The Assessor’s FOIA department does not respect the letter or spirit of the FOIA law. By far, the Cook County Assessors FOIA office is the most lax, error prone and ineffective FOIA department I have ever dealt with. And due to ineffective action by Attorney General’s office, the Assessor has little to fear.
It is a huge mistake for government to run what should be a private business. This is gross mismanagement and a huge waste of taxpayer money.
Career Education was bluffing all along to see what they could squeeze out of the taxpayers.
The secrecy, deception, and total lack of due diligence in the determination of this blight expansion is an outrage.
Since the building was actually vacant for less than one year before the purchase on January 4, 2007, this building is not eligible for the 7B tax break.
It is unlikely that the Career Education Corporation 7B redevelopment to meet the requirement being “reasonably expected to ultimately result in an increase in real property tax revenue and employment opportunities within the area”.
Career Education says they cannot relocate their headquarters to the vacant building at 231 N Martingale without a 60% property tax break for 10 years. This claim is weak and unsubstantiated.
Due diligence by the Village is so perfunctory and meager that the Village Board and staff were not aware of what buildings were in their own Commercial Blight Area Resolution!
The Village of Schaumburg claims in the Star Line Plan that “A TIF does not increase taxes”. This is utter nonsense.
TIF Act. Section 65ILCS 5/11-74.4-3 of The Act states:
(n) “Redevelopment plan” means the comprehensive program of the municipality for development or redevelopment intended by the payment of redevelopment project costs to reduce or eliminate those conditions the existence of …
If it were not for a Freedom of Information Act request, the Village of Schaumburg would still be hiding the $95,000,000 corporate welfare subsidy.
For $119.5 million, the taxpayer is entitled to a map showing the buildings, roads, parking lots, train stations or other structures that are planned to be demolished or constructed using taxpayer money. However, the Village of Schaumburg hasn’t provided this.
For Schaumburg commit to spending over $120 million of our tax dollars to the Star Line area before obtaining Metra’s commitment and sustainable funding for the line is both unwise and unrealistic.
