MAZON – Mazon village officials drew inspiration from Morris for a new tax increment financing, or TIF, district covering about half the village.

"The reason we got into the TIF district was, we found success in Morris with their TIF," Village Trustee Jim Matteson said Tuesday. "We've seen what they've done and we feel we could do a lot for the village of Mazon with the TIF plan."

Trustees Monday approved three ordinances that pave the way for a TIF district in the village: an ordinance establishing the TIF boundary, an ordinance approving the TIF plan and an ordinance implementing the TIF plan.

In a TIF district, assessed property values are frozen at current levels. The difference between the frozen value and the real value as it increases over time is stored in a TIF fund, which is used for improvements within the district.

The hope is that those improvements entice development, which would increase the assessed values enough that the taxing bodies for that district start seeing a real return on their investment.

The plan in Mazon is aimed to help attract commercial, industrial and residential interest in open areas of development, especially in the industrial park at the northern end of the village.

But the TIF will also go toward public works projects, including constructing a new waste water treatment plant as well as improvement and maintenance of several roadways.

"Mazon is smaller and infrastructure is our biggest need right now," Matteson said, adding that waste water facilities are near maximum capacity. "Our population went above 1,000 in the last census and that puts us in a different situation."

Street lighting, landscaping, curbs, alleys, parks, public green space, recreational amenities, sidewalks, bike paths and other pedestrian walkways are included in the plan.

The TIF district stretches between the southwestern and northeastern corners of the village. Residential neighborhoods in the southwest and central parts of the village, as well as some parks, are excluded from the TIF district.

Matteson said officials hope the downtown area will attract a restaurant and a dollar store or another comparable business.

Village Attorney Scott Belt helped the village through the process, which he said included several public meetings, a joint review board and the creation of an intergovernmental agreement with the Mazon Fire District, Mazon-Verona-Kinsman Elementary School District 2C and Seneca Township High School District 160.

The process took about six months, Belt said, and the TIF district is expected to be finalized at the Feb. 17 Village Board meeting.

Belt assisted in the creation of several other TIF districts, including Morris and Gardner.

"It's a great economic development tool," Belt said. "There are nice collateral benefits that go along with a TIF district."

While Seneca Township High School Superintendent James Carlson signed off on the agreement, he said it was important for the TIF to have the right purpose to be a good investment.

"To say every TIF district is a good idea is not true at all," said Carlson, who has been involved in TIF discussions at other school districts. "If they work hard enough, they can develop this community and that will help everyone."

Carlson said the deal in place respects all of the taxing bodies' interests, which is why he signed it on behalf of the high school district.

"We have plenty of space to expand and build a nice village," Matteson said.