A petition circulating in Arlington Heights may hamper the village’s skill to supply monetary incentives to the Chicago Bears of their proposed relocation to the village, in addition to to any enterprise trying to settle there.
An group referred to as Americans for Prosperity, which its Illinois director, Brian Costin, described as libertarian, is spearheading the marketing campaign for an ordinance that will bar the village from providing any sort of economic incentive to “any business or corporation to operate in the village.”
An “anti-corporate welfare ordinance,” because the group refers to it, requires not utilizing taxpayer cash in such methods and “declare an end to the economically destructive and corrupt policy.”
Costin stated Americans for Prosperity is circulating the petition to place a examine on company handouts from public our bodies extra usually, though the Bears state of affairs gives a compelling instance.
He stated his group didn’t really oppose the crew organising within the village.
“We’re not opposed to the stadium being there if they play by the rules that are equal with every other business in Arlington Heights,” he stated.
According to its web site, Americans for Prosperity advocates for “long-term solutions to the country’s biggest problems” and engages “friends and neighbors on key issues and encourage them to take an active role in advancing a free and open society.”
The group says its petition is about guaranteeing equal therapy of companies and good use of taxpayer {dollars}. Village leaders condemn the hassle as the most recent occasion of outsiders telling Arlington Heights leaders how the village must run.
Americans for Prosperity’s Illinois chapter is predicated in Rolling Meadows, a city not removed from Arlington International Racecourse the place the Bears may probably transfer from Chicago’s Soldier Field.
According to Costin, greater than 300 folks have signed the petition up to now.
Arlington Heights’ municipal code states that if 1% of the village’s registered voters indicators a petition, then the petitioner, similar to Americans for Prosperity, can carry a proposed ordinance to the Village Board for consideration.
According to the Cook County clerk, Arlington Heights has 54,586 registered voters. That means the petition wants at the very least 546 signatures.
If village trustees contemplate and reject the ordinance proposal, the code provides the petitioner the choice to assemble signatures from 12% of the registered voting inhabitants, which might at present quantity to six,550 signatures wanted.
If the petitioner achieves that benchmark, their proposed ordinance would go straight to the voting poll as a binding referendum. If voters permitted it, the ordinance would take impact.
However, if the village lawyer advises the board the proposal conflicts with constitutional provisions or different legal guidelines, the village board can nonetheless reject the proposal, in accordance with village code.
Mayor Tom Hayes has stated that use of tax {dollars} are a “last resort” as a software to seal a cope with the soccer crew.
Use of village tax {dollars} may take just a few completely different types, together with establishing a tax increment financing district, the place property taxes are frozen at a selected degree with a purpose to put further earnings after redevelopment towards enchancment of the world.
Hayes stated he’s “certain” the Bears deliberate deal, by which the Bears signed a $197.2 million buy settlement for Arlington International Racecourse in September 2021, is “at least why part of this effort is going forward.”
He is strongly against what Americans for Prosperity is making an attempt to place ahead.
“We don’t think it’s something that’s in the best interest of the village,” he stated. “If something like this is enacted, then all those businesses are going elsewhere, and how will that benefit our residents?”
Hayes added that he would do “everything in my power to see (such an ordinance) stopped.”
Arlington Heights Village Manager Randy Recklaus advised Pioneer Press that the ordinance AFP is asking for, which doesn’t significantly point out the Bears or Arlington International Racecourse, can be a critical detriment to the village’s financial prospects.
“The village routinely engages in public-private partnerships to see economic development and this would take all of that off the table,” he stated. “It would literally cripple our ability to engage in economic development.”
Asked whether or not there was a case for making a publicly-funded funding in growing the racecourse website for the Bears, Recklaus stated “it’s just too premature to talk about anything for that project at this time.”
But, he stated he would “anticipate that this (the Americans for Prosperity effort) will be something that many in the business community would probably be alarmed by.”
He added that even when the petition did collect sufficient signatures and have become legislation by a referendum, the Village Board may nonetheless amend it after it handed.
State Sen. Ann Gillespie, D-Arlington Heights, stated that whereas she opposes utilizing public cash to carry the Bears to the village, the ordinance as proposed by Americans for Prosperity is just too broad.
“I think there are legitimate uses for public support of businesses,” she stated.
For instance, Gillespie stated, she’d help using public cash to incentivize improvement the place builders made a 30-year dedication to constructing reasonably priced housing within the space.
Whatever occurs subsequent within the discussions between Arlington Heights, the Bears and Chicago, Gillespie stated she believes the state is unlikely to become involved.
“It’s between two communities within the state, Chicago (and) the Village of Arlington Heights,” she stated. “I don’t see a role for the state in arbitrating in that kind of situation.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com