Jeff Ward

What do Kent Shodeen and Eddie Haskell Have in Common?

Spoiler alert! They didn't both star in beloved '60s sitcoms.

No one reminds me of that unctuous Leave it to Beaver ne’er do well Eddie Haskell more than Geneva developer Kent Shodeen. Just like Eddie easily bamboozled clueless 1960s parents with his hyper-smarmy ministrations, Kent uses political clout to get away with same kind of murder. Though he’s not generally known for it, Kent’s largesse to local politicians is legendary. All it takes is few quick keystrokes on the Illinois State Board of Elections website to reveal he’s doled out almost $100,000 since 1997. And when it comes to contributing to political coffers, Kent is utterly non-denominational. From Karen McConnaughay to Tom Weisner and Ken Ramsey to Pat Quinn, one might say our overeager real estate mogul likes to hedge his bets. Sure! …

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Jeff Ward

4:32 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2013

Kurt, Maybe this is hindsight, but the other caveat in the column is TIFs tend to go to generous friends. And then they tend to fall flat on their face. And remember, nature abhors a vacuum. As one reader pointed out, if the market could bear that development, it would already be there. In the end, municipalities really need to stop participating in this insane competition for businesses because …   more ›

District 304 Fights $460K Reduction in Geneva on the Dam's Tax Assessment

If the appeal is successful, the district and other GenevaTownship taxing agencies might have to dish out $41,800 in property tax refunds.

As the value of property in downtown Geneva continues to drop, some property owners are appealing their tax assessments, resulting in fewer dollars for local taxing bodies. That's the case with Geneva on the Dam, which is requesting a $460,000 reduction in its property tax assessment for 2010. On Monday night, School District 304 joined other Geneva Township taxing bodies by passing a resolution authorizing an "intervention: in the 2010 Geneva on the Dam Building Associates’ appeal. According to School District 304's "For the Record" e-mail blast, "the appeal exposes the district and other Geneva Township taxing agencies to approximately $41,800 in property tax refunds." Geneva developer Kent Shodeen filed for the reduction along with …

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