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Thursday, January 17, 2013
TIFs help shape county
County leader suggests new zero-waste policies “I found I had almost no trash. There should be some kind of control on the waste we’re producing. … I think these ideas are wonderful and I support them completely.” Frank O’Barski D-DeKalb
By JEFF ENGELHARDT
jengelhardt@shawmedia.com SYCAMORE – A zero-waste policy could be in the works for DeKalb County as a looming landfill expansion continues to be challenged. Ken Andersen, R-Sycamore, suggested multiple waste policies be discussed at the committee level during Wednesday’s DeKalb County Board meeting. Among his ideas were a zero-waste policy that would work toward no trash being disposed in a landfill, a zero-waste task force that would be comprised of board members, municipal leaders and residents and higher fees for landfill and garbage truck licensing. The suggestions likely would start with discussions at the planning and zoning committee level where it already gained support. Frank O’Barski, D-DeKalb and a new member of the board and planning and zoning committee, said progressive waste reduction policies work well. He cited his experience living in San Francisco, where each resident had three disposal bins including a green one for organic material, blue for recycling and black for trash. “I found I had almost no trash,” he said. “There should be some kind of control on the waste we’re producing. …
Kyle Bursaw – kbursaw@shawmedia.com
Sycamore Mayor Ken Mundy checks out one of the new bathrooms at 437 W. State St. during a Jan. 7 tour for city officials in Sycamore. The site of the old Fargo Motors building now is a mixed-use facility with high-end apartments, a project that relied on TIF district funds.
Special financing districts a growing trend in region By JEFF ENGELHARDT
jengelhardt@shawmedia.com DeKALB – No Walmart. No Target. No preservation of historical sites such as the Sycamore train depot and DeKalb’s Egyptian Theatre. Government officials throughout DeKalb County say that would be the reality without the use of tax increment financing districts. In 2012, more than $9.2 million in tax revenue was generated by TIF districts around DeKalb County, accounting for about 5 percent of the total tax dollars collected. That number is expected to grow next year with new districts starting in
Cortland and Maple Park this month and two more possibly coming to DeKalb. The TIF designation freezes property taxes collected by local governments at a base level for 23 years. As the property values increase in the district, all property tax revenue above the base level is diverted into a special fund that can be used for economic and public improvements. The mechanism has worked well in Sycamore, where two major projects were completed in 2012 with the assistance of tax increment funds. The city’s district, which generates about $60,000 a year, provided more than $100,000 to stabilize the his-
Tax increment financing revenue
torical train depot and $71,559 to demolish the old Fargo Motors building. The depot was renovated and occupied by the DeKalb County Community Foundation this year with the help of private donations. The site of the old Fargo Motors building now is a mixeduse facility with high-end apartments. Sycamore City Manager Brian Gregory said his city’s district, which is set to expire in 2023, has helped create a more welcoming and appealing downtown. “I think this TIF has been
Here’s how much each community received in 2012 through its TIF districts, according to DeKalb County Treasurer Mark Todd. • DeKalb: $8,531,246 • Malta: $358,309 • Kirkland: $275,633 • Sycamore: $59,697 • Waterman: $58,416
See TIFs, page A5
See TRASH, page A5
Obama unveils $500 million gun plan President concedes there is a tough fight ahead By JULIE PACE
The Associated Press
AP photo
From left to right: Hinna Zeejah, 8, Taejah Goode, 10, Julia Stokes, 11, and Grant Fritz, 8, who wrote letters to President Barack Obama about the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., watch as the president signs executive orders Wednesday in at the White House in Washington.
WASHINGTON – Conceding “this will be difficult,” President Barack Obama urged a reluctant Congress on Wednesday to require background checks for all gun sales and ban both military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines in an emotion-laden plea to curb gun violence in America.
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The president’s sweeping, $500 million plan, coming one month after the school massacre in Connecticut, marks the most comprehensive effort to tighten gun laws in nearly two decades. But his proposals, most of which are opposed by the National Rifle Association, face a doubtful future in a divided Congress where Republicans control the House. Seeking to circumvent at least some opposition,
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Obama signed 23 executive actions Wednesday, including orders to make more federal data available for background checks and end a freeze on government research on gun violence. But he acknowledged that the steps he took on his own would have less impact than the broad measures requiring approval from Capitol Hill. “To make a real and lasting difference, Congress,
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Collectors & Electronics Roadshow!
Best Western DeKalb Inn & Suites, 1212 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb PAYING CASH FOR THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:
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More inside Ill. Dems: Limit guns in state, Chicago. PAGE A4
too, must act,” Obama said, speaking at a White House ceremony with school children and their parents. “And Congress must act soon.” The president’s announcements capped a swift and wide-ranging effort, led by Vice President Joe Biden,
See OBAMA, page A5
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