Local projects funded with video poker, alcohol taxes, vehicle fees

SPRINGFIELD - Suburban mayors may not be keen on video gambling coming to their local bars and taverns, but the taxes from those electronic slots and poker would finance millions in coveted local improvements.

One of the final votes lawmakers took in their regular spring legislative session was to OK a massive list of project spending that would be supported by not only the controversial video gambling expansion but also higher taxes on alcohol and increased vehicle fees.

In return, individual towns stand to get a variety of new projects.

Arlington Heights, for instance, is in line for more than $1 million for traffic signals, road resurfacing and flood control projects. There's also $50,000 listed for the local library to renovate the children's department.

The village of St. Charles appears set to get $570,000 for various construction and repair projects.

There's $1 million reserved for riverfront improvements in Elgin, $220,000 for work on Raymond Street and $240,000 for sidewalks at Elgin and Larkin high schools.

And in Libertyville, the state would provide $2,000 for work on Fire Station 1 and another $425,000 for sidewalk and street improvements.

The spending spree goes on for nearly 1,000 pages, divvying up $1.5 billion worth of projects throughout the state, again, all financed by video gambling, alcohol and more expensive licenses and license plates. For now, it's all in caught in the crossfire as the governor and lawmakers fight over the state budget and ethics, but it will make a big difference for many towns if it emerges as approved.

While many area mayors, commissioners and council members have complained about the gambling aspect of the funding plan, they've long sought the projects that would be funded should the political bickering ever end in Springfield and the checks arrive.

"Anything we receive from the state is welcome," said Streamwood Village Manager Gary O'Rourke. "These are all projects that are important to the community."

His community, which banned video poker machines in 2004, stands to get $300,000 for road surfacing, $52,000 for a sanitary sewer project and $50,000 for construction and repairs to a fire-training tower.

Bartlett Village President Michael Kelly doesn't like where the money's coming from.

"I would feel a lot better if the state legislature would focus on reducing the spending rather than finding more sources for the revenue," Kelly said. "I can't envision what they're going to tax next."

But he'll spend it.

"I would not want to pass up money like that," he said of the half million dollars targeted for infrastructure work in the village. "That doesn't mean I agree with how they got it and it doesn't mean I want video poker to come into the town."

Similarly, Lindenhurst Village President Susan Lahr doesn't want video gambling in the community, but said local residents still pay state taxes and deserve money back from the state.

Lindenhurst would get $250,000 for a bike/pedestrian path to connect Engle Memorial Park to Lake Villa Library and $100,000 for road and infrastructure improvements.

Whether this type of spending - based purely on politicians' priorities - is wise likely depends on individual interests.

There's $100 million for a third airport project, even as O'Hare expansion continues to get the green light.

The spending list includes $8 million to renovate Northern Illinois University's Cole Hall, a building initially targeted for demolition and replacement following the campus shooting last year.

Other spending includes $10 million to encourage electric car manufacturing and charging stations across the state.

Another $10 million is targeted to help locate grocery stores in underserved communities.

All these projects and issues were requested either by individual lawmakers or the governor, though the specific sponsors are not listed in the spending plan. The key difference from previous so-called "pork project" spending plans is that all the projects are spelled out. Massive lump sums that had been commonplace in past spending deals are all but gone.

Still, one suburban lawmaker called it "unseemly" for this type of pet-project spending to be occurring when the state's in such financial straits.

"I would have put everything into the highway plan and mass transit," said state Rep. Jack Franks, a Democrat from Marengo, which would get money in this deal for township roads and a sewer project.

However, all these projects are currently in limbo, much like everything else of high-profile status at the Capitol.

And that's because there's not a balanced state budget for running state prisons, health care and all other daily functions.

Technically, this spending and the remainder of the $29 billion highway, bridge and school construction program are separate from that operating budget, as the higher taxes and fees lawmakers approved would finance the projects. The money from the taxes and gambling would pay off the construction loans. It doesn't go to the state's main bank account.

But Gov. Pat Quinn has tied it all together, saying he won't sign off on the construction spending until lawmakers balance the state's operating budget.

That budget has a two-year, nearly $12 billion deficit. The state Senate approved higher income and sales taxes to come up with the money, but the state House rejected it and voted down a smaller, temporary income tax increase.

So, with no appetite for raising taxes or making cuts, lawmakers instead approved a budget that would cover only half the year.

Quinn has said that's not a real budget. However, even that half deal hasn't been sent to his desk as lawmakers, angry at each other and their leaders, have used procedural moves to make sure the budgets and construction plans aren't actually sent to Quinn's office.

Lawmakers and Quinn have said they hope to have this all resolved before the July 1 start of the new budget year.