Illinois House committee sends Bears megaproject bill to full chamber for a vote

An Illinois House committee Wednesday advanced amended Bears megaproject legislation that would give the NFL franchise a long-term tax break at its Arlington Heights property, while also siphoning off half of what it would pay local governments to property tax rebates for homeowners.

The 15-5 vote of the House Revenue and Finance Committee late Wednesday afternoon sets up a vote of the full House as soon as Wednesday night.

The Senate is in session next week, and while it’s believed the Bears-backed bill has an easier path in that chamber, the latest 376-page version contains significant changes from the 38-page bill filed some two months ago.

The basics of the bill are the same as when Bears brass began lobbying for it in Springfield four years ago: a so-called Payments in Lieu of Taxes financing mechanism that would give them and other developers statewide the ability to negotiate property tax payments directly with school districts and other local governments for up to 40 years.

What’s new is a property tax relief sweetener aimed at getting more votes from legislators reluctant to give a break to big businesses without addressing the affordability concerns of average taxpayers.

“The thought process behind that is that if we’re going to give some property tax certainty and relief to the developers, then we need to be able to do the same thing for the folks who pay property taxes, homeowners,” said Democratic Rep. Kam Buckner, the bill sponsor who has led negotiations in the House.

Half of the annual payment the Bears make to taxing bodies in and around the 326-acre former Arlington Park racetrack would be deposited into a locally held property tax relief fund, according to the bill.

Of that amount, 60% would go toward rebates for residential homeowners in the megaproject area, and 40% would go to the state’s existing property tax relief fund.

Arlington Heights officials would establish eligibility standards and amounts for awarding the local rebates.

After deposits have been made into the property tax relief fund, the village would then distribute the rest of the Bears’ special payment to taxing districts in amounts equal to their proportionate share of the typical tax bill.

Buckner acknowledged the new tax relief element could potentially increase the amount schools and other governments request from the Bears.

“There’s a possibility that this will change the complexion of those negotiations. But once again, I think my caucus has made it very clear that there has to be something in this for people, right?” Buckner said following an hourslong meeting with fellow House Democrats Tuesday.

Officials from the Bears and the three Arlington Heights-area school districts said Wednesday they were still reviewing drafts of the legislation and could not immediately comment. The NFL club, Palatine Township Elementary District 15, Northwest Suburban High School District 214 and Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 have lobbied together for the megaproject bill.