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1. KimJ
   Member

   Check your mailboxes, I am assuming this flyer you paid for is delivered today.

   (I hope the village puts it up on their site shortly, we will provide a link.)

   According to the flyer, if the Village needs $10 million to revitalize the downtown..

   your property taxes go up approx. $160/yr with a TIF.
   or
   your propery taxes go up approx. $300/yr without a TIF.

   So why is the TIF budgeted for $20 Million. Does that then mean that
   my property taxes will actually go up approx. $320/yr with a TIF?

   How about NO TIF, the Village goes to referendum for what it needs.

   What does the village plan to do with that $20 Million anyway? Of course, about $10 Million of it was for a parking garage.

   As a tax payer, I am expected to pay $300 plus a year extra in taxes for a garage?

   I wonder if the people filling out that Northern Illinois Survey (Avail. on this websites home page) were asked if they wanted to pay $300/yr + in additional taxes for that extra restaurant? That tunnel was a serious bargain.

   Posted Thursday Apr 12, 2007 11:56 #

2. Catherine
   Member

   Gee, how is it that the Village government, funded with our tax dollars, is able to mail their political flyers?

   I am willing to pony up the extra 140 bucks. 1000 if it would have stopped the VC.

   Posted Thursday Apr 12, 2007 12:00 #

3. MDS
   Member

   Gee, how is it that the Village government, funded with our tax dollars, is able to mail their political flyers?

   Don't worry, I'm sure it's "TIF reimbursable."

   I wonder if the people filling out that Northern Illinois Survey (Avail. on this websites home page) were asked if they wanted to pay $300/yr + in additional taxes for that extra restaurant?

   No I wasn't, and nor did I think answering "yes" to whether or not I wanted the village board to take a more active role in revitalizing the CBD would mean that they would head down this ill-conceived path...

   Posted Thursday Apr 12, 2007 12:25 #

4. Catherine
   Member

   By the way, any US mail that you want to reject you can mark REFUSED and place it back for your mailperson/

   Posted Thursday Apr 12, 2007 12:31 #

5. spatny
   Member

   Dear Village Manager - I object to you using our tax dollars to feather your nest. Wait a minute - that's "Feather's" nest too. Oh well, I still object, for all the good it will do me.

   Posted Thursday Apr 12, 2007 12:33 #

6. MDS
   Member

   According to the flyer, if the Village needs $10 million to revitalize the downtown..

   your property taxes go up approx. $160/yr with a TIF.
   or
   your propery taxes go up approx. $300/yr without a TIF.

   Wait, so this gives lie to the board's claim that the TIF does not mean a tax increase!

   Posted Thursday Apr 12, 2007 12:34 #

7. MikeT
   Member

   Let's talk money.

   the village flyer says

   your property taxes go up approx. $160/yr with a TIF.

   MDS made a good point. Taxes will go up with a TIF. period.

   To expand on this:

   the flyer also says

   if the Village needs $10 million to revitalize the downtown

   my emphasis on 'IF'.

   Do we really need to spend the $10,000,000 dollars in the manner that they are saying? --Which is a Pine av parking deck and infrastructure to support high density housing in the cbd and the greater cbd, as far as I can tell?

   If we do a 'small' vision approach, which is more cost effective and parsimonious, we would have NO tax increase--and no TIF. It would be upgrading the CBD with ordinance enforcment and PR and the MARKET.

   How did anyone do anything before the TIF laws were passed?

   With TIF............ $160 / month increase
   No TIF.............. $300 / month increase

   'small' approach.... $0

   No out of scale, Riverside ruining, wrongheaded 'improvements'. It's cheaper.

   This non binding referendum, 'should riverside establish a TIF district?' is really also a referendum on WHAT you want to do in the CBD.

   If you'd like to do creative sub $10k expenditures* ..................VOTE NO

   If you'd like to examine more closely current Village spending......Vote NO

   If you'd like to NOT ruin Olmsted's design and preserve Riverside...Vote NO

   edit:
   If you think there already is development going on in Riverside
   and a TIF is therefore not needed.............................................Vote NO

   If you do not want to put the schools at risk...............................Vote NO

   If you do not want to displace neighbors for a dubious 'good' .........Vote NO

   If you do not want the Village government to give our tax money
   to devlopers.............................................................................Vote NO

   If you want to make sure you know what the Village government does
   with our tax money instead of putting it in a big uncontrolled fund.........Vote NO

   If you know that we are more a charming cooperative Village in the
   Forest than a place like Chicago or Oak Park..........................................Vote No

   .
   Vote NO on the referenda questions to save taxes AND to save Riverside

   .
   .
   * see, for example some notes on the 'small' approach (anyone can add more )
   http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic.php?id=183&page&replies=1#post-2618

   Posted Thursday Apr 12, 2007 14:43 #

8. Catherine
   Member

   Upon what factual considerations and calculations are the assertions of the village based; does anybody know?

   Posted Thursday Apr 12, 2007 15:18 #

9. EricSundstrom
   Member

   I still think many of you do not truly understand or maybe just can't absorb the concept. A property owner is only subject to the legalities of the ordinances regulating the use of his/her property. The village center you all love to hate came about without a tif. The variance they recieved was for a one foot height variance. NOT an extra story.Had they went a foot deeper instead of going up a foot they might not of needed that variance. What happens if a developer buys up the whole southside or northside of Burlington Rd in the CBD.If the developer follows ordinances they can build whatever they want. Common sense dictates they would build something mildly pleasing. However if you don't like the new projected building's facade or the color,anything , there is nothing you, or this village can do to influence a builder to concede to your wishes. Any thought to the contrary is fantasy. There are multiple factors in play now ,that would take hours to discuss, as to why Riverside is becomeing a prime area for redevolpement. Lets just say its going to happen, sooner than later. So instead of a tif, how would you go about getting a developer to use a better quality/color brick? A better quality brick they do not need to complete their project,and one that will cost 50 cents to a dollar more per brick. Multiply that by the # of bricks you see at ,lets say, the village center( additional cost of 75,000 to 150,000? probably) and you can see why you might want tif money to get the results you want in Riverside. I not saying say its fair ,I'm just saying thats reality. Finally. I tend to believe the village board when they say things. If they say we'll need 10 million for infrastucture, I believe them . These people are not national politicians.There are no secrect slush funds or backroom deals going on here. They are our neighbors and fellow townspeople and deserve our respect. EOM

   Posted Thursday Apr 12, 2007 16:31 #

10. Tim
    Member

    The calculations seem to only relate to the TIF vs. Village referendum request for money.

    The calculations thoughtfully omit the tax transfer component of a TIF that could siphon up to 60 cents on the dollar from our schools and also siphon additional tax revenue from our other taxing bodies.

    If the schools are made "whole" in the face of this inappropriate and oversized proposed TIF, those numbers go out the window... that $160/yr could possibly double and cost us even more than $300 per year. The current proposed TIF Budget does not include satisfactory funds to make the schools whole.

    If the schools are not made "whole" you can be sure the TIF will force our schools to beg us via referendum request for more property taxes to offset to the money siphoned to the TIF.

    Citizens of Riverside have repeatedly asked our Village Board and our TIF Consultants for the TIF impact on the schools of Riverside to be revealed.

    Surely a flier concerning this TIF and the future of Riverside would include this vital information...it does not.

    Posted Thursday Apr 12, 2007 16:56 #

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