Vital to show how TIF affects taxes

The Illinois Department of Revenue has taken an important step with its report about printing TIF district information on tax bills.

Transparency is long overdue for Tax Increment Financing, which is why my office already prints Cook County's TIF district names on individual tax bills, and provides detailed information about them with the click of a mouse - two of the state's key recommendations - at www.cookctyclerk.com.

In coming years we plan to print more details on tax bills.

We adopted these measures because the money at stake is mind-boggling.

Yet, since less than 10 percent of taxpayers live in TIF districts, even these strategies won't educate most voters. Until every municipality with a TIF discusses it as part of its annual budget, along with every other line item, the public will be shortchanged.

In Chicago alone, taxpayers were quaking at a recent $80 million-plus tax increase by city council.

At the same time, these taxpayers were unknowingly shelling out another $500 million in property taxes to fund TIF's.

I remain committed to educating the public about TIF districts and will be pleased to see other counties follow suit. The price of ignorance is far too high.

David Orr

Cook County Clerk

Chicago