TIF Viewer

The McHenry County TIF Viewer is an interactive mapping application which allows users to view information about TIFs located in McHenry County. The information available through this application includes the municipality that created the TIF, establishment date, expiration date, projected costs & more. 

To view the interactive map:

• Select the underlined text above 
• Scroll down until you see McHenry County TIF Viewer. It will be the third interactive map down on the left.

 TIF FAQs

•  What is a TIF?
  •  "TIF" stands for "Tax Increment Financing." It is a tool for a city or village to utilize all new property tax dollars so that they may re-invest the revenue into a neighborhood to create economic development. 

•   How long is a TIF?
  •  TIF's typically last for a 23-year period. 

•  How does a TIF work?
  • A TIF causes parcel values to become frozen at the time of the creation of the TIF and any increment gained is exclusively given to the TIF district to spend for the project. 
    • Here's an example:
      • Total value of Parcel #1 at the time of creation of TIF is $1,000,000
        • $1,000,000 becomes the TIF Base
      • Following year Parcel #1 has a total value of $2,000,000
        • The TIF increment is considered $1,000,000.
      • The TIF utilizes the Increment of $1,000,000 while the overlapping taxing districts still get revenue from the $1,000,000 Base value.

•  What can the TIF money be spent on?
  • Some of the things TIF money can be spent on is renovation and rehabbing of existing buildings, acquiring land and preparing it for development, and financing and interest subsidies for loans a developer takes out to pay for a project. 

•  What if the TIF doesn't use all the money obtained through the taxes by the time it's ended?
  • The unused money will be distributed to the various taxing districts that overlap with the TIF.

•  Can I get TIF money for my project?
  • If you have property within the TIF district you may be able to use some of the money collected on behalf of the TIF. You will need to reach out to the Municipality that created the TIF for more information. The districts with active TIF's websites are located below.