At the McHenry County Board meting Tuesday, Charlie Eldridge announced the approval by Governor Bruce Rauner of the Harvard-Woodstock Enterprise Zone.
The Harvard-Woodstock Enterprise Zone looks like a gerrymandered legislative district.
Crediting former County Board Chairwoman Tina Hill with great assistance.
Eldridge said that the McHenry County designation was one of 47 announced by the Governor.
The Illinois Enterprise Zone program is designated to stimulate economic growth an neighborhood revitalization through state and local tax incentives, regulatory relief and improved governmental services.
The Harvard portion of the Enterprise Zone.
The zone will focus on industrial and commercial development.
The Woodstock portion of the Enterprise Zone.
State Senator Pam Althoff, a strong proponent of the new zone and Senate co-sponsor of the enabling legislation stated,
“It speaks to the positive results which can be achieved through collaboration and partnerships at both the state and local levels. It is a definite win for McHenry County and is quite an achievement.”
McHenry County Board Chairman Joe Gottemoller commented,
“I’m very pleased that our intergovernmental efforts have been rewarded with an enterprise zone.
“The creation of primary jobs is critical in McHenry County and this enterprise zone designation will be another tool for economic development in the County.
“We are grateful for the support of Senator Althoff and for the successful efforts of the many partners in this collaboration.”
The only way I would support this ‘Enterprise Zone’ is if it is granted a “Right to work’ zone.
Everyone is bashing unions and wants right to work and Carly Fiorina gave a speech that $15 per hr is not needed if you work in rural Tennessee and she may be right that minimum wages, social security raises, etc be tied to where you live.
but in McHenry County we have expensive property taxes (6th in nation), food prices rising, rents rising, and it is impossible to buy a house on minimum wage, yet we are always trying for a race to the bottom by taking good wages away from people instead of raising wages for all people.
From the beginning of our country to the 1980’s (I think that was the year) we put tariffs on foreign goods brought here.
That protected American manufacturing and goods which other countries do to protect themselves.
We on the other hand have lost in the global economy.
http://www.greenvillegazette.com/fb/trump-is-shaking-in-his-boots-this-documentary-was-released-see-it-before-its-taken-down-2/
Karma, give a link to McH Co being 6th worst in nation.
I find Lake Co at 17th, McH at 29th,
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2013/10/five-illinois-counties-listed-among-nations-highest-property-taxes.html
Hey! Karma!
Ask the people in Detroit about unions.
Actually, I have zero problem with unions in the private sector.
In the public sector, until we had the Citizens United decision, we ALWAYS had union reps in the public sector sitting on both sides of the table.
Now that the Supreme Court leveled the playing field a little, public sector union supporters are acting like trapped animals.
When it comes to funding political campaigns, I subscribe to the enactment of laws which prohibit political contributions unless you vote in the district covered by the candidate.
This would help keep voter rolls updated, eliminate foreign campaign donations, eliminate corporate and union pacs.
We now have a central data base of voters in this State and it would not be overly burdensome to enforce such a law.
Violations of this law could REQUIRE incarceration and the
loss of the right to vote.
(just raisin the issue)
How can politicians, especially Republicans, be proud of tax giveaways to favored businesses in special areas?
If that’s what it takes to get businesses to move here, that is conclusive proof that the problem here is high taxes.
This country, and this COUNTY, are supposed to offer a level playing field to all comers and let the chips fall where they may, not tax the heck out of most of us and then offer discounts to a select few and call that a win.
Do our politicians understand what it takes to create a business friendly environment?
It is NOT special tax zones.
First is secure property rights, which, in addition to laws, includes a relatively honest judiciary.
The U.S. is tops on this count.
Second is infrastructure: roads, water, adequate and uninterrupted power. We have that in this country, too, although water is becoming an issue in McHenry County.
Third is an educated workforce. We have that in this country despite obvious problems with our schools. And we have that in McHenry County.
But if we have these things all over the country, why would a business choose one location over another, especially choose among otherwise indistinguishable locations within its markets?
The answer, of course, is taxes.
The reduction in McHenry County’s population and in its business environment can be traced directly to the dramatic increase in property tax rates, incrementally but steadily over the last twenty years, and especially over the last ten years, to the point where we are now among the highest tax counties in the nation!
If the politicians in McHenry County REALLY want to see population and business growth again, forget enterprise zones and tax giveaways.
Instead focus on lowering the overall property tax rate.
This state, but especially McHenry County, needs a Proposition 2½, like Massachusetts passed in 1980, to bring our property taxes back down to a sane level.
This is nothing more than a diversion.
People and businesses are fleeing the county and Illinois at
a record setting pace year after year.
Better do something about all manner of taxes that have made
Illinois the tax hellhole that it has become first.
Mr. Wilson !
You have a FINE HAMMER and you have hit the NAIL on its HEAD!