Tag Archives: tax increment financing

Shawn Boldt to Lead Freeport City Council in the Pledge of Allegiance – It’s Too Bad This Council Has No Leadership On The Real Issues Facing This City!

The Freeport City Council will be meeting Monday, October 6, 2014 at 6:00 pm in the City Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor. If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

Some highlights of the meeting:

Introduction of new police officers.

5th reading of ordinance amending garbage collection ordinance. It allows a multi-family dwelling owner of four or more units to form its own contractual relationship with a garbage hauler of their choosing.

Several ordinances dealing with Meadows TIF Redevelopment Project Area.

2nd reading of ordinance expanding Enterprise Zone to assist Dubuque, Iowa company to expand in East Dubuque. Hopefully, someone from Freeport can commute to East Dubuque for a job!

1st reading of ordinance on amending Enterprise Zone for Pearl Valley Farms (egg farm).

Resolution on redevelopment agreement dealing with property at corner of West and South Street (Jo Ann Fabrics area)

Resolution to create Transit Advisory Council consisting of seven member appointed by the Mayor. Great – another advisory council!

For the complete agenda go to http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20141006.pdf

More TIF’s in Freeport’s Future!

Freeport City Council Meeting Monday, May 6, 2014, 6:00 pm
City Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor
If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

Some items of interest on the agenda:

Appointment of Todd Barkalow as Chief of Police.

Another new TIF (Tax Increment Financing District)? An ordinance authorizing study to determine eligibility of property for a TIF. What a joke! Why waste money on a study. All of Freeport would quality as TIF according to the rules! By the way, must be a secret area since location not included in ordinance (at least not online). In any event, remember each TIF just shifts tax burden to homeowners and small businesses.

Resolution to co-sponsor music at Debate Square with Lincoln-Douglas Society on July 3, 17, 24, and 31 from 7: 30 to 9:00 pm.

For the full agenda go to:

Click to access A20140505.pdf

Freeport City Council Meeting on Monday, March 2 to Consider Expanding West Avenue TIF to Include Jo-Ann Fabrics

Freeport City Council Meeting at 6:00 pm
City Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor
If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

A few items of interest:

Annual report of Freeport/Stephenson County Convention and Visitors Bureau, read report at

Click to access CVB%20201312_20140303.pdf

Summary of City’s financial condition compared to last year

Memorandum on expanding West Avenue TIF (Tax Increment Financing District or also known as SHIT which is an acronym for Shift to Homeowners Incrementally Taxes) to include Jo-Anne Fabrics. To be fair every other small business in Freeport should be included in this TIF so improvements can be subsidized by other taxpayers in this community. Wait a minute – that would mean the whole City would be in a TIF. Oh, why not! What’s good enough for Wal*Mart should be good enough for the rest of us!

Appointment of Steering Committee for City Hall Public Outreach – this committee should be called “Committee to Decide Fate of City Hall.”

1st reading of a couple of ordinances and seven resolutions dealing with items such as the sale to Alber of part of Rawleigh Complex, expanding TIF referred to above, and hiring Fehr Graham for engineering services (this firm should have an office in City Hall – surprise that Shelly Griswald is going from City Hall to work for this firm)
For a complete agenda to follow during the meeting go to

Click to access A20140303a.pdf

%d bloggers like this: