Tax Increment Financing

Co-hosted by Illinois Extension and Rural Partners

Wednesday, May 24 at 12 PM CT

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and Business Development Districts (BDD) are two powerful tools that can be used by municipalities to stimulate small business development in Illinois.  This free online webinar will provide examples of how local leaders may creatively blend the best features of TIF and BDD to create a unique recipe for enhancing local business retention efforts and stimulating new private investment for community growth. Time will be allocated during the webinar for open Q&A with participants.

About the presenters:

Steve Kline is President/CEO and Registered Municipal Advisor Representative of The Economic Development Group, Ltd.  In tandem with Jacob & Klein, Ltd., EDG offers professional services for the creation and administration of Tax Increment Financing Districts, Business Development Districts, and other economic development tools available to municipalities located throughout the State of Illinois.

Steve received an undergraduate degree in Agricultural Science and a Master of Business Administration from Western Illinois University. Prior to joining EDG, Steve was a research associate at the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University where he helped create and administer the MAPPING the Future of Your Community program. As an advocate for rural development and the creation of broad-based public-private partnerships, he is an active member of Illinois Rural Partners, the State Rural Development Council representing the State of Illinois in the National Rural Development Partnership of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He is a contributing author to economic development publications and a frequent speaker at state and regional economic development conferences.

Gwen Crawford is Vice President of Financial Analysis and a Registered Municipal Advisor Representative for The Economic Development Group, Ltd.  Gwen prepares various long-range financial analyses, including bond analyses and other projections, and economic impact studies relating to existing and proposed redevelopment projects undertaken within TIF and BDD Districts. Gwen and her team prepare TIF and BDD Redevelopment Plans, and annually track hundreds of written agreements that are enabling the completion of TIF and BDD projects across a wide spectrum of community and economic development. Gwen also manages the company’s TIF/BDD Manager® database, a vast depository containing thousands of parcel records, TIF increment history files and annual TIF/BDD administrative procedures which are unique to each municipality. Gwen received her Bachelor and master’s degrees in mathematics from Illinois State University. ​

Herb Klein is the President of Jacob & Klein, Ltd., focusing on areas relating to Government Law – (representing both municipalities and other taxing districts); Economic Development Law; and Real Estate Law. Herb has extensive experience in all aspects of Tax Increment Financing and Business Development Districts.   

Herb Klein received his undergraduate degree from Eastern Illinois University and his Juris Doctor from Northern Illinois University College of Law. Herb is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Local Government Law Section Council of the Illinois State Bar Association, and Attorney’s Title Guaranty Fund. He is also a member and past Chair of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Business Advice and Financial Planning Section, past member of the ISBA Assembly, and an Illinois Bar Foundation Fellow. Herb is a contributing author to attorney education publications and a frequent speaker at legal education conferences as well as at State and regional economic development conferences.