Contact:

Wendy Katten

773-704-0336

MEDIA ADVISORY: FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 9:45 AM – CITY HALL, 10TH FLOOR

Community Organizations call on CPS, Other Agencies to Reject Two Massive New TIFs

Deliver Open Letter to Taxing Bodies at Friday’s TIF Joint Review Board meeting

What: Parents and community leaders will rally and deliver letters to the leaders of local government agencies, urging them to hold off on approving two massive new TIF Districts that would divert $2.4 billion in future revenue from the Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Park District, the City Colleges of Chicago and other agencies that depend on local property taxes.

Where: City Hall, 10th floor

When: Friday, January 11, 2019, at 9:45 AM

Why: In an open letter to the Joint Review Board, 15 prominent community organizations are calling for city agencies to keep their signatures off a $2.4B dollar plan that would create tax increment financing (TIF) districts in some of the wealthiest and most congested areas of the city — and, in the process, divert funds from the operating budgets of key local agencies. The organizations say these TIFs can only be legitimately vetted by the new Mayor and City Council taking office in May. Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration has fast-tracked both TIFs for approval by April, before Emanuel steps down.

Representatives of several of the organizations will gather Friday at 9:45 AM Friday on the 10th floor of City Hall for a brief press conference and to deliver the letter to the Joint Review Board, which meets at 10 AM in Room 1003A.

“I’ve been attending school with my son since September 2017 to ensure his medical needs are met — because CPS has not been able to provide a nurse since then,” parent Guiller Bosqued of Wildwood Elementary said. “Why is CPS foregoing millions in tax dollars when they can’t fund the schools?”

The proposed Roosevelt/Clark TIF would fund $700 in infrastructure envisioned by developers of The 78 along the south branch of the Chicago River. Meanwhile, the Cortland/Chicago River TIF would encompass the proposed Lincoln Yards development along the river’s north branch.

On Tuesday, Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) announced several major changes in the plans for Lincoln Yards, but Hopkins did call for any pause in the creation of the TIF that developer Sterling Bay wants. Ultimately, community leaders noted, families across Chicago will have to pay higher property taxes to offset the funds held in these TIF accounts over the next 23 years.

“My neighborhood public school has experienced significant budget cuts over the past few years,” said parent Estela Diaz of Davis Elementary. “I can’t believe that CPS leadership and the Mayor can give away hundreds of millions of dollars to help develop luxury housing for the wealthy. We need more counselors, case managers and sped teachers in my school. We need afterschool programs to keep our kids learning and safe. Those should be the priorities for our property tax dollars.”

“Massive corruption is being unearthed in the City Council Finance Committee,” noted Cassie Creswell of Raise Your Hand Action. “What other shoe is waiting to drop from eight months of wiretaps? This is the very worst time to fast-track these deals.”

The full letter can be read here. It has been emailed to all the taxing bodies, and will be delivered in person on Friday.

To Local Taxing Bodies, Members of the Joint Review Board

This Friday at the Joint Review Board meeting, the Chicago Board of Education will be asked to sign off on two TIF districts at the cost of $2.4 billion to the taxpayers of Chicago. That’s based on figures included in the Redevelopment Area Project and Plan for each TIF, which were made public on December 12th, 2018.

Chicago is at a critical juncture. The long-standing chair of the finance committee has just been charged with extortion, and there’s a municipal election in less than 50 days. The citizens of Chicago deserve the opportunity for transparent and accountable government. This is not the time to fast-track massive projects that would include major subsidies for private corporations with huge implications for our schools, housing and transit equity, local business, etc. The creation of a TIF district impacts the revenue stream of our city and county and school district for twenty-three years; this is not something to be rushed through.

As a leader of one of the taxing bodies which are also impacted by the implementation of any new TIF districts, you have a fiduciary responsibility to your constituents to put this on hold until a newly elected city council and mayor can take the time needed to vet — via public scrutiny, deliberation and debate — both of these proposed districts and ensure that they represent balanced and equitable development.

Thank you for your consideration,

Jackee Pruitt, Action Now

Caroline Gaete, Blocks Together

Patrick Brosnan, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council

Patricia Fron, Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance

Robert Gomez and Katie Tuten, Chicago Independent Venue League

Angela Hurlock, Claretian Associates

Rocio Garcia, Enlace Chicago

Amisha Patel, Grassroots Collaborative

Juan Carlos Linares, Latin United Community Housing Association (LUCHA)

Nancy Aardema, Logan Square Neighborhood Association

Juanita Irizarry, Friends of the Parks

Rev. Liala Beukema, LakeView Lutheran Church

Marc Kaplan, Northside Action for Justice

James Rudyk, Northwest Side Housing Center

Jennifer Ritter, Organizing Neighbors for Equality Northside (ONE Northside)

Joy Clendenning, Raise Your Hand for IL Public Education

Cassie Creswell and Wendy Katten, Raise Your Hand Action