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Resident accuses OneNorth TIF deal of favoring developers, asks trustees for library-financing transparency
Summary
During public comment at the Sept. 12 meeting, resident Gerry Feldman alleged misuse of TIF laws in the OneNorth project and questioned trustees about the status and financing of the planned library relocation, citing an alleged $4.143 million assessment reduction and a prior $6.3 million funding shortfall.
Gerry Feldman, a Bayside resident, used the public-comment portion of the Sept. 12 Board of Trustees meeting to call for greater transparency about the OneNorth redevelopment and the proposed library relocation.
"The OneNorth project stands as a testament to the misuse of TIF laws and the shadowy agreements favoring developers over taxpayers," Feldman said, alleging that "a $4.143 million assessment reduction, locked in for 22 years, has shifted the tax burden onto us, stripping away over $194,000 that could have supported our public institutions." He also said the last update on library financing was in April 2023, when a funding shortfall of about $6.3 million remained, and asked trustees for an accounting of how that gap has been addressed.
Feldman further criticized a trustee who also serves on the North Shore Library Board, saying the trustee had been unresponsive when asked for details about the move from Glendale to Bayside. "She is fully aware of the details of the proposed move...yet the only responses I've received from her are 'I don't have to talk to you' and a suggestion to ask someone else," Feldman said.
The minutes record the comments as public testimony; no substantive response or additional financial detail was recorded during the meeting and no board action was taken on those topics at this session. The assertions about assessment reductions and dollar amounts are claims made by a public commenter and were not corroborated in the meeting record.
What happens next: The minutes do not indicate any immediate staff follow-up or scheduled briefings on OneNorth or library finances. Interested residents may request additional information from Village staff or raise the issue at a future meeting.
