Arlington Heights mayor says he believes megaprojects bill is 'gonna happen'

CHICAGO - We are entering the final week of the Illinois legislative session and we still don't know if lawmakers will pass the "megaprojects" bill.

What we know:

On Monday Arlington Heights Mayor Jim Tinaglia was asked about the chances of the bill passing before the session ends Sunday.

"I can tell you, I am very optimistic," said Tinaglia. "I believe it's gonna happen. I think that our governor and legislators in Springfield are working really hard to make it happen. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a while to get through the system, and it will probably go to the final hours."

While Tinaglia stressed that his "teammates" at Halas Hall, and those in the village are working hard to support the effort, he was asked about Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson lobbying to keep the Bears in Chicago, and against the bill. This comes days after the Chicago Bears released a statement saying that the only two sites they're considering for a future home are Arlington Heights and Hammond, Indiana.

"I'm sure Mayor Johnson is a good man, in a lot of ways, and I'm not going to criticize him for trying hard," said Tinaglia. "He's been trying hard and I get it. I understand, but at the same time, I know it's Arlington Heights or Indiana, it's not Chicago. If everybody just got on board with that, maybe we'd have a better chance with this happening sooner rather than later. I think it's a bit of a distraction and that's really all it is."

Where the bill stands now

Big picture view:

The bill is still on hold in the senate after house lawmakers passed it about four and a half weeks ago. 

The bill would give projects, like the proposed Bears stadium in Arlington Heights property tax certainty. It would allow companies behind the project to have their property tax assessments frozen for up to 40 years. Instead of paying a traditional property tax, the companies would negotiate a payment with the taxing bodies like a school district. 

State Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) talked about how that's one of the obstacles right now for passage in the senate.

"The uncertainty of what that alternative payment might be and whether or not it would have any effect on other property, taxpayers in the district are of concern legislators," said Cunningham.

He also said there are state lawmakers from the Chicago area who are against the project because the bill would potentially take the Bears out of the city of Chicago. The other obstacle Cunningham mentioned was how three years after the Bears finalized the purchase of the former Arlington Park Racetrack, still have not released a traffic study on the project.

"That's important because it's needed to address the capital needs," said Cunningham. "The Bears have asked somewhere in the neighborhood of $850 million from the state in order to reconfigure roads and bridges in the area around the proposed site. The lack of that traffic study has also created some turbulence politically in the northwest suburbs because the mayors that represent towns that border Arlington Heights feel as if they have not been consulted."

Weeks ago, the bill's author, State Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago), mentioned several issues with the bill that passed out of the house. One of them was a 9% amusement tax which is of "great concern to the Bears."

 However, Buckner said that the amusement tax that was added to the bill was not meant to apply to Chicago or Arlington Heights. He said the bill would give smaller municipalities throughout the state to impose an amusement tax if they took advantage of another program within the measure. Municipalities like Chicago and Arlington Heights can already levy an amusement tax because they have home rule authority, which is mostly given to larger cities and villages.

"Clearly, what we need to do here is straighten up this language here, tighten it up, so folks can understand what it's about and what it's not about," Buckner said.

Still, Buckner said nothing that was included in the House bill should have caught people off guard, but he was "totally confident that we're going to land in the right place."

Governor JB Pritkzer also said the amusement tax provision would likely have to be removed from a version the senate passes. Weeks ago, the governor applauded house lawmakers passing a version of the bill.

"Within the legislation that was passed was the deal that the Bears are willing to accept, that it’s good for the taxpayers, which is what I want," Pritzker said. "There were also things that were added on top of that that I think are not great for the taxpayers and that we probably need to make some changes to, and most importantly, that won’t work for the Bears."

Another provision was added to the bill, which provides property tax relief for homeowners. 50% of the annual payment from the Bears would be set aside for local and state property tax relief through a fund. That provision came in response to concerns from groups like the Illinois Federation of Teachers, led by Chicago Teachers Union president Stacy Davis Gates, who argued the bill could cause residential property tax bills to spike.

Last week, the Chicago Bears were in Orlando for the annual owners meeting. The team confirmed one of the topics at the meeting would be the future home stadium. The team made it clear that only sites in Arlington Heights and Hammond, Indiana, are being considered. 

Fox Chicago also asked the Bears if they're asking for more money from the NFL as part of the league's G5 loan program, which helps teams build new stadiums. The Bears gave no comment. 

It's something Buckner mentioned during our interview in April.

"I would hope they’re (the Bears) asking the NFL for a bit more money in the G5 loan program so they can put more skin in the game," said Buckner.

­­What about Indiana?

The other side:

On Sunday, at the Indianapolis 500, Gov. Mike Braun, R-Indiana, expressed confidence in his state's chances of persuading the Bears across state lines to build a new stadium in Hammond.

"I’d say 65-35, and I don’t like to get ahead of my skis," Braun said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday. "I’ve done a lot of real estate deals in my time in the real world. They can go south for many reasons, but their legislature really hasn’t tailored anything that they’re interested in. We did it quickly. It impressed them, and they saw what Indiana would be like as a long-term business partner. I can guarantee you it’d be better than being there [in Illinois]."

Braun faulted Illinois lawmakers’ slow movement when the team expressed interest a few years ago in getting help to build a new stadium in Arlington Heights. He said Indiana’s swift action, by contrast, made Hammond an attractive option for the team.

"That is what happens when you have a deaf ear," Braun said. "[Illinois Gov. JB] Pritzker, their legislature, three years [the Bears have] been trying to get them to actually weigh in on it. Six months [ago,] they came and saw we move at the speed of business, not government."

Braun also touted Indiana's high credit rating and said the team would "get more stadium for your money here."

While the Bears have given little public signal as to which site the team is leaning toward, Pritzker has also expressed optimism that the megaprojects bill will get passed in time.

Still, that did not prevent Braun from touting Indiana's standing and making his best pitch for the team to cross state lines.

"I think there are pretty decent odds they may be - they’re gonna be the Chicago Bears, but be doing it in Indiana, hopefully," he said. "It’ll be a smart decision for them."