Had the board known the rules of the TIF “game,” it is likely it would have voted two weeks ago, when such a vote would have had more than a public relations’ effect. Acting now and calling for the TIFs to be put to referendum does increase pressure on city council members to oppose the TIFs.
But, a resolution passed before the TIFs’ public hearings would have been more useful.
That’s because the Park Board chose, along with the two school districts to take part in the TIF “Joint Review Boards.” These JTBs have the ability to force the city council to pass TIF ordinances by with five votes, rather than a four vote simple majority.
That, indeed, happened with the Vulcan Lakes/Route 14 project. By a vote of 2-1-1, that JRB voted against the project. The two school districts voted to reject that TIF, but, not having yet received direction from his board, Park District Director Kirk Reimer, abstained on the vote.
With the Main Street TIF project, however, only High School District 155’s representative John Lutsch voted no. Since Grade School District 47’s board had refused to oppose the Main Street TIF, Superintendent Ron Miller joined Reimer in abstaining from the vote and Lutsch’s motion to reject failed on a 1-1-2 vote.
That means the Main Street TIF can be passed with only four members of the council voting for it.
Although a lesson has undoubtedly been learned by Park Board members that will be put to good use in the next TIF that Crystal Lake proposes, it will end up being a costly lesson for taxpayers, if that TIF is approved by only 4 votes.