By: Diane Benjamin
Monday night Normal is spending $ 1,271,428 on 4 garbage trucks and waiving the bids. How do they know the cost is competitive without bids:
They will get $420,000 for the four trucks they are trading in.
The Welcoming Ordinance does nothing:
The open border crowd wanted an ordinance making it illegal for the police to contact ICE. What Normal is considering Monday doesn’t do that.
All of these organizations lost the argument:
They aren’t done however:
The current Uptown TIF doesn’t expire until 2026, but staff wants to extend it another 12 years!
They claim the expiration date is stopping development.
Yes, when the free money stops it’s hard to get investors. Unfortunately the debt Normal has racked is going to last a long time.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Wow! Well played by Koos and the Council. Seriously. They give the wacky Welcome Ordinance crowd the headline they want, these groups and their followers go away, and all the while they’re giving absolutely nothing away. This ordinance reads like a common procedure. Plenty of discretion for our officers. Bravo! I’m not a fan of our local politicians but what shrewd negotiators.
The only downside is Dickie Durbin can go to DC and claim he won. Details don’t matter.
As for this and other TIFs, they’re supposed to be an amazing economic development tool. Haha! As a taxpayer, I’m still looking for my dividend check in the mail. Perhaps, a fee and/or tax cut. Anyone? Hello?
Silly…the tax increments are fed back into the district for more “economic development.” The taxpayers will never get a rebate or dividend.
🐥