- Target:
- Mayors and City Councils of Cook County, Cook County Board of Commissioners
- Region:
- United States of America
- Website:
- twitter.com
Tax increment Finance Districts (TIFs) are a hidden property tax that hits every tax payer in Cook County. They are controlled by the mayors and city councils of each municipality. There are over 420 TIF districts in Cook County.
In 2009 they diverted over $838 million AWAY from the units of local government that rely on property taxes to operate and INTO slush funds that are almost impossible to monitor and track ($519 million from the City of Chicago. $706 million in 2010!). They are a source of hundreds of millions of dollars of sweetheart private deals that fund pet projects and line insider's pockets.
TIFs need to be abolished completely and any remaining funds in TIF accounts should be turned over to the local units of government that SHOULD HAVE gotten that property tax revenue in the first place.
We, the tax payers of Cook County demand that:
(1) All existing Tax Increment Finance Districts in Cook County be abolished and,
(2) Any remaining dollars in TIF accounts be distributed to the local units of government that would've gotten those property tax revenues in the first place, and
(3) No new TIF district be created without input and approval by the affected taxpayers, and, finally,
(4) The Cook County Clerk will post online a complete set of reports documenting how TIF money has been spent and who has received these funds.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Abolish TIFs in Cook County! petition to Mayors and City Councils of Cook County, Cook County Board of Commissioners was written by Tom Tresser and is in the category Local Government at GoPetition.