Antioch board deeply divided on tax increase

It might be years before the first shovel of dirt is turned over on a planned retail development, but the issue already has caused a rift between Antioch village board members.

The board voted in favor of creating a business district for the planned 600,000-square-foot Antioch Market Place shopping center during their meeting earlier this week.

Board members were split down the middle, with trustees Dennis Crosby, Larry Hanson and Robert Caulfield voting against the business district. Trustees Robert McCarty, Mike Wolcycz and Scott Pierce voted in favor. Mayor Dorothy Larson broke the tie with her yes" vote.

The creation of a business district means the sales tax at the stores there would be up to 1 percentage point higher than the village's standard 6.5 percent. Money generated from the additional tax will be used by the developer to pay for roads, sewers and other infrastructure improvements. Usually, the developer pays for those improvements out of its own pocket. The tax remains in place for 23 years.

Crosby says the tax amounts to financial aid for developer V-Land Corp.

"What this does is protect the profit margin for them," Crosby said. "We are asking our taxpayers to provide bailout money for them, and that is wrong."

During Monday's meeting, Crosby also told the developers that in order for him to vote "yes," they should make a $1.3 million financial contribution to the village.

Larson questioned the legality and ethics of Crosby's idea.

"It seems like he was trying to sell his vote," she said. "We've heard enough about that idea from Springfield lately. It almost amounts to extortion. I need to look at the law on something like this," Larson said.

The developer hopes to anchor the center at Route 173 just west of Deep Lake Road with Kohl's, Best Buy and Lowe's stores, though none of those retailers has committed yet to the plan. According to the development timeline, it could be three to six years before the first store opens.

Larson said she voted in favor because that's what Antioch residents want.

"I have been overwhelmed with calls and letters of support for this project to move forward," she said.

Trustee and mayoral candidate Robert Caulfield voted no, saying this is a bad time to raise taxes and said citizens shouldn't subsidize a commercial business.

"This is a desirable community," he said. "Retailers will come to Antioch once the economy improves. We don't need to provide this incentive."

Caulfield is running against Hanson for mayor on April 7. Incumbents Pierce and McCarty will battle Dave Dziki, James Jozwiak, Ted Poulos and Rebecca Weber for three board seats. Larson is leaving the board.

Pierce said waiting for things to get better is the wrong approach. "If we continue to delay, the village and school systems stand to lose millions of dollars," Pierce said. "This isn't a bailout. It's an investment in the future."

Lamenting the final vote, Crosby said his colleagues just don't get it.

"Unfortunately, we have board members and a mayor who are well-intentioned but clueless about business and don't know how to negotiate," Crosby said. "This is a sad day for Antioch."