Division 74.6. Industrial Jobs Recovery Law



 
    (65 ILCS 5/Art. 11 Div. 74.6 heading)
DIVISION 74.6. INDUSTRIAL JOBS RECOVERY LAW

    (65 ILCS 5/11-74.6-1)
    Sec. 11-74.6-1. Short Title. This Division 74.6 may be cited as the Industrial Jobs Recovery Law.
(Source: P.A. 88-537.)

    (65 ILCS 5/11-74.6-5)
    Sec. 11-74.6-5. Findings and Declarations.
    (a) It is hereby found and declared that the communities of the State have lost over 300,000 manufacturing jobs over the last decade and that these losses have resulted in persistent high levels of unemployment and underemployment, substantial tax base losses in many areas of the State, and have left a large inventory of vacant industrial space. As a result of this decline in manufacturing, employment, and income there is an excessive and disproportionate expenditure of public funds, inadequate public and private investment, unmarketability of property, growth in crime, and housing and zoning law violations in these areas together with an abnormal exodus of occupants. The decline of these areas impairs the value of private investments and threatens the sound growth and tax base of taxing districts in these areas, and threatens the health, safety, morals and welfare of the public. These areas also include underutilized plants and facilities that, if redeveloped for industrial use, will promote industrial and transportation activities, thereby reducing the evils attendant to involuntary unemployment and enhancing the public health and welfare of this State.
    (b) It is further found and declared that there exist in many municipalities within the State numerous properties, both improved and unimproved, that cannot be reused or sold for reuse because of environmental contamination that causes them to be vacant for long periods of time, less marketable or unmarketable unless cleaned up, and dilapidated and detrimental to the surrounding community. Many of these properties are in strategic locations within the municipalities and cause disinvestment within the community and a loss of tax base and employment opportunities.
    (c) It is hereby found and declared, that in order to promote and protect the health, safety, morals, and welfare of the public, redevelopment of these areas must be undertaken. To reverse these adverse economic conditions, it is necessary to encourage private investment and restore and enhance the tax base of the taxing districts in these areas by the development or redevelopment of project areas. The reversal of these adverse economic conditions and the elimination of the negative impact they have on communities through industrial redevelopment projects, and the retention and expansion of the economic bases of Illinois communities is hereby declared to be essential to the public interest.
    (d) It is found and declared that the use of incremental tax revenues derived from the tax levies of various taxing districts in redevelopment project areas for the payment of redevelopment project costs is of benefit to those taxing districts because taxing districts located in redevelopment project areas will ultimately derive substantial benefits from the increased assessment base developed by tax increment allocation financing. In addition, if all surplus tax revenues are distributed to the taxing districts in redevelopment project areas, all taxing districts will benefit from the removal of adverse economic conditions, the development of industrial parks and the development, retention and expansion of employment opportunities for Illinois residents.
(Source: P.A. 88-537.)

    (65 ILCS 5/11-74.6-10)
    Sec. 11-74.6-10. Definitions.
    (a) "Environmentally contaminated area" means any improved or vacant area within the boundaries of a redevelopment project area located within the corporate limits of a municipality when, (i) there has been a determination of release or substantial threat of release of a hazardous substance or pesticide, by the United States Environmental Protection Agency or the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, or the Illinois Pollution Control Board, or any court, or a release or substantial threat of release which is addressed as part of the Pre-Notice Site Cleanup Program under Section 22.2(m) of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act, or a release or substantial threat of release of petroleum under Section 22.12 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act, and (ii) which release or threat of release presents an imminent and substantial danger to public health or welfare or presents a significant threat to public health or the environment, and (iii) which release or threat of release would have a significant impact on the cost of redeveloping the area.
    (b) "Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
    (c) "Industrial park" means an area in a redevelopment project area suitable for use by any manufacturing, industrial, research, or transportation enterprise, of facilities, including but not limited to factories, mills, processing plants, assembly plants, packing plants, fabricating plants, distribution centers, warehouses, repair overhaul or service facilities, freight terminals, research facilities, test facilities or railroad facilities. An industrial park may contain space for commercial and other use as long as the expected principal use of the park is industrial and is reasonably expected to result in the creation of a significant number of new permanent full time jobs. An industrial park may also contain related operations and facilities including, but not limited to, business and office support services such as centralized computers, telecommunications, publishing, accounting, photocopying and similar activities and employee services such as child care, health care, food service and similar activities. An industrial park may also include demonstration projects, prototype development, specialized training on developing technology, and pure research in any field related or adaptable to business and industry.
    (d) "Research park" means an area in a redevelopment project area suitable for development of a facility or complex that includes research laboratories and related operations. These related operations may include, but are not limited to, business and office support services such as centralized computers, telecommunications, publishing, accounting, photocopying and similar activities, and employee services such as child care, health care, food service and similar activities. A research park may include demonstration projects, prototype development, specialized training on developing technology, and pure research in any field related or adaptable to business and industry.
    (e) "Industrial park conservation area" means an area within the boundaries of a redevelopment project area located within the corporate limits of a municipality or within 1 1/2 miles of the corporate limits of a municipality if the area is to be annexed to the municipality, if the area is zoned as industrial no later than the date on which the municipality by ordinance designates the redevelopment project area, and if the area includes improved or vacant land suitable for use as an industrial park or a research park, or both. To be designated as an industrial park conservation area, the area shall also satisfy one of the following standards:
        (1) Standard One: The municipality must be a labor

    
surplus municipality and the area must be served by adequate public and or road transportation for access by the unemployed and for the movement of goods or materials and the redevelopment project area shall contain no more than 2% of the most recently ascertained equalized assessed value of all taxable real properties within the corporate limits of the municipality after adjustment for all annexations associated with the establishment of the redevelopment project area or be located in the vicinity of a waste disposal site or other waste facility. The project plan shall include a plan for and shall establish a marketing program to attract appropriate businesses to the proposed industrial park conservation area and shall include an adequate plan for financing and construction of the necessary infrastructure. No redevelopment projects may be authorized by the municipality under Standard One of subsection (e) of this Section unless the project plan also provides for an employment training project that would prepare unemployed workers for work in the industrial park conservation area, and the project has been approved by official action of or is to be operated by the local community college district, public school district or state or locally designated private industry council or successor agency, or
        (2) Standard Two: The municipality must be a
    
substantial labor surplus municipality and the area must be served by adequate public and or road transportation for access by the unemployed and for the movement of goods or materials and the redevelopment project area shall contain no more than 2% of the most recently ascertained equalized assessed value of all taxable real properties within the corporate limits of the municipality after adjustment for all annexations associated with the establishment of the redevelopment project area. No redevelopment projects may be authorized by the municipality under Standard Two of subsection (e) of this Section unless the project plan also provides for an employment training project that would prepare unemployed workers for work in the industrial park conservation area, and the project has been approved by official action of or is to be operated by the local community college district, public school district or state or locally designated private industry council or successor agency.
    (f) "Vacant industrial buildings conservation area" means an area containing one or more industrial buildings located within the corporate limits of the municipality that has been zoned industrial for at least 5 years before the designation of that area as a redevelopment project area by the municipality and is planned for reuse principally for industrial purposes. For the area to be designated as a vacant industrial buildings conservation area, the area shall also satisfy one of the following standards:
        (1) Standard One: The area shall consist of one or
    
more industrial buildings totaling at least 50,000 net square feet of industrial space, with a majority of the total area of all the buildings having been vacant for at least 18 months; and (A) the area is located in a labor surplus municipality or a substantial labor surplus municipality, or (B) the equalized assessed value of the properties within the area during the last 2 years is at least 25% lower than the maximum equalized assessed value of those properties during the immediately preceding 10 years.
        (2) Standard Two: The area exclusively consists of
    
industrial buildings or a building complex operated by a user or related users (A) that has within the immediately preceding 5 years either (i) employed 200 or more employees at that location, or (ii) if the area is located in a municipality with a population of 12,000 or less, employed more than 50 employees at that location and (B) either is currently vacant, or the owner has: (i) directly notified the municipality of the user's intention to terminate operations at the facility or (ii) filed a notice of closure under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.
    (g) "Labor surplus municipality" means a municipality in which, during the 4 calendar years immediately preceding the date the municipality by ordinance designates an industrial park conservation area, the average unemployment rate was 1% or more over the State average unemployment rate for that same period of time as published in the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics publication entitled "The Employment Situation" or its successor publication. For the purpose of this subsection (g), if unemployment rate statistics for the municipality are not available, the unemployment rate in the municipality shall be deemed to be: (i) for a municipality that is not in an urban county, the same as the unemployment rate in the principal county where the municipality is located or (ii) for a municipality in an urban county at that municipality's option, either the unemployment rate certified for the municipality by the Department after consultation with the Illinois Department of Labor or the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, or the unemployment rate of the municipality as determined by the most recent federal census if that census was not dated more than 5 years prior to the date on which the determination is made.
    (h) "Substantial labor surplus municipality" means a municipality in which, during the 5 calendar years immediately preceding the date the municipality by ordinance designates an industrial park conservation area, the average unemployment rate was 2% or more over the State average unemployment rate for that same period of time as published in the United States Department of Labor Statistics publication entitled "The Employment Situation" or its successor publication. For the purpose of this subsection (h), if unemployment rate statistics for the municipality are not available, the unemployment rate in the municipality shall be deemed to be: (i) for a municipality that is not in an urban county, the same as the unemployment rate in the principal county in which the municipality is located; or (ii) for a municipality in an urban county, at that municipality's option, either the unemployment rate certified for the municipality by the Department after consultation with the Illinois Department of Labor or the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, or the unemployment rate of the municipality as determined by the most recent federal census if that census was not dated more than 5 years prior to the date on which the determination is made.
    (i) "Municipality" means a city, village or incorporated town.
    (j) "Obligations" means bonds, loans, debentures, notes, special certificates or other evidence of indebtedness issued by the municipality to carry out a redevelopment project or to refund outstanding obligations.
    (k) "Payment in lieu of taxes" means those estimated tax revenues from real property in a redevelopment project area derived from real property that has been acquired by a municipality, which according to the redevelopment project or plan are to be used for a private use, that taxing districts would have received had a municipality not acquired the real property and adopted tax increment allocation financing and that would result from levies made after the time of the adoption of tax increment allocation financing until the time the current equalized assessed value of real property in the redevelopment project area exceeds the total initial equalized assessed value of real property in that area.
    (l) "Redevelopment plan" means the comprehensive program of the municipality for development or redevelopment intended by the payment of redevelopment project costs to reduce or eliminate the conditions that qualified the redevelopment project area or redevelopment planning area, or both, as an environmentally contaminated area or industrial park conservation area, or vacant industrial buildings conservation area, or combination thereof, and thereby to enhance the tax bases of the taxing districts that extend into the redevelopment project area or redevelopment planning area. On and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, no redevelopment plan may be approved or amended to include the development of vacant land (i) with a golf course and related clubhouse and other facilities or (ii) designated by federal, State, county, or municipal government as public land for outdoor recreational activities or for nature preserves and used for that purpose within 5 years prior to the adoption of the redevelopment plan. For the purpose of this subsection, "recreational activities" is limited to mean camping and hunting. Each redevelopment plan must set forth in writing the bases for the municipal findings required in this subsection, the program to be undertaken to accomplish the objectives, including but not limited to: (1) an itemized list of estimated redevelopment project costs, (2) evidence indicating that the redevelopment project area or the redevelopment planning area, or both, on the whole has not been subject to growth and development through investment by private enterprise, (3) (i) in the case of an environmentally contaminated area, industrial park conservation area, or a vacant industrial buildings conservation area classified under either Standard One, or Standard Two of subsection (f) where the building is currently vacant, evidence that implementation of the redevelopment plan is reasonably expected to create a significant number of permanent full time jobs, (ii) in the case of a vacant industrial buildings conservation area classified under Standard Two (B)(i) or (ii) of subsection (f), evidence that implementation of the redevelopment plan is reasonably expected to retain a significant number of existing permanent full time jobs, and (iii) in the case of a combination of an environmentally contaminated area, industrial park conservation area, or vacant industrial buildings conservation area, evidence that the standards concerning the creation or retention of jobs for each area set forth in (i) or (ii) above are met, (4) an assessment of the financial impact of the redevelopment project area or the redevelopment planning area, or both, on the overlapping taxing bodies or any increased demand for services from any taxing district affected by the plan and any program to address such financial impact or increased demand, (5) the sources of funds to pay costs, (6) the nature and term of the obligations to be issued, (7) the most recent equalized assessed valuation of the redevelopment project area or the redevelopment planning area, or both, (8) an estimate of the equalized assessed valuation after redevelopment and the general land uses that are applied in the redevelopment project area or the redevelopment planning area, or both, (9) a commitment to fair employment practices and an affirmative action plan, (10) if it includes an industrial park conservation area, the following: (i) a general description of any proposed developer, (ii) user and tenant of any property, (iii) a description of the type, structure and general character of the facilities to be developed, and (iv) a description of the type, class and number of new employees to be employed in the operation of the facilities to be developed, (11) if it includes an environmentally contaminated area, the following: either (i) a determination of release or substantial threat of release of a hazardous substance or pesticide or of petroleum by the United States Environmental Protection Agency or the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, or the Illinois Pollution Control Board or any court; or (ii) both an environmental audit report by a nationally recognized independent environmental auditor having a reputation for expertise in these matters and a copy of the signed Review and Evaluation Services Agreement indicating acceptance of the site by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency into the Pre-Notice Site Cleanup Program, (12) if it includes a vacant industrial buildings conservation area, the following: (i) a general description of any proposed developer, (ii) user and tenant of any building or buildings, (iii) a description of the type, structure and general character of the building or buildings to be developed, and (iv) a description of the type, class and number of new employees to be employed or existing employees to be retained in the operation of the building or buildings to be redeveloped, and (13) if property is to be annexed to the municipality, the terms of the annexation agreement.
    No redevelopment plan shall be adopted by a municipality without findings that:
        (1) the redevelopment project area or redevelopment
    
planning area, or both, on the whole has not been subject to growth and development through investment by private enterprise and would not reasonably be anticipated to be developed in accordance with public goals stated in the redevelopment plan without the adoption of the redevelopment plan;
        (2) the redevelopment plan and project conform to the
    
comprehensive plan for the development of the municipality as a whole, or, for municipalities with a population of 100,000 or more, regardless of when the redevelopment plan and project was adopted, the redevelopment plan and project either: (i) conforms to the strategic economic development or redevelopment plan issued by the designated planning authority of the municipality or (ii) includes land uses that have been approved by the planning commission of the municipality;
        (3) that the redevelopment plan is reasonably
    
expected to create or retain a significant number of permanent full time jobs as set forth in paragraph (3) of subsection (l) above;
        (4) the estimated date of completion of the
    
redevelopment project and retirement of obligations incurred to finance redevelopment project costs is not later than December 31 of the year in which the payment to the municipal treasurer as provided in subsection (b) of Section 11-74.6-35 is to be made with respect to ad valorem taxes levied in the twenty-third calendar year after the year in which the ordinance approving the redevelopment project area is adopted; a municipality may by municipal ordinance amend an existing redevelopment plan to conform to this paragraph (4) as amended by this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly concerning ordinances adopted on or after January 15, 1981, which municipal ordinance may be adopted without further hearing or notice and without complying with the procedures provided in this Law pertaining to an amendment to or the initial approval of a redevelopment plan and project and designation of a redevelopment project area;
        (5) in the case of an industrial park conservation
    
area, that the municipality is a labor surplus municipality or a substantial labor surplus municipality and that the implementation of the redevelopment plan is reasonably expected to create a significant number of permanent full time new jobs and, by the provision of new facilities, significantly enhance the tax base of the taxing districts that extend into the redevelopment project area;
        (6) in the case of an environmentally contaminated
    
area, that the area is subject to a release or substantial threat of release of a hazardous substance, pesticide or petroleum which presents an imminent and substantial danger to public health or welfare or presents a significant threat to public health or environment, that such release or threat of release will have a significant impact on the cost of redeveloping the area, that the implementation of the redevelopment plan is reasonably expected to result in the area being redeveloped, the tax base of the affected taxing districts being significantly enhanced thereby, and the creation of a significant number of permanent full time jobs; and
        (7) in the case of a vacant industrial buildings
    
conservation area, that the area is located within the corporate limits of a municipality that has been zoned industrial for at least 5 years before its designation as a project redeveloped area, that it contains one or more industrial buildings, and whether the area has been designated under Standard One or Standard Two of subsection (f) and the basis for that designation.
    (m) "Redevelopment project" means any public or private development project in furtherance of the objectives of a redevelopment plan. On and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, no redevelopment plan may be approved or amended to include the development of vacant land (i) with a golf course and related clubhouse and other facilities or (ii) designated by federal, State, county, or municipal government as public land for outdoor recreational activities or for nature preserves and used for that purpose within 5 years prior to the adoption of the redevelopment plan. For the purpose of this subsection, "recreational activities" is limited to mean camping and hunting.
    (n) "Redevelopment project area" means a contiguous area designated by the municipality that is not less in the aggregate than 1 1/2 acres, and for which the municipality has made a finding that there exist conditions that cause the area to be classified as an industrial park conservation area, a vacant industrial building conservation area, an environmentally contaminated area or a combination of these types of areas.
    (o) "Redevelopment project costs" means the sum total of all reasonable or necessary costs incurred or estimated to be incurred by the municipality, and any of those costs incidental to a redevelopment plan and a redevelopment project. These costs include, without limitation, the following:
        (1) Costs of studies, surveys, development of plans,
    
and specifications, implementation and administration of the redevelopment plan, staff and professional service costs for architectural, engineering, legal, marketing, financial, planning, or other services, but no charges for professional services may be based on a percentage of the tax increment collected; except that on and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, no contracts for professional services, excluding architectural and engineering services, may be entered into if the terms of the contract extend beyond a period of 3 years. In addition, "redevelopment project costs" shall not include lobbying expenses. After consultation with the municipality, each tax increment consultant or advisor to a municipality that plans to designate or has designated a redevelopment project area shall inform the municipality in writing of any contracts that the consultant or advisor has entered into with entities or individuals that have received, or are receiving, payments financed by tax increment revenues produced by the redevelopment project area with respect to which the consultant or advisor has performed, or will be performing, service for the municipality. This requirement shall be satisfied by the consultant or advisor before the commencement of services for the municipality and thereafter whenever any other contracts with those individuals or entities are executed by the consultant or advisor;
        (1.5) After July 1, 1999, annual administrative costs
    
shall not include general overhead or administrative costs of the municipality that would still have been incurred by the municipality if the municipality had not designated a redevelopment project area or approved a redevelopment plan;
        (1.6) The cost of marketing sites within the
    
redevelopment project area to prospective businesses, developers, and investors.
        (2) Property assembly costs within a redevelopment
    
project area, including but not limited to acquisition of land and other real or personal property or rights or interests therein.
        (3) Site preparation costs, including but not limited
    
to clearance of any area within a redevelopment project area by demolition or removal of any existing buildings, structures, fixtures, utilities and improvements and clearing and grading; and including installation, repair, construction, reconstruction, or relocation of public streets, public utilities, and other public site improvements within or without a redevelopment project area which are essential to the preparation of the redevelopment project area for use in accordance with a redevelopment plan.
        (4) Costs of renovation, rehabilitation,
    
reconstruction, relocation, repair or remodeling of any existing public or private buildings, improvements, and fixtures within a redevelopment project area; and the cost of replacing an existing public building if pursuant to the implementation of a redevelopment project the existing public building is to be demolished to use the site for private investment or devoted to a different use requiring private investment.
        (5) Costs of construction within a redevelopment
    
project area of public improvements, including but not limited to, buildings, structures, works, utilities or fixtures, except that on and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, redevelopment project costs shall not include the cost of constructing a new municipal public building principally used to provide offices, storage space, or conference facilities or vehicle storage, maintenance, or repair for administrative, public safety, or public works personnel and that is not intended to replace an existing public building as provided under paragraph (4) unless either (i) the construction of the new municipal building implements a redevelopment project that was included in a redevelopment plan that was adopted by the municipality prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly or (ii) the municipality makes a reasonable determination in the redevelopment plan, supported by information that provides the basis for that determination, that the new municipal building is required to meet an increase in the need for public safety purposes anticipated to result from the implementation of the redevelopment plan.
        (6) Costs of eliminating or removing contaminants and
    
other impediments required by federal or State environmental laws, rules, regulations, and guidelines, orders or other requirements or those imposed by private lending institutions as a condition for approval of their financial support, debt or equity, for the redevelopment projects, provided, however, that in the event (i) other federal or State funds have been certified by an administrative agency as adequate to pay these costs during the 18 months after the adoption of the redevelopment plan, or (ii) the municipality has been reimbursed for such costs by persons legally responsible for them, such federal, State, or private funds shall, insofar as possible, be fully expended prior to the use of any revenues deposited in the special tax allocation fund of the municipality and any other such federal, State or private funds received shall be deposited in the fund. The municipality shall seek reimbursement of these costs from persons legally responsible for these costs and the costs of obtaining this reimbursement.
        (7) Costs of job training and retraining projects.
        (8) Financing costs, including but not limited to all
    
necessary and incidental expenses related to the issuance of obligations and which may include payment of interest on any obligations issued under this Act including interest accruing during the estimated period of construction of any redevelopment project for which the obligations are issued and for not exceeding 36 months thereafter and including reasonable reserves related to those costs.
        (9) All or a portion of a taxing district's capital
    
costs resulting from the redevelopment project necessarily incurred or to be incurred in furtherance of the objectives of the redevelopment plan and project, to the extent the municipality by written agreement accepts and approves those costs.
        (10) Relocation costs to the extent that a
    
municipality determines that relocation costs shall be paid or is required to make payment of relocation costs by federal or State law.
        (11) Payments in lieu of taxes.
        (12) Costs of job training, retraining, advanced
    
vocational education or career education, including but not limited to courses in occupational, semi-technical or technical fields leading directly to employment, incurred by one or more taxing districts, if those costs are: (i) related to the establishment and maintenance of additional job training, advanced vocational education or career education programs for persons employed or to be employed by employers located in a redevelopment project area; and (ii) are incurred by a taxing district or taxing districts other than the municipality and are set forth in a written agreement by or among the municipality and the taxing district or taxing districts, which agreement describes the program to be undertaken, including but not limited to the number of employees to be trained, a description of the training and services to be provided, the number and type of positions available or to be available, itemized costs of the program and sources of funds to pay for the same, and the term of the agreement. These costs include, specifically, the payment by community college districts of costs under Sections 3-37, 3-38, 3-40 and 3-40.1 of the Public Community College Act and by school districts of costs under Sections 10-22.20a and 10-23.3a of the School Code.
        (13) The interest costs incurred by redevelopers or
    
other nongovernmental persons in connection with a redevelopment project, and specifically including payments to redevelopers or other nongovernmental persons as reimbursement for such costs incurred by such redeveloper or other nongovernmental person, provided that:
            (A) interest costs shall be paid or reimbursed by
        
a municipality only pursuant to the prior official action of the municipality evidencing an intent to pay or reimburse such interest costs;
            (B) such payments in any one year may not exceed
        
30% of the annual interest costs incurred by the redeveloper with regard to the redevelopment project during that year;
            (C) except as provided in subparagraph (E), the
        
aggregate amount of such costs paid or reimbursed by a municipality shall not exceed 30% of the total (i) costs paid or incurred by the redeveloper or other nongovernmental person in that year plus (ii) redevelopment project costs excluding any property assembly costs and any relocation costs incurred by a municipality pursuant to this Act;
            (D) interest costs shall be paid or reimbursed by
        
a municipality solely from the special tax allocation fund established pursuant to this Act and shall not be paid or reimbursed from the proceeds of any obligations issued by a municipality;
            (E) if there are not sufficient funds available
        
in the special tax allocation fund in any year to make such payment or reimbursement in full, any amount of such interest cost remaining to be paid or reimbursed by a municipality shall accrue and be payable when funds are available in the special tax allocation fund to make such payment.
        (14) The costs of construction of new privately owned
    
buildings shall not be an eligible redevelopment project cost.
    If a special service area has been established under the Special Service Area Tax Act, then any tax increment revenues derived from the tax imposed thereunder to the Special Service Area Tax Act may be used within the redevelopment project area for the purposes permitted by that Act as well as the purposes permitted by this Act.
    (p) "Redevelopment Planning Area" means an area so designated by a municipality after the municipality has complied with all the findings and procedures required to establish a redevelopment project area, including the existence of conditions that qualify the area as an industrial park conservation area, or an environmentally contaminated area, or a vacant industrial buildings conservation area, or a combination of these types of areas, and adopted a redevelopment plan and project for the planning area and its included redevelopment project areas. The area shall not be designated as a redevelopment planning area for more than 5 years, or 10 years in the case of a redevelopment planning area in the City of Rockford. At any time in the 5 years, or 10 years in the case of the City of Rockford, following that designation of the redevelopment planning area, the municipality may designate the redevelopment planning area, or any portion of the redevelopment planning area, as a redevelopment project area without making additional findings or complying with additional procedures required for the creation of a redevelopment project area. An amendment of a redevelopment plan and project in accordance with the findings and procedures of this Act after the designation of a redevelopment planning area at any time within the 5 years after the designation of the redevelopment planning area, or 10 years after the designation of the redevelopment planning area in the City of Rockford, shall not require new qualification of findings for the redevelopment project area to be designated within the redevelopment planning area.
    The terms "redevelopment plan", "redevelopment project", and "redevelopment project area" have the definitions set out in subsections (l), (m), and (n), respectively.
    (q) "Taxing districts" means counties, townships, municipalities, and school, road, park, sanitary, mosquito abatement, forest preserve, public health, fire protection, river conservancy, tuberculosis sanitarium and any other municipal corporations or districts with the power to levy taxes.
    (r) "Taxing districts' capital costs" means those costs of taxing districts for capital improvements that are found by the municipal corporate authorities to be necessary and a direct result of the redevelopment project.
    (s) "Urban county" means a county with 240,000 or more inhabitants.
    (t) "Vacant area", as used in subsection (a) of this Section, means any parcel or combination of parcels of real property without industrial, commercial and residential buildings that has not been used for commercial agricultural purposes within 5 years before the designation of the redevelopment project area, unless that parcel is included in an industrial park conservation area.
(Source: P.A. 96-606, eff. 8-24-09.)

    (65 ILCS 5/11-74.6-15)
    Sec. 11-74.6-15. Municipal Powers and Duties. A municipality may:
    (a) By ordinance introduced in the governing body of the municipality within 14 to 90 days from the final adjournment of the hearing specified in Section 11-74.6-22, approve redevelopment plans and redevelopment projects, and designate redevelopment planning areas and redevelopment project areas pursuant to notice and hearing required by this Act. No redevelopment planning area or redevelopment project area shall be designated unless a plan and project are approved before the designation of the area and the area shall include only those parcels of real property and improvements on those parcels substantially benefited by the proposed redevelopment project improvements. Upon adoption of the ordinances, the municipality shall forthwith transmit to the county clerk of the county or counties within which the redevelopment project area is located a certified copy of the ordinances, a legal description of the redevelopment project area, a map of the redevelopment project area, identification of the year that the county clerk shall use for determining the total initial equalized assessed value of the redevelopment project area consistent with subsection (a) of Section 11-74.6-40, and a list of the parcel or tax identification number of each parcel of property included in the redevelopment project area.
    (b) Make and enter into all contracts necessary or incidental to the implementation and furtherance of its redevelopment plan and project.
    (c) Within a redevelopment project area, acquire by purchase, donation, lease or eminent domain; own, convey, lease, mortgage or dispose of land and other property, real or personal, or rights or interests therein, and grant or acquire licenses, easements and options with respect to that property, all in the manner and at a price that the municipality determines is reasonably necessary to achieve the objectives of the redevelopment plan and project. No conveyance, lease, mortgage, disposition of land or other property owned by a municipality, or agreement relating to the development of the municipal property shall be made or executed except pursuant to prior official action of the corporate authorities of the municipality. No conveyance, lease, mortgage, or other disposition of land owned by a municipality, and no agreement relating to the development of the municipal property, shall be made without making public disclosure of the terms and the disposition of all bids and proposals submitted to the municipality in connection therewith. The procedures for obtaining the bids and proposals shall provide reasonable opportunity for any person to submit alternative proposals or bids.
    (d) Within a redevelopment project area, clear any area by demolition or removal of any existing buildings, structures, fixtures, utilities or improvements, and to clear and grade land.
    (e) Within a redevelopment project area, renovate or rehabilitate or construct any structure or building, as permitted under this Law.
    (f) Within or without a redevelopment project area, install, repair, construct, reconstruct or relocate streets, utilities and site improvements essential to the preparation of the redevelopment area for use in accordance with a redevelopment plan.
    (g) Within a redevelopment project area, fix, charge and collect fees, rents and charges for the use of all or any part of any building or property owned or leased by it.
    (h) Issue obligations as provided in this Act.
    (i) Accept grants, guarantees and donations of property, labor, or other things of value from a public or private source for use within a project redevelopment area.
    (j) Acquire and construct public facilities within a redevelopment project area, as permitted under this Law.
    (k) Incur, pay or cause to be paid redevelopment project costs; provided, however, that on and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, no municipality shall incur redevelopment project costs (except for planning and other eligible costs authorized by municipal ordinance or resolution that are subsequently included in the redevelopment plan for the area and are incurred after the ordinance or resolution is adopted) that are not consistent with the program for accomplishing the objectives of the redevelopment plan as included in that plan and approved by the municipality until the municipality has amended the redevelopment plan as provided elsewhere in this Law. Any payments to be made by the municipality to redevelopers or other nongovernmental persons for redevelopment project costs incurred by such redeveloper or other nongovernmental person shall be made only pursuant to the prior official action of the municipality evidencing an intent to pay or cause to be paid such redevelopment project costs. A municipality is not required to obtain any right, title or interest in any real or personal property in order to pay redevelopment project costs associated with such property. The municipality shall adopt such accounting procedures as may be necessary to determine that such redevelopment project costs are properly paid.
    (l) Create a commission of not less than 5 or more than 15 persons to be appointed by the mayor or president of the municipality with the consent of the majority of the governing board of the municipality. Members of a commission appointed after the effective date of this Law shall be appointed for initial terms of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years, respectively, in numbers so that the terms of not more than 1/3 of all members expire in any one year. Their successors shall be appointed for a term of 5 years. The commission, subject to approval of the corporate authorities of the municipality, may exercise the powers enumerated in this Section. The commission shall also have the power to hold the public hearings required by this Act and make recommendations to the corporate authorities concerning the adoption of redevelopment plans, redevelopment projects and designation of redevelopment project areas.
    (m) Make payment in lieu of all or a portion of real property taxes due to taxing districts. If payments in lieu of all or a portion of taxes are made to taxing districts, those payments shall be made to all districts within a redevelopment project area on a basis that is proportional to the current collection of revenue which each taxing district receives from real property in the redevelopment project area.
    (n) Exercise any and all other powers necessary to effectuate the purposes of this Act.
    (o) In conjunction with other municipalities, undertake and perform redevelopment plans and projects and utilize the provisions of the Act wherever they have contiguous redevelopment project areas or they determine to adopt tax increment allocation financing with respect to a redevelopment project area that includes contiguous real property within the boundaries of the municipalities, and, by agreement between participating municipalities, to issue obligations, separately or jointly, and expend revenues received under this Act for eligible expenses anywhere within contiguous redevelopment project areas or as otherwise permitted in the Act. Two or more municipalities may designate a joint redevelopment project area under this subsection (o) for a single Industrial Park Conservation Area comprising of property within or near the boundaries of each municipality if: (i) both municipalities are located within the same Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, (ii) the 4-year average unemployment rate for that Metropolitan Statistical Area was at least 11.3%, and (iii) at least one participating municipality demonstrates that it has made commitments to acquire capital assets to commence the project and that the acquisition will occur on or before December 31, 2011. The joint redevelopment project area must encompass an interstate highway exchange for access and be located, in part, adjacent to a landfill or other solid waste disposal facility.
    (p) Create an Industrial Jobs Recovery Advisory Committee of not more than 15 members to be appointed by the mayor or president of the municipality with the consent of the majority of the governing board of the municipality. The members of that Committee shall be appointed for initial terms of 1, 2, and 3 years respectively, in numbers so that the terms of not more than 1/3 of all members expire in any one year. Their successors shall be appointed for a term of 3 years. The Committee shall have none of the powers enumerated in this Section. The Committee shall serve in an advisory capacity only. The Committee may advise the governing board of the municipality and other municipal officials regarding development issues and opportunities within the redevelopment project area. The Committee may also promote and publicize development opportunities in the redevelopment project area.
    (q) If a redevelopment project has not been initiated in a redevelopment project area within 5 years after the area was designated by ordinance under subsection (a), the municipality shall adopt an ordinance repealing the area's designation as a redevelopment project area. Initiation of a redevelopment project shall be evidenced by either a signed redevelopment agreement or expenditures on eligible redevelopment project costs associated with a redevelopment project.
    (r) Within a redevelopment planning area, transfer or loan tax increment revenues from one redevelopment project area to another redevelopment project area for expenditure on eligible costs in the receiving area.
    (s) Use tax increment revenue produced in a redevelopment project area created under this Law by transferring or loaning such revenues to a redevelopment project area created under the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act that is either contiguous to, or separated only by a public right of way from, the redevelopment project area that initially produced and received those revenues.
(Source: P.A. 97-591, eff. 8-26-11.)

    (65 ILCS 5/11-74.6-18)
    Sec. 11-74.6-18. If any member of the corporate authority, a member of a commission established under subsection (l) of Section 11-74.6-15, or an employee or consultant of the municipality involved in the planning, analysis, preparation or administration of a redevelopment plan, or project for a redevelopment project area or proposed redevelopment project area, as defined in Section 11-74.6-10, owns or controls any interest, direct or indirect, in any property included in any redevelopment area, or proposed redevelopment area, he or she shall disclose that interest in writing to the clerk of the municipality, and shall also so disclose the dates, terms and conditions of any disposition of that interest. These disclosures shall be acknowledged by the corporate authorities and entered upon the official records and files of the corporate authorities. If an individual holds such an interest, then that individual shall refrain from any further official involvement, in regard to the redevelopment plan, project or area, from voting on any matter pertaining to that redevelopment plan, project or area, or communicating with other members, corporate authorities, commissions, employees or consultants of the municipality concerning any matter pertaining to that redevelopment plan, project or area. No member or employee shall acquire any interest, direct or indirect, in any property in a redevelopment area or proposed redevelopment area after either the individual obtains knowledge of that plan, project or area, or, after the first public notice of that plan, project or area under Section 11-74.6-25, whichever occurs first.
    For the purposes of this Section, a month-to-month leasehold interest shall not be deemed to constitute an interest in any property included in any redevelopment area or proposed redevelopment area.
(Source: P.A. 91-474, eff. 11-1-99.)

    (65 ILCS 5/11-74.6-20)
    Sec. 11-74.6-20. If a municipality or a commission designated pursuant to subsection (l) of Section 11-74.6-15 adopts an ordinance or resolution providing for a feasibility study on the designation of an area as a redevelopment project area, a copy of the ordinance or resolution shall be sent by certified mail within a reasonable time to all taxing districts that would be affected by the designation.
    On and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, the ordinance or resolution shall include:
        (1) The boundaries of the area to be studied for

    
possible designation as a redevelopment project area.
        (2) The purpose or purposes of the proposed
    
redevelopment plan and project.
        (3) A general description of tax increment allocation
    
financing under this Law.
        (4) The name, phone number, and address of the
    
municipal officer who can be contacted for additional information about the proposed redevelopment project area and who should receive all comments and suggestions regarding the redevelopment of the area to be studied.
(Source: P.A. 91-474, eff. 11-1-99.)

    (65 ILCS 5/11-74.6-22)
    Sec. 11-74.6-22. Adoption of ordinance; requirements; changes.
    (a) Before adoption of an ordinance proposing the designation of a redevelopment planning area or a redevelopment project area, or both, or approving a redevelopment plan or redevelopment project, the municipality or commission designated pursuant to subsection (l) of Section 11-74.6-15 shall fix by ordinance or resolution a time and place for public hearing. Prior to the adoption of the ordinance or resolution establishing the time and place for the public hearing, the municipality shall make available for public inspection a redevelopment plan or a report that provides in sufficient detail, the basis for the eligibility of the redevelopment project area. The report along with the name of a person to contact for further information shall be sent to the affected taxing district by certified mail within a reasonable time following the adoption of the ordinance or resolution establishing the time and place for the public hearing.
    At the public hearing any interested person or affected taxing district may file with the municipal clerk written objections to the ordinance and may be heard orally on any issues that are the subject of the hearing. The municipality shall hear and determine all alternate proposals or bids for any proposed conveyance, lease, mortgage or other disposition of land and all protests and objections at the hearing and the hearing may be adjourned to another date without further notice other than a motion to be entered upon the minutes fixing the time and place of the later hearing. At the public hearing or at any time prior to the adoption by the municipality of an ordinance approving a redevelopment plan, the municipality may make changes in the redevelopment plan. Changes which (1) add additional parcels of property to the proposed redevelopment project area, (2) substantially affect the general land uses proposed in the redevelopment plan, or (3) substantially change the nature of or extend the life of the redevelopment project shall be made only after the municipality gives notice, convenes a joint review board, and conducts a public hearing pursuant to the procedures set forth in this Section and in Section 11-74.6-25. Changes which do not (1) add additional parcels of property to the proposed redevelopment project area, (2) substantially affect the general land uses proposed in the redevelopment plan, or (3) substantially change the nature of or extend the life of the redevelopment project may be made without further hearing, provided that the municipality shall give notice of any such changes by mail to each affected taxing district and by publication once in a newspaper of general circulation within the affected taxing district. Such notice by mail and by publication shall each occur not later than 10 days following the adoption by ordinance of such changes.
    (b) Before adoption of an ordinance proposing the designation of a redevelopment planning area or a redevelopment project area, or both, or amending the boundaries of an existing redevelopment project area or redevelopment planning area, or both, the municipality shall convene a joint review board to consider the proposal. The board shall consist of a representative selected by each taxing district that has authority to levy real property taxes on the property within the proposed redevelopment project area and that has at least 5% of its total equalized assessed value located within the proposed redevelopment project area, a representative selected by the municipality and a public member. The public member and the board's chairperson shall be selected by a majority of other board members.
    All board members shall be appointed and the first board meeting held within 14 days following the notice by the municipality to all the taxing districts as required by subsection (c) of Section 11-74.6-25. The notice shall also advise the taxing bodies represented on the joint review board of the time and place of the first meeting of the board. Additional meetings of the board shall be held upon the call of any 2 members. The municipality seeking designation of the redevelopment project area may provide administrative support to the board.
    The board shall review the public record, planning documents and proposed ordinances approving the redevelopment plan and project to be adopted by the municipality. As part of its deliberations, the board may hold additional hearings on the proposal. A board's recommendation, if any, shall be a written recommendation adopted by a majority vote of the board and submitted to the municipality within 30 days after the board convenes. A board's recommendation shall be binding upon the municipality. Failure of the board to submit its recommendation on a timely basis shall not be cause to delay the public hearing or the process of establishing or amending the redevelopment project area. The board's recommendation on the proposal shall be based upon the area satisfying the applicable eligibility criteria defined in Section 11-74.6-10 and whether there is a basis for the municipal findings set forth in the redevelopment plan as required by this Act. If the board does not file a recommendation it shall be presumed that the board has found that the redevelopment project area satisfies the eligibility criteria.
    (c) After a municipality has by ordinance approved a redevelopment plan and designated a redevelopment planning area or a redevelopment project area, or both, the plan may be amended and additional properties may be added to the redevelopment project area only as herein provided. Amendments which (1) add additional parcels of property to the proposed redevelopment project area, (2) substantially affect the general land uses proposed in the redevelopment plan, (3) substantially change the nature of the redevelopment project, (4) increase the total estimated redevelopment project costs set out in the redevelopment plan by more than 5% after adjustment for inflation from the date the plan was adopted, or (5) add additional redevelopment project costs to the itemized list of redevelopment project costs set out in the redevelopment plan shall be made only after the municipality gives notice, convenes a joint review board, and conducts a public hearing pursuant to the procedures set forth in this Section and in Section 11-74.6-25. Changes which do not (1) add additional parcels of property to the proposed redevelopment project area, (2) substantially affect the general land uses proposed in the redevelopment plan, (3) substantially change the nature of the redevelopment project, (4) increase the total estimated redevelopment project cost set out in the redevelopment plan by more than 5% after adjustment for inflation from the date the plan was adopted, or (5) add additional redevelopment project costs to the itemized list of redevelopment project costs set out in the redevelopment plan may be made without further hearing, provided that the municipality shall give notice of any such changes by mail to each affected taxing district and by publication once in a newspaper of general circulation within the affected taxing district. Such notice by mail and by publication shall each occur not later than 10 days following the adoption by ordinance of such changes.
    (d) After the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, a municipality shall submit the following information for each redevelopment project area (i) to the State Comptroller under Section 8-8-3.5 of the Illinois Municipal Code, subject to any extensions or exemptions provided at the Comptroller's discretion under that Section, and (ii) to all taxing districts overlapping the redevelopment project area no later than 180 days after the close of each municipal fiscal year or as soon thereafter as the audited financial statements become available and, in any case, shall be submitted before the annual meeting of the joint review board to each of the taxing districts that overlap the redevelopment project area:
        (1) Any amendments to the redevelopment plan, or the

    
redevelopment project area.
        (1.5) A list of the redevelopment project areas
    
administered by the municipality and, if applicable, the date each redevelopment project area was designated or terminated by the municipality.
        (2) Audited financial statements of the special tax
    
allocation fund once a cumulative total of $100,000 of tax increment revenues has been deposited in the fund.
        (3) Certification of the Chief Executive Officer of
    
the municipality that the municipality has complied with all of the requirements of this Act during the preceding fiscal year.
        (4) An opinion of legal counsel that the municipality
    
is in compliance with this Act.
        (5) An analysis of the special tax allocation fund
    
which sets forth:
            (A) the balance in the special tax allocation
        
fund at the beginning of the fiscal year;
            (B) all amounts deposited in the special tax
        
allocation fund by source;
            (C) an itemized list of all expenditures from the
        
special tax allocation fund by category of permissible redevelopment project cost; and
            (D) the balance in the special tax allocation
        
fund at the end of the fiscal year including a breakdown of that balance by source and a breakdown of that balance identifying any portion of the balance that is required, pledged, earmarked, or otherwise designated for payment of or securing of obligations and anticipated redevelopment project costs. Any portion of such ending balance that has not been identified or is not identified as being required, pledged, earmarked, or otherwise designated for payment of or securing of obligations or anticipated redevelopment project costs shall be designated as surplus as set forth in Section 11-74.6-30 hereof.
        (6) A description of all property purchased by the
    
municipality within the redevelopment project area including:
            (A) Street address.
            (B) Approximate size or description of property.
            (C) Purchase price.
            (D) Seller of property.
        (7) A statement setting forth all activities
    
undertaken in furtherance of the objectives of the redevelopment plan, including:
            (A) Any project implemented in the preceding
        
fiscal year.
            (B) A description of the redevelopment activities
        
undertaken.
            (C) A description of any agreements entered into
        
by the municipality with regard to the disposition or redevelopment of any property within the redevelopment project area.
            (D) Additional information on the use of all
        
funds received under this Division and steps taken by the municipality to achieve the objectives of the redevelopment plan.
            (E) Information regarding contracts that the
        
municipality's tax increment advisors or consultants have entered into with entities or persons that have received, or are receiving, payments financed by tax increment revenues produced by the same redevelopment project area.
            (F) Any reports submitted to the municipality by
        
the joint review board.
            (G) A review of public and, to the extent
        
possible, private investment actually undertaken to date after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly and estimated to be undertaken during the following year. This review shall, on a project-by-project basis, set forth the estimated amounts of public and private investment incurred after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly and provide the ratio of private investment to public investment to the date of the report and as estimated to the completion of the redevelopment project.
        (8) With regard to any obligations issued by the
    
municipality:
            (A) copies of any official statements; and
            (B) an analysis prepared by financial advisor or
        
underwriter setting forth: (i) nature and term of obligation; and (ii) projected debt service including required reserves and debt coverage.
        (9) For special tax allocation funds that have
    
received cumulative deposits of incremental tax revenues of $100,000 or more, a certified audit report reviewing compliance with this Act performed by an independent public accountant certified and licensed by the authority of the State of Illinois. The financial portion of the audit must be conducted in accordance with Standards for Audits of Governmental Organizations, Programs, Activities, and Functions adopted by the Comptroller General of the United States (1981), as amended, or the standards specified by Section 8-8-5 of the Illinois Municipal Auditing Law of the Illinois Municipal Code. The audit report shall contain a letter from the independent certified public accountant indicating compliance or noncompliance with the requirements of subsection (o) of Section 11-74.6-10.
    (e) The joint review board shall meet annually 180 days after the close of the municipal fiscal year or as soon as the redevelopment project audit for that fiscal year becomes available to review the effectiveness and status of the redevelopment project area up to that date.
(Source: P.A. 97-146, eff. 1-1-12; 98-922, eff. 8-15-14.)

    (65 ILCS 5/11-74.6-25)
    Sec. 11-74.6-25. Notice of public hearing.
    (a) Except as provided in this Section, notice of the public hearing shall be given by publication and mailing. Notice by publication shall be given by publication at least twice, the first publication to be not more than 30 or less than 10 days prior to the hearing, in a newspaper of general circulation within the taxing districts levying taxes on real property in the proposed redevelopment project area. Notice by mailing shall be given by certified mail in the United States Postal Service to each person or persons in whose name the general taxes for the last preceding year were paid on each lot, block, tract, or parcel of land lying within the project redevelopment area. The notice shall be mailed not less than 10 days before the date set for the public hearing. If taxes were not paid in the last preceding year, the notice shall also be sent to the person or persons most recently listed as the owner of the real property in the office of the assessing official in whose jurisdiction the property is situated.
    (b) The notices issued under this Section shall include the following:
        (1) the time and place of public hearing;
        (2) the boundaries of the proposed redevelopment

    
project area by legal description and by street location when possible;
        (3) a notification that all interested persons will
    
be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing;
        (4) an invitation for any person to submit
    
alternative proposals or bids for any proposed conveyance, lease, mortgage or other disposition of land within the proposed redevelopment project area;
        (5) a description of the redevelopment plan or
    
redevelopment project for the proposed redevelopment project area if a plan or project is the subject matter of the hearing; and
        (6) other matters the municipality may deem
    
appropriate.
    (c) Not less than 45 days before the date set for hearing, the municipality shall give notice by mail as provided in subsection (a) to all taxing districts that levy taxes on real property included in the redevelopment project area, and to the Department, and in addition to the other requirements provided in subsection (b), the notice shall also include a request that the Department and each affected taxing district submit comments to the municipality concerning the subject matter of the hearing before the date of hearing.
(Source: P.A. 88-537.)

    (65 ILCS 5/11-74.6-30)
    Sec. 11-74.6-30. Financing. Obligations secured by the special tax allocation fund set forth in Section 11-74.6-35 for the redevelopment project area may be issued to provide for redevelopment project costs. Those obligations, when so issued, shall be retired in the manner provided in the ordinance authorizing the issuance of those obligations by the receipts of taxes levied as specified in Section 11-74.6-40 against the taxable real property included in the area and any other revenue designated by the municipality. A municipality may in the ordinance pledge all or any part of the funds in and to be deposited into the special tax allocation fund created under Section 11-74.6-35 to the payment of the redevelopment project costs and obligations. Any pledge of funds in the special tax allocation fund shall provide for distribution to the taxing districts of moneys not required, pledged, earmarked, or otherwise designated for payment and securing of the obligations and anticipated redevelopment project costs, and any excess funds shall be calculated annually and deemed to be "surplus" funds. If a municipality applies or pledges only a portion of the funds in the special tax allocation fund for the payment or securing of anticipated redevelopment project costs or of obligations, any funds remaining in the special tax allocation fund after complying with the requirements of the application or pledge shall also be calculated annually and deemed "surplus" funds. All surplus funds in the special tax allocation fund shall be distributed annually within 180 days after the close of the municipality's fiscal year by being paid by the municipal treasurer to the county collector in direct proportion to the tax incremental revenue received as a result of an increase in the equalized assessed value of property in the redevelopment project area but not to exceed as to each such source the total incremental revenue received from that source. The county collector shall subsequently distribute surplus funds to the respective taxing districts in the same manner and proportion as the most recent distribution by the county collector to the affected taxing districts of real property taxes from real property in the redevelopment project area.
    Without limiting the foregoing provisions of this Section, in addition to obligations secured by the special tax allocation fund, the municipality may pledge, for a period not greater than the term of the obligations, towards payment of those obligations any part or any combination of the following: (i) net revenues of all or part of any redevelopment project; (ii) taxes levied and collected on any or all real property in the municipality; (iii) the full faith and credit of the municipality; (iv) a mortgage on part or all of the redevelopment project; or (v) any other taxes or anticipated receipts that the municipality may lawfully pledge.
    The obligations may be issued in one or more series bearing interest at a rate or rates that the corporate authorities of the municipality determine by ordinance. The obligations shall bear a date or dates, mature at a time or times, not exceeding 20 years from their respective issue dates, be in a denomination, carry registration privileges, be executed in a manner, be payable in a medium of payment at a place or places, contain covenants, terms and conditions, and be subject to redemption as the ordinance provides. Obligations issued under this Law may be sold at public or private sale at a price determined by the corporate authority of the municipality. No referendum approval of the electors shall be required as a condition for the issuance of obligations under this Division, except as provided in this Section.
    If the municipality authorizes issuance of obligations under the authority of this Division secured by the full faith and credit of the municipality, which obligations are other than obligations that may be issued under home rule powers provided by Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution, or pledges taxes levied and collected on real property in the municipality or pledges the full faith and credit of the municipality, the ordinance authorizing the issuance of those obligations or pledging those taxes or the municipality's full faith and credit shall be published within 10 days after the ordinance has been passed in one or more newspapers with general circulation within that municipality. The publication of the ordinance shall be accompanied by a notice of (i) the specific number of voters required to sign a petition requesting the question of the issuance of those obligations or pledging taxes to be submitted to the electors, (ii) the time in which the petition must be filed, and (iii) the date of the prospective referendum. The municipal clerk shall provide a petition form to any individual requesting one.
    If no petition is filed with the municipal clerk, as provided in this Section, within 30 days after the publication of the ordinance, the ordinance shall become effective. If, however, within that 30 day period, a petition is filed with the municipal clerk, signed by electors numbering not less than 10% of the number of registered voters in the municipality, asking that the question of issuing obligations using full faith and credit of the municipality as security for the cost of paying for redevelopment project costs, or of pledging taxes for the payment of those obligations, or both, be submitted to the electors of the municipality, the corporate authorities of the municipality shall call a special election in the manner provided by law to vote upon that question, or, if a general, State or municipal election is to be held within a period of not less than 30 or more than 90 days from the date the petition is filed, shall submit the question at that general, State or municipal election. If it appears upon the canvass of the election by the corporate authorities that a majority of electors voting upon the question voted in favor of the question, the ordinance shall be effective, but if a majority of the electors voting upon the question are not in favor of the question, the ordinance shall not take effect.
    The ordinance authorizing the obligations may provide that the obligations shall contain a recital that they are issued under this Law. The recital shall be conclusive evidence of their validity and of the regularity of their issuance.
    In the event the municipality authorizes issuance of obligations under this Section secured by the full faith and credit of the municipality, the ordinance authorizing the obligations may provide for the levy and collection of a direct annual tax upon all taxable property within the municipality sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the obligations as they mature. The levy may be in addition to and exclusive of the maximum of all other taxes authorized to be levied by the municipality. The levy, however, shall be abated to the extent that moneys from other sources are available for payment of the obligations and the municipality certifies the amount of those moneys available to the county clerk.
    A certified copy of the ordinance shall be filed with the county clerk of each county in which any portion of the municipality is situated, and shall constitute the authority for the extension and collection of the taxes to be deposited in the special tax allocation fund.
    A municipality may also issue its obligations to refund, in whole or in part, obligations previously issued by the municipality under the authority of this Law, whether at or before maturity, except that the last maturity of the refunding obligations shall not be expressed to mature later than December 31 of the year in which the payment to the municipal treasurer as provided in subsection (b) of Section 11-74.6-35 is to be made with respect to ad valorem taxes levied in the twenty-third calendar year after the year in which the ordinance approving the redevelopment project area is adopted.
    If a municipality issues obligations under home rule powers or other legislative authority, the proceeds of which are pledged to pay for redevelopment project costs, the municipality may, if it has followed the procedures in conformance with this Law, retire those obligations from funds in the special tax allocation fund in amounts and in the same manner as if those obligations had been issued under the provisions of this Law.
    No obligations issued under this Law shall be regarded as indebtedness of the municipality issuing the obligations or any other taxing district for the purpose of any limitation imposed by law.
(Source: P.A. 91-474, eff. 11-1-99.)

    (65 ILCS 5/11-74.6-35)
    Sec. 11-74.6-35. Ordinance for tax increment allocation financing.
    (a) A municipality, at the time a redevelopment project area is designated, may adopt tax increment allocation financing by passing an ordinance providing that the ad valorem taxes, if any, arising from the levies upon taxable real property within the redevelopment project area by taxing districts and tax rates determined in the manner provided in subsection (b) of Section 11-74.6-40 each year after the effective date of the ordinance until redevelopment project costs and all municipal obligations financing redevelopment project costs incurred under this Act have been paid shall be divided as follows:
        (1) That portion of the taxes levied upon each

    
taxable lot, block, tract or parcel of real property that is attributable to the lower of the current equalized assessed value or the initial equalized assessed value or the updated initial equalized assessed value of each taxable lot, block, tract or parcel of real property in the redevelopment project area shall be allocated to and when collected shall be paid by the county collector to the respective affected taxing districts in the manner required by law without regard to the adoption of tax increment allocation financing.
        (2) That portion, if any, of those taxes that is
    
attributable to the increase in the current equalized assessed value of each taxable lot, block, tract or parcel of real property in the redevelopment project area, over and above the initial equalized assessed value or the updated initial equalized assessed value of each property in the project area, shall be allocated to and when collected shall be paid by the county collector to the municipal treasurer who shall deposit that portion of those taxes into a special fund called the special tax allocation fund of the municipality for the purpose of paying redevelopment project costs and obligations incurred in the payment of those costs and obligations. In any county with a population of 3,000,000 or more that has adopted a procedure for collecting taxes that provides for one or more of the installments of the taxes to be billed and collected on an estimated basis, the municipal treasurer shall be paid for deposit in the special tax allocation fund of the municipality, from the taxes collected from estimated bills issued for property in the redevelopment project area, the difference between the amount actually collected from each taxable lot, block, tract, or parcel of real property within the redevelopment project area and an amount determined by multiplying the rate at which taxes were last extended against the taxable lot, block, track, or parcel of real property in the manner provided in subsection (b) of Section 11-74.6-40 by the initial equalized assessed value or the updated initial equalized assessed value of the property divided by the number of installments in which real estate taxes are billed and collected within the county, provided that the payments on or before December 31, 1999 to a municipal treasurer shall be made only if each of the following conditions are met:
            (A) The total equalized assessed value of the
        
redevelopment project area as last determined was not less than 175% of the total initial equalized assessed value.
            (B) Not more than 50% of the total equalized
        
assessed value of the redevelopment project area as last determined is attributable to a piece of property assigned a single real estate index number.
            (C) The municipal clerk has certified to the
        
county clerk that the municipality has issued its obligations to which there has been pledged the incremental property taxes of the redevelopment project area or taxes levied and collected on any or all property in the municipality or the full faith and credit of the municipality to pay or secure payment for all or a portion of the redevelopment project costs. The certification shall be filed annually no later than September 1 for the estimated taxes to be distributed in the following year.
    The conditions of paragraphs (A) through (C) do not apply after December 31, 1999 to payments to a municipal treasurer made by a county with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants that has adopted an estimated billing procedure for collecting taxes. If a county that has adopted the estimated billing procedure makes an erroneous overpayment of tax revenue to the municipal treasurer, then the county may seek a refund of that overpayment. The county shall send the municipal treasurer a notice of liability for the overpayment on or before the mailing date of the next real estate tax bill within the county. The refund shall be limited to the amount of the overpayment.
    (b) It is the intent of this Act that a municipality's own ad valorem tax arising from levies on taxable real property be included in the determination of incremental revenue in the manner provided in paragraph (b) of Section 11-74.6-40.
    (c) If a municipality has adopted tax increment allocation financing for a redevelopment project area by ordinance and the county clerk thereafter certifies the total initial equalized assessed value or the total updated initial equalized assessed value of the taxable real property within such redevelopment project area in the manner provided in paragraph (a) or (b) of Section 11-74.6-40, each year after the date of the certification of the total initial equalized assessed value or the total updated initial equalized assessed value until redevelopment project costs and all municipal obligations financing redevelopment project costs have been paid, the ad valorem taxes, if any, arising from the levies upon the taxable real property in the redevelopment project area by taxing districts and tax rates determined in the manner provided in paragraph (b) of Section 11-74.6-40 shall be divided as follows:
        (1) That portion of the taxes levied upon each
    
taxable lot, block, tract or parcel of real property that is attributable to the lower of the current equalized assessed value or the initial equalized assessed value, or the updated initial equalized assessed value of each parcel if the updated initial equalized assessed value of that parcel has been certified in accordance with Section 11-74.6-40, whichever has been most recently certified, of each taxable lot, block, tract, or parcel of real property existing at the time tax increment allocation financing was adopted in the redevelopment project area, shall be allocated to and when collected shall be paid by the county collector to the respective affected taxing districts in the manner required by law without regard to the adoption of tax increment allocation financing.
        (2) That portion, if any, of those taxes that is
    
attributable to the increase in the current equalized assessed value of each taxable lot, block, tract, or parcel of real property in the redevelopment project area, over and above the initial equalized assessed value of each property existing at the time tax increment allocation financing was adopted in the redevelopment project area, or the updated initial equalized assessed value of each parcel if the updated initial equalized assessed value of that parcel has been certified in accordance with Section 11-74.6-40, shall be allocated to and when collected shall be paid to the municipal treasurer, who shall deposit those taxes into a special fund called the special tax allocation fund of the municipality for the purpose of paying redevelopment project costs and obligations incurred in the payment thereof.
    (d) The municipality may pledge in the ordinance the funds in and to be deposited in the special tax allocation fund for the payment of redevelopment project costs and obligations. No part of the current equalized assessed value of each property in the redevelopment project area attributable to any increase above the total initial equalized assessed value or the total initial updated equalized assessed value of the property, shall be used in calculating the General State School Aid Formula, provided for in Section 18-8 of the School Code, until all redevelopment project costs have been paid as provided for in this Section.
    Whenever a municipality issues bonds for the purpose of financing redevelopment project costs, that municipality may provide by ordinance for the appointment of a trustee, which may be any trust company within the State, and for the establishment of any funds or accounts to be maintained by that trustee, as the municipality deems necessary to provide for the security and payment of the bonds. If the municipality provides for the appointment of a trustee, the trustee shall be considered the assignee of any payments assigned by the municipality under that ordinance and this Section. Any amounts paid to the trustee as assignee shall be deposited into the funds or accounts established under the trust agreement, and shall be held by the trustee in trust for the benefit of the holders of the bonds. The holders of those bonds shall have a lien on and a security interest in those funds or accounts while the bonds remain outstanding and unpaid. Upon retirement of the bonds, the trustee shall pay over any excess amounts held to the municipality for deposit in the special tax allocation fund.
    When the redevelopment projects costs, including without limitation all municipal obligations financing redevelopment project costs incurred under this Law, have been paid, all surplus funds then remaining in the special tax allocation fund shall be distributed by being paid by the municipal treasurer to the municipality and the county collector; first to the municipality in direct proportion to the tax incremental revenue received from the municipality, but not to exceed the total incremental revenue received from the municipality, minus any annual surplus distribution of incremental revenue previously made. Any remaining funds shall be paid to the county collector who shall immediately distribute that payment to the taxing districts in the redevelopment project area in the same manner and proportion as the most recent distribution by the county collector to the affected districts of real property taxes from real property situated in the redevelopment project area.
    Upon the payment of all redevelopment project costs, retirement of obligations and the distribution of any excess moneys under this Section, the municipality shall adopt an ordinance dissolving the special tax allocation fund for the redevelopment project area and terminating the designation of the redevelopment project area as a redevelopment project area. Thereafter the tax levies of taxing districts shall be extended, collected and distributed in the same manner applicable before the adoption of tax increment allocation financing. Municipality shall notify affected taxing districts prior to November if the redevelopment project area is to be terminated by December 31 of that same year.
    Nothing in this Section shall be construed as relieving property in a redevelopment project area from being assessed as provided in the Property Tax Code or as relieving owners of that property from paying a uniform rate of taxes, as required by Section 4 of Article IX of the Illinois Constitution.
(Source: P.A. 91-474, eff. 11-1-99.)

    (65 ILCS 5/11-74.6-37)
    Sec. 11-74.6-37. Cancellation and repayment of tax benefits. Any tax abatement or benefit granted by a taxing district under an agreement entered into under this Act to a private individual or entity for the purpose of originating, locating, maintaining, rehabilitating, or expanding a business facility shall be cancelled if the individual or entity relocated its entire facility in violation of the agreement, and the amount of the abatements or tax benefits granted before the cancellation shall be repaid to the taxing district within 30 days, as provided in Section 18-183 of the Property Tax Code.
(Source: P.A. 89-591, eff. 8-1-96.)

    (65 ILCS 5/11-74.6-40)
    Sec. 11-74.6-40. Equalized assessed value determination; property tax extension.
    (a) If a municipality by ordinance provides for tax increment allocation financing under Section 11-74.6-35, the county clerk immediately thereafter:
        (1) shall determine the initial equalized assessed

    
value of each parcel of real property in the redevelopment project area, which is the most recently established equalized assessed value of each lot, block, tract or parcel of taxable real property within the redevelopment project area, minus the homestead exemptions under Article 15 of the Property Tax Code; and
        (2) shall certify to the municipality the total
    
initial equalized assessed value of all taxable real property within the redevelopment project area.
    (b) Any municipality that has established a vacant industrial buildings conservation area may, by ordinance passed after the adoption of tax increment allocation financing, provide that the county clerk immediately thereafter shall again determine:
        (1) the updated initial equalized assessed value of
    
each lot, block, tract or parcel of real property, which is the most recently ascertained equalized assessed value of each lot, block, tract or parcel of real property within the vacant industrial buildings conservation area; and
        (2) the total updated initial equalized assessed
    
value of all taxable real property within the redevelopment project area, which is the total of the updated initial equalized assessed value of all taxable real property within the vacant industrial buildings conservation area.
    The county clerk shall certify to the municipality the total updated initial equalized assessed value of all taxable real property within the industrial buildings conservation area.
    (c) After the county clerk has certified the total initial equalized assessed value or the total updated initial equalized assessed value of the taxable real property in the area, for each taxing district in which a redevelopment project area is situated, the county clerk or any other official required by law to determine the amount of the equalized assessed value of all taxable property within the district for the purpose of computing the percentage rate of tax to be extended upon taxable property within the district, shall in every year that tax increment allocation financing is in effect determine the total equalized assessed value of taxable property in a redevelopment project area by including in that amount the lower of the current equalized assessed value or the certified total initial equalized assessed value or, if the total of updated equalized assessed value has been certified, the total updated initial equalized assessed value of all taxable real property in the redevelopment project area. After he has certified the total initial equalized assessed value he shall in the year of that certification, if tax rates have not been extended, and in every subsequent year that tax increment allocation financing is in effect, determine the amount of equalized assessed value of taxable property in a redevelopment project area by including in that amount the lower of the current total equalized assessed value or the certified total initial equalized assessed value or, if the total of updated initial equalized assessed values have been certified, the total updated initial equalized assessed value of all taxable real property in the redevelopment project area.
    (d) The percentage rate of tax determined shall be extended on the current equalized assessed value of all property in the redevelopment project area in the same manner as the rate per cent of tax is extended to all other taxable property in the taxing district. The method of extending taxes established under this Section shall terminate when the municipality adopts an ordinance dissolving the special tax allocation fund for the redevelopment project area. This Law shall not be construed as relieving property owners within a redevelopment project area from paying a uniform rate of taxes upon the current equalized assessed value of their taxable property as provided in the Property Tax Code.
(Source: P.A. 95-644, eff. 10-12-07.)

    (65 ILCS 5/11-74.6-45)
    Sec. 11-74.6-45. Expenditure of certain revenues.
    (a) Revenues received by the municipality from any property, building or facility owned, leased or operated by the municipality or any agency or authority established by the municipality may be used to pay redevelopment project costs, or reduce outstanding obligations of the municipality incurred under this Law for redevelopment project costs. The municipality may deposit those revenues into a special tax allocation fund. The fund shall be held by the municipal treasurer or other person designated by the municipality. Revenue received by the municipality from the sale or other disposition of real property acquired by the municipality with the proceeds of obligations funded by tax increment allocation financing shall be deposited by the municipality into the special tax allocation fund.
    (b) (Blank).
(Source: P.A. 91-474, eff. 11-1-99.)

    (65 ILCS 5/11-74.6-50)
    Sec. 11-74.6-50. Report; sunset of authority. On or before the date which is 60 months following the date on which this amendatory Act of 1994 becomes law, the Department shall submit to the General Assembly a report detailing the number of redevelopment project areas that have been established, the number and type of jobs created or retained therein, the aggregate amount of tax increment incentives provided, the aggregate amount of private investment produced therein, the amount of tax increment revenue produced and available for expenditure within the tax increment financing districts and such additional information as the Department may determine to be relevant.
    On or after January 1, 2012 the authority granted hereunder to municipalities to establish redevelopment project areas and to adopt tax increment allocation financing in connection therewith shall expire unless the General Assembly shall have authorized municipalities to continue to exercise said powers.
(Source: P.A. 96-1220, eff. 7-23-10.)