Carrollton TIF Joint Review Board Votes Against TIF Proposal

By Benjamin Cox on October 24, 2019 at 10:28am

The City of Carrollton continues to receive push back against their proposed TIF district. The TIF Joint Review Board, which is a meeting of representatives from all of the taxing bodies in town that will be overlaid by the proposed district, met last Thursday and voted 4-1 against the proposed district in its current form, according to a report from the Greene Prairie Press.

Edwardsville, Illinois-based Moran Economic Development Group , who has been charged with designing the district for Carrollton, presented the review board with the complete proposal of the TIF district along with economic impact figures and details on property tax figures. Carrollton Superintendent Mark Halwachs, who sits on the Joint Review Board representing the school taxing body, has been a vocal opponent to the TIF. Halwachs traded questions with Moran’s President Keith Moran for nearly two hours during the meeting. Local resident Donna Nonneman wrote the board in opposition to the district because her residence sits within the proposed boundaries. Many on the review board also took issue with the meeting being scheduled at 10AM on a week day, believing it was set to limit public comment on the problems with the district, according to the Greene Prairie Press.

According to rules governing Joint Review Board’s for TIF, the boards act in an advisory capacity only and are non-binding. The Carrollton City Council will have the final say on installing the district permanently. Another Joint Review Board meeting has tentatively been set for November 7th at 2PM as well as a public hearing on the TIF proposal at Carrollton City Hall on November 14th at possibly 5PM depending upon the amount of people wishing to speak.