TIF Joint Review Boards Meet

The annual meetings of the Joint Review Boards that oversee the four Tax Increment Financing districts in Effingham took place Thursday.

The Joint Review Boards are made up of a representative from each of the taxing bodies impacted by TIF districts. The boards hear about the projects undertaken in the districts in the past year, and what work is planned in the districts in the coming year.

The TIF #1 district includes much of the central part of the city; the Outer Belt West TIF district was created to generate revenue to complete that roadway; the Central Area TIF district is made up of the downtown area and the area to the south of downtown; and the South Central Industrial TIF involves much of the area along South Banker Street.

TIF districts capture the increase in tax revenue for use on projects within those districts. That's also revenue that doesn't go to those other taxing districts, so that's why the review boards were created.

Officers were chosen for the coming year. Lake Land College Board President Doris Reynolds will chair the Central Area TIF Board with Douglas Township Trustee Nick Althoff as vice chairman. Effingham Park District Trustee Russ Sehy will chair the TIF #1 Board with Unit 40 Superintendent Mark Doan as vice chairman. Effingham County Board Chairman Jim Niemann will chair the Outer Belt West TIF Board with Crossroads Bank President Mike Defend as vice chairman. Niemann will also chair the South Central Industrial TIF Board with Reynolds as vice chairman.

Dave Ring of Premier Broadcasting will serve as the Public Member of the Central Area and TIF 1 boards, while Defend will be the public member of the Outer Belt West and South Central Industrial boards.

The City is exploring connecting the Central Area and South Central Industrial TIF Districts so revenue can be transferred between the districts. Property would have to be annexed into the South Central Industrial TIF District to facilitate the linking of the two districts.

The TIF 1 District expires at the end of 2021. That district has already been granted an extension by the State once before, so it will end. As for the others, the Central Area TIF District will expire in November 2023, the Outer Belt West TIF District will expire in April 2024, and the South Central Industrial TIF District expires at the end of January 2026. City Economic Development Director Todd Hull said Outer Belt West has been completed so it's likely that district will be allowed to expire, but extensions could be sought for the Central Area and South Central Industrial Districts.