District 21 talks pros and cons of TIFs

The Wheeling Township Elementary District 21 board on Thursday outlined its reasons for rejecting a tax increment finance district the village wants to implement.

Daniel Schuler, assistant superintendent for business, said the new district is contiguous to others in town, which means funds from those districts can be transferred to the new one.

He said the South Manchester Drive TIF, which is next to the new proposed district, has little developable land, and that money could be given back to the school district instead of being used in other TIFs.

"We're not 100 percent against TIFs," Schuler said. However, he said the district opposed this one at a joint review board meeting because it is already experiencing a $650,000 negative impact.

The joint review board is comprised of seven taxing bodies affected by Wheeling if it creates a TIF, since the districts freeze the assessments at the current le vel for 23 years and put any increases back into the taxing district for development.

The board met on July 7. The Indian Trails Public Library was the other dissenting vote on the creation of the Southeast Industrial Lane TIF, which would comprise an industrial area and Wheeling's portion of the Chicago Executive Airport.

The library voted against recommending the TIF because, at the time, the village attorney said no assurances could be made that money from the River Mill subdivision would be redistributed to taxing bodies. The village board, however, later said that is likely to be put into place.

Schuler said that although two taxing bodies voted against the TIF, it will likely still go through.

"It really has no impact on whether or not the village trustees move forward to enact the TIF," he said. However, board members agreed they wanted to stay part of the process so that the village understood the school district's position.

Board member Rich Rosen said he would like to see the lives of TIF districts shortened if development is achieved before the end of 23 years.

"All we're asking for is a fair share," member Arlen Gould concurred.