{"id":8698,"date":"2026-07-25T03:18:43","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T03:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/princetonillinois.com\/?p=8698"},"modified":"2026-07-25T03:18:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T03:18:43","slug":"princeton-approves-business-development-district-over-public-concerns-shaw-local","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/princetonillinois.com\/?p=8698","title":{"rendered":"Princeton approves business development district over public concerns – Shaw Local"},"content":{"rendered":"


Princeton resident Geraldine Woodlief speaks during public comment at the Princeton City Council meeting on Monday, March 16, 2026. <\/span>(Bill Freskos)
After months of discussion and public input, the Princeton City Council<\/a> officially approved its business development district following a public hearing on Monday night.
The district will allow Princeton<\/a> to impose an additional sales tax, up to 1%, with the revenue dedicated to economic development efforts.
The council voted 4-1 in favor of the district, with Councilman Jerry Neuman the only one to vote against it.
A business development district serves a role similar to a tax increment financing district by providing funding for business and redevelopment projects. It relies on sales tax revenue rather than property taxes.
\u201cThe point of this business development district is to address some of the signs we\u2019ve seen lately as far as economics go,\u201d Planning & Zoning Administrator Michael Zearing said. \u201cWe have empty storefronts, historic buildings at risk and areas that need investment.\u201d
The council, which previously voted 3-2 in favor of the district at its last meeting, was generally in agreement that the city isn\u2019t necessarily headed in the right direction in attracting new businesses while retaining its existing businesses and that the district could help turn things around.
Planning & Zoning Administrator Michael Zearing addresses the Princeton City Council Monday, March 16, during a public hearing on the newly approved Business Development District. <\/span>(Bill Freskos)
While the council felt good about moving forward, most of the public hearing involved locals who questioned whether the district was really helping or if the public needed to be better informed.
Princeton resident Geraldine Woodlief said she took steps to gather feedback from local business owners ahead of the meeting.
\u201cI took two days and got signatures from our dear friends here at Princeton, business owners, and guess what? Everybody said forget it,\u201d Woodlief said.
She also questioned how widely information about the proposal had reached the public, noting the relatively small turnout at the hearing.
Other residents raised concerns about transparency on how the district\u2019s funds would be used and the potential negative impact of additional sales taxes on consumers and small businesses. Many emphasized the need for clear communication and accountability as the district moves forward.
Princeton resident Lynn Holtz supported the district, arguing it\u2019s a necessary tool as the city adapts to an evolving economy.
\u201cThis is one component of economic development, not the end-all, but a crucial piece,\u201d Holtz <\/b>said. \u201cWe cannot continue to do business the way we always have because it\u2019s simply not working.\u201d
Princeton resident Lynn Holtz speaks during the public hearing about Princeton\u2019s new Business Development District on Monday, March 16, 2026. <\/span>(Bill Freskos)
Holtz also noted that a large chunk of sales at many local businesses comes from visitors to Princeton, and the district would help capture more of that.
\u201cThis is not just about supporting businesses in Princeton. It\u2019s also about capturing spending from visitors and keeping those dollars in our community to help local businesses,\u201d Holtz said.
Princeton Mayor Ray Mabry shared examples from other Illinois mayors who have used business development districts, emphasizing how the tool helped their cities achieve economic development goals.
The district covers most of Princeton\u2019s primary commercial areas, extending from the Interstate 80 corridor through the city\u2019s north business district and into the downtown area.
As for next steps, Zearing said the city will align priorities and establish a budget before developing a strategic action plan. However, he said most of the priorities were already set based on feedback from the city\u2019s public meeting<\/a> in January.
Bill Freskos is a multimedia journalist based in the Illinois Valley. He covers hard news, local government, sports, business enterprise, and politics while contributing to Shaw Local Radio stations for Shaw Media across La Salle, Bureau, and Putnam counties.<\/p>\n

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Princeton resident Geraldine Woodlief speaks during public comment at the Princeton City Council meeting on Monday, March 16, 2026. (Bill Freskos)After months of discussion and public input, the Princeton City Council officially approved its business development district following a public hearing on Monday night.The district will allow Princeton to impose an additional sales tax, up to 1%, with the revenue<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t