The city of Chicago has just approved 6 million dollars in tax increment financing (TIF) for Accretive Health Inc. “to pay for job training and the build-out costs” of a new facility, which will be located at 231 South LaSalle Street. By law, TIFs are intended to promote economic development in blighted areas, and this [...]
Tag Archives: Cook County
Rahm on TIF
Not many people understand tax increment financing (TIF) very well, and the lack of transparency in the TIF process, particularly in Chicago, leaves many taxpayers unaware of exactly where TIF developments are located, how many tax dollars are going into these TIFs, and how the money is being spent. Mayoral candidates looking to fill Daley’s [...]
Cook County Coffee Czar?
The media has been uncovering some interesting spending from Cook County’s newly launched check registry, such as this find from The Prairie Stater, which discovered $76,291 in checks paid to Elgin-based ACE Coffee Holdings, Inc. since December 2009. According to the report, ACE sells coffee, cups, lids, sports drinks, water, tea and snacks and also [...]
Cook County Check Register Live
Want to find out how Cook County is spending your tax dollars? Check out its check register here and see where your tax dollars are going. ABC 7′s I-Team found some interesting expenses of note, such as $6,243.75 to CROE TV (which stands for Coalition for the remembrance of the honorable Elijah Muhammad, the leader [...]
Cook County Checks Online
After passing a transparency resolution about a year ago, Cook County has posted its check registry online and appears to be embracing spending transparency policy, describing their move as an “Open County Initiative,” which is “part of Cook County’s pledge to provide the residents of the county with a more transparent and accountable government.” According [...]
Transparency vs. Stroger
Sunshine Review wrote a good post about how transparency – or the lack thereof – from Cook County Board President Todd Stroger may have had a hand in why he lost in Tuesday’s election. Check it out out here!
Todd Stroger's Transparency
According to the Daily Herald, “Cook County Board President Todd Stroger said today he would release his tax returns for the last two years on Thursday and called on his opponents in Tuesday’s Democratic Primary to do the same in the interest of “transparency,” but at the same time he claimed no knowledge of two [...]