For the next ten years, property owners on Peoria’s East Bluff will pay a higher tax rate than other city residents.
They will pay an extra 18 cents per $100 in assessed valuation. Than means if your home is assessed at $50,000 for tax purposes, your property tax bills would be $90 higher than if it was located just across the street from the special service district.
That’s the same rate residents are charged now. That’s why Mayor Jim Ardis scoffed at the suggestion this is a tax increase.
It might not be an increase in the rate from one year to the next. But it it an increases from what residents in the East Bluff would have paid had the council not voted 9-1 to continue with the assessment.
The council voted “yes.” Tax bills will be higher than they would have been. That’s an increase.
The lone dissenter was Gary Sandberg, who noted that neighborhood activists in the East Bluff are very unhappy with the lack of openness and transparency coming from the East Bluff Neighborhood Housing Service.
Sandberg also noted that had the council voted to set the levy at a level that raised the tax rate by 18 cents city wide, the city could have more easily solved it’s budget problems.
Mayor Ardis balked at that description saying to compare the special assessment and the overall budget is to compare “apples and oranges.” Since it all shows up on the same property tax bills, I’d say all pretty fruity.
Look at it this way: If you bought a car and paid it off over 10 years, you would NOT expect the car dealer to deliver a newer version of that same car and expect to to make an additional 10 years of payments. And you would be especially upset if you were unhappy with the first car’s quality the the service the dealer provided.
This is the situation that East Bluffers find themselves in now.
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Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
Copy of a letter I sent.
Mayor and Council:
As a resident and former board member I wish to make my sediments as to the renewing of the SSD for the East bluff. In one word NO. The City, Council and Mayor have had ample time to get input and information on this but now some feel they need to adopt this and then make changes after the fact. Why? Changes need to be made now before the window is closed. No public meetings or anything was done since the deferral at the last council meeting. Half truths, out and out lies and other statements written and said about former members of this board and director infuriate me and others.
If some of you would have attended any or All of the “Annual Meeting “recently you would have seen and heard want I am talking about. One big whopper of a lie that was that “the whole board was totally behind the 401 Archer project” As a board member I was never asked to vote on (ask to see the minuets and my vote) the purchase of this property and have not supported the way work is and was done (no bid, sweetheart deal, conflict of interest and so on.) Look at 401 Archer now it has a Principal Property for rent sign. Not an East Bluff NHS sign.
The East bluff does not need further rental, especially one run by a tax receiving organization.
As for the petitions done for removal of the tax 3 issues are noted, (1) There is a huge vacant home issue in the SSD so no signers for them. (2) Midtown TIF removed a lot of homes so no signers there. (3) Glen Oak School removed a large chunk of homes so no signers there. So is 51% attainable? I think not now.
The SSD was “sold” and implemented years back as a tax with a sunset. Sunsets have come and gone more than once, the time is now to end the tax. But hey, no one on the council pays the tax. No council person or mayor lives in the East Bluff. End the Tax NOW.
I look forward to the Jan 14 meeting. should prove interesting. Can anyone tell me if a tax has been dropped after it was implemented? I can’t think of one…
After reading both this story and the linked PJS article, I’m still unclear about what this tax levy is about.