Following the passage of House Bill 910, commonly referred to as the megaprojects bill, by the Illinois House of Representatives this week, State Representative Jeff Keicher released the following statement:
“By now, I’m sure you’ve seen the news that the House passed a megaprojects bill on Wednesday that would also help the Bears move to Arlington Heights.
“As I’ve said, I am a lifelong Bears fan and want the team to stay in Illinois, but it must be a good deal for taxpayers. I still have concerns with the bill that passed and do not support it in its current form.
“A few weeks ago, I sat down for a detailed discussion on the issue with policy experts Mark Batinick and Tom Demmer (video above). Top among my concerns is that the current bill still does not guarantee that taxing districts CANNOT use the value of a megaproject towards their tax base; this could substantially raise property taxes for homeowners and businesses outside the megaproject.
“Please watch the video for more about my concerns. I’m hopeful the proposal will be amended in the Senate to include stronger safeguards for taxpayers.”
For more information on the legislation that passed – Click Here.