By: Diane Benjamin I downloaded the TIF report for you. See yesterday’s story for directions on how to look up information on the Comptroller’s website yourself: https://blnnews.com/2020/09/29/normal-pay-attention-uptown-tif-report/ This story will prove TIF reports can say whatever the Town of Normal wants them to say. When a TIF doesn’t generate enough money to pay the bills, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tuesday night the Bloomington City Council is going to talk about TIF districts: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=17858 PDF page 209 Bloomington has a long history of projects that aren’t the “Right Fit”. Start with the Coliseum and the BCPA, both catalyst project that did nothing to revitalize downtown. Between the two, around $100,000,000 has been […]
By: Diane Benjamin This is yet another case of TIF abuse. I don’t know if the Village of Downs is at fault or the engineers they hired – Farnsworth. Maybe Mayor James can explain. (Side note: Liberal California has banned TIFs) The owner of the property pictured is Roger Reynolds. It is located east of […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts were meant to redevelop blighted areas. They divert all increases in property taxes to the City and then to the developers. The taxes are diverted FROM all other taxing bodies like schools, library, county, township, etc. Downtown Bloomington had a long term TIF that expired a couple […]
By: Diane Benjamin Continuation of: https://blnnews.com/2017/12/26/lets-talk-tifs/ https://blnnews.com/2017/12/26/who-got-tif-money/ I don’t know why Fuller Facade Grants are included on the TIF report. Usually they are on Bills and Payroll. The grants are named after Harriett Fuller, but paid for in the budget. See more information about these grants here: http://www.cityblm.org/home/showdocument?id=4101 These grants are just another way to funnel […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you don’t understand that Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a slush fund for government friends, the Town and Normal and the City of Bloomington will continue to use them to funnel money to people they want to fund. The theory is the money will be recovered with increasing property tax values […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday I did two stories on past due Tax Increment Financing reports: https://blnnews.com/2017/11/03/is-normal-hiding-tif-data/ https://blnnews.com/2017/11/03/bloomington-plays-the-same-tif-game/ First: It is ridiculous the citizens have to wait over 6 months after a year-end for financial information. Second: If you look under Finance on both the Bloomington and Normal websites, there are NO links to TIF reports. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Normal has not submitted TIF reports to the Comptroller as required: https://blnnews.com/2017/11/03/is-normal-hiding-tif-data/ Bloomington hasn’t either: warehouse.illinoiscomptroller.com Bloomington TIF Past Due The Comptroller’s office must not know Bloomington created another TIF in October 2016 for downtown. They will when I notify them. See the Council minutes here for when the TIF was created: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=11542 […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m always suspicious when an article appears in the paper praising something when the data to back up the claims is unavailable. It happened again October 26th with this story in the Pantagraph: Normal TIF Districts Paying Dividends One has to wonder where the story came from. Did somebody at the Town call […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Town of Normal has FOUR TIF districts as of 2011: (the latest info on the comptroller’s website) http://www.comptrollerconnect.ioc.state.il.us/Office/LocalGovt/ViewTIFReports/DisplayTIFRpt.cfm?CFY=2011&BetaSel=N The City of Bloomington has TWO as of 2011 and wants another one to fund a downtown hotel: http://www.comptrollerconnect.ioc.state.il.us/Office/LocalGovt/ViewTIFReports/DisplayTIFRpt.cfm?CFY=2011&BetaSel=B Why isn’t the information listed more current than 2011? Maybe government doesn’t want you […]
