Long Grove board to vote on taxing district

A tax increment finance issue in Long Grove may appear on the November ballot in a resident-backed referendum, but the village board will be voting on the issue long before then.

The board is scheduled to vote on implementing a TIF district in the downtown and the surrounding area at its meeting Tuesday.

"We are compelled to go to a vote," Village President Maria Rodriguez said.

She said state law says the village board must vote on a TIF district 90 days after it holds its public hearing.

However, Long Grove resident Haig Bedrosian, who helped start the petition to force a referendum, said that's just an excuse on the village's part.

"I think they should have, in good conscience, put this to a referendum to begin with," Bedrosian.

In a tax increment finance district, the extra property tax money collected as assessments rise goes to pay for redevelopment activities rather than to schools and other taxing bodies. The village wants to use those funds to help the beleaguered downtown and spur development at nearby Route 83.

Bedrosian, his wife, Monica, and other residents collected 300 signatures in recent months, which represents enough of Long Grove's population to get the issue on the ballot.

According to the Lake County clerk's office, it is now the village clerk's responsibility to file the petition with the county. However, there is a period for anyone to file objections to the petition.

If the item qualifies to be on the ballot, it is only advisory and not binding.

Rodriguez said the board has given residents plenty of chance to speak up about the TIF district. She said the first open house on the issue was held in May 2006.

"We don't want to do anything reckless, but we do feel we've investigated this," she said.

She said the village implemented a joint review board, which wasn't mandatory, to give all the taxing bodies and residents a chance to give input.

However, Haig Bedrosian said he still doesn't think the village has the proper backing from residents to go forward.

"This commits the residents of our village to a 23-year plan, and our trustees are all volunteers for four years," he said. "To think you can invoke a plan for 23 years and expect that to be successful without commitment from a large portion of the community is very foolhardy."

For more information on the TIF district, visit www.longgrove.net.