents. It's called representative government, with the emphasis on truly representing the will of all the residents, not merely the interests of the so-called 'leaders' of the community. If you reside in the 3rd ward, feel free to contact the alderwoman and express your opinions, you now have an alderwoman who will listen.
some of these are easy 1) who the members of the CDC are on the City website drill down through Dept Planning & Development 2) who appointed them all have been appointed or reappointed by Richard M by now 4) if this process requires any oversight or approval from the city council approval from the city council
thanks :) now all we need to know are the answers to the 'hard' ones, said answers being what 'certain people' DON'T want us to know. :)
Thanks, Richie, this is just what our area needs, to have our public school tax revenues frozen for the next 20+ years, yeah, it's exactly what our kids need......
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