Park Board falls one vote shy of supporting TIF district on city’s south side

QUINCY — The Quincy Park District Board of Commissioners voted 4-3 during Wednesday night’s monthly meeting against the concept of creating a proposed South Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District.

Commissioners voting against the idea were John Frankenhoff, Mark Philpot, Patty McGlothlin and Alan Hickman. Favoring the idea were Barb Holthaus, Jarid Jones and Trent Lyons.

The commissioners’ lack of support for the proposed German Village TIF District does not necessarily mean the issue is dead. 

The city administration has proposed the establishment of the TIF district for the German Village area, which encompasses 14 square blocks and approximately 125 private parcels in the area of Eighth and State streets. The proposed boundary has an approximate equalized assessed value of $4.2 million.

The Quincy City Council voted 9-4 on July 3 to approve spending up to $40,000 with PGAV Planners, LLC, from St. Louis to determine an eligibility and redevelopment plan for the TIF district in the State and Eighth/Calftown/Dick Brothers Brewery area.

llinois law requires review by the major overlapping local taxing bodies and a public hearing on the redevelopment plan prior to TIF designation.

Six taxing districts — the City of Quincy, Adams County, John Wood Community College, Quincy School District 172, Quincy Township and the Quincy Park District — will have one representative on the TIF Review Board. It will review the work by PGAV Planners before making a recommendation to the Quincy City Council about approving the TIF.

Frankenhoff said approximately $60,000 of Park District funding is annually redirected to Quincy’s two existing TIFs. (The amount to be redirected for the German Village TIF has not yet been determined.) He felt taxpayers who have paid taxes toward the district might not appreciate having that funding rerouted in another direction.

Philpot agreed with Frankenhoff’s stance. He said while the board’s vote was “symbolic” and did not carry any sort of official weight, he could not OK such an idea “in good conscience.”

The Park Board voted 7-0 in support of two general obligation bonding measures — $1.3 million to be used for the district’s annual capital improvement plan, plus $1.1 million that will pay for a new irrigation system at Westview Golf Course.

The $1.3 million for the capital improvement plan will go toward:

• Johnson Park playground ($30,000).
• Reservoir Shelter House repairs for ceiling, soffit and roof ($150,000).
• Wavering Shelter House replacement ($225,000). 
• Bill Klingner Trail sealing and striping ($35,000).
• District equipment ($316,000).
• Wavering Park all-inclusive playground with restroom ($400,000).
• Resurfacing of Moorman Road to T-ball fields ($225,000).
• Replacing two Moorman Park water valve shutoffs ($12,000).

In other action, the board:

• Discussed year-end (2023) financial data involving Westview Golf Course, noting an 18.5 percent increase in rounds played over 2022. The board also agreed to maintain semi-annual financial reports. 
• Voted 7-0 in approval of an agreement between IAMAW District 9 Seasonal Union employees and the district. The impact on the district for fiscal year 2024 would be about $7,000.
• Voted 7-0 to approve $27,175 for repairs to the shelterhouse ceiling at South Park. Frankenhoff noted $30,000 had been budgeted for this project. 
• Discussed information submitted on the potential replacement of the Quinsippi Island bridge. Estimated costs ranged from $2.7 million to $3 million for repairs to replace the deck to $14 million to completely replace the structure.