Open Illinois.org

Uptown Chicago taxpayers remain in the dark about the progress of the Wilson Yard TIF (tax increment financing) project. Just a few months ago we blogged about the TIF situation in Uptown and now we have an update.

Not only does Alderman Schiller want to nearly double the TIF’s original budget by $54 million, but she’s still not giving any specifics about how the original $58 million is being spent.  This brings the total amount devoted to this non-transparent, unaccountable spending program to $112,000,000.

Fix Wilson Yard–a group devoted to representing the wishes of the community–wants to see the project stopped until the city of Chicago can develop a new plan that is transparent and guarantees the project will benefit the community.

Transparency in TIFs will help keep government accountable, give residents a role in decision-making, and ensure that the projects are the best for their communities. Learn more about transparency for TIFs by reading our report: Time to Throw a TIF!.