A libertarian political advocacy group submitted a petition to the Arlington Heights Village Board Tuesday that would bar the village from providing taxpayer-funded monetary incentives to the Chicago Bears soccer crew — which is seeking to purchase the Arlington Park Worldwide Racecourse for $197 million — in addition to every other enterprise which may open within the space.
Brian Costin, deputy state director of People for Prosperity Illinois, led the petition effort and stated the group submitted 663 signatures to the board at its assembly Tuesday night time.
The petition, which originated from a piece of the Arlington Heights municipal code that permits for resident-generated referendums, requires the Village Board to contemplate an ordinance that might stop the village from extending any sort of monetary help to any company searching for to open within the village.
Village officers say such an ordinance could be disastrous for the village, whereas organizers from the Koch brothers-backed People for Prosperity name it an “anti-corporate welfare ordinance.”
In presenting the signatures to the Village Board throughout the public remark portion of the assembly, Costin famous that People for Prosperity not too long ago ran a ballot that discovered 72% of respondents supported the Bears’ transfer to the village however that 68% opposed using public cash to carry them to Arlington Heights.
“We’ve seen stadium payments and company welfare initiatives flip bitter for taxpayers throughout Illinois,” Costin stated, citing examples within the cities of Bridgeview and Hoffman Estates.
Arlington Heights officers stated passing such a measure would put the village at a serious monetary drawback to its neighbors.
Mayor Tom Hayes was absent from the board assembly final night time, telling Pioneer Press in an electronic mail that he was in Canada “on a non-refundable trip” he’d booked a 12 months in the past. However Hayes beforehand expressed his disapproval for the ordinance API is pushing.
“We don’t suppose it’s one thing that’s in one of the best curiosity of the village,” Hayes beforehand stated. “If one thing like that is enacted, then all these companies are going elsewhere, and the way will that profit our residents?”
Hayes beforehand informed Pioneer Press that he would do “every part in my energy to see (such an ordinance) stopped.”
Village Supervisor Randy Recklaus was current on the assembly Tuesday night time and blasted the thought of the ordinance.
“It is a very excessive proposition,” Recklaus stated. “It could actually cripple the village’s capacity to have interaction in any financial improvement all through our complete group.”
Recklaus added that main swathes of the village, like its downtown space, have been redeveloped by way of public financing incentives like tax increment financing districts.
The truth is, the Village Board thought-about a TIF district-related request on the assembly Tuesday for the Southpoint Buying Middle at 600 East Rand Highway. The developer sought cash from the TIF to assist assemble two business buildings: one for a Chipotle restaurant and the opposite for an AT&T retail retailer.
Resident Martin Bauer informed Arlington Heights trustees he was against using public cash on Bears-related development.
Bauer stated he was not with People for Prosperity, however stated he may become involved with that group or an analogous one if the village continued shifting ahead with the challenge.
“No public cash is required to develop this explicit website,” he stated concerning the former racecourse property. “We’re not speaking a few brownfield. We’re not speaking about an eyesore that’s been sitting vacant for many years.”
Bauer stated Hayes and a few members of the Village Board had turn into “googly eyed” over the prospect of bringing the soccer crew to the village.
“He indicated that he'll do something to make it possible for the Bears come to Arlington Heights,” Bauer stated of Hayes.
Recklaus responded to Bauer’s remark, within the mayor’s absence.
“I don't recall Mayor Hayes ever saying he would do something to carry the Bears right here,” Recklaus stated.
The petition wanted 546 signatures, or 1% of the voting inhabitants of the village, to be submitted to the Village Board as a possible ordinance. If the board then rejects that proposed ordinance, then the petition organizers could attempt to get 12% of the village’s voting inhabitants to signal on and pressure a referendum on the poll at an upcoming election.
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