Allen Skillicorn, Republican candidate for the 66th State House District seat and an East Dundee village trustee, is upset about the epidemic of abandoned and blighted buildings in the district he wants to represent, the latest of which is the former Walmart store in East Dundee.
"Walmart wins while taxpayers in Community School District 300 are stuck with the bill," Skillicorn said.
| Contributed photo
Skillicorn blamed the Walmart closure largely on tax increment financing (TIF), a public financing tool used to help fund redevelopment, infrastructure and other community-improvement projects. TIFs allow municipalities to divert future property tax revenue increases from a specific area or district and use them to fund economic development or public improvement projects, such as luring a large retailer like Walmart.
"East Dundee now has another vacant and blighted building to remind people that TIFs and corporate welfare don't work," Skillicorn said. "TIFs are structured to benefit developers with corporate welfare, not the local communities. Until the TIF law is changed in Springfield, more and more communities will be pitted against one another, and only the developers will benefit."
The 66th State House District covers parts of McHenry and Kane counties, including Algonquin, Carpentersville, Crystal Lake, East Dundee, Elgin, Huntley, Lake in the Hills, Lakewood, Sleepy Hollow and West Dundee.
More information about Skillicorn and his campaign is available online at www.allenskillicorn.com or on his official Facebook page.
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