Poll: Arlington Heights residents OK with Bears stadium, but oppose it being taxpayer funded

Poll: Arlington Heights residents OK with Bears stadium, but oppose taxpayer funded

A new poll shows that Arlington Heights residents want the Bears to head to the northwest suburbs, as long as their tax dollars aren't used to foot the bill.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Arlington Heights residents say bring on the Bears, but don't expect us to foot the bill.

A new survey found what residents are willing to give up to get the Monsters of the Midway: traffic's fine, but a tax increase is unacceptable — that's the bottom line.

Americans for Prosperity Illinois, a political advocacy group, surveyed Arlington Heights residents — the majority of whom say they will not support a taxpayer funded NFL stadium.

Seventy-one percent want the Bears, but 68-percent say they don't want to pay for it.

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Opposition to using taxpayer money was even higher when those surveyed were made aware that the NFL is the most profitable sports league in the world.

"They probably have seen stadium deals like in Chicago, in Bridgeview, in Hoffman Estates go sour and they don't want that to happen in Arlington Heights," said Brian Costin, Americans for Prosperity Illinois.

The Bears were most recently valued at $5.8 billion. An Arlington Heights stadium is expected to cost more than $2 billion.

The village mayor is responding to the survey and said, "Polls are often tainted by the phrasing of questions... And that the village will make sure any deal is a win-win for the team and for residents."

Mayor Thomas Hayes says public meetings on the issue will begin this fall.

Residents say they would be willing to give up sitting in traffic to get the Bears out to the northwest suburbs.