THANK YOU!

From the IL Chamber of Commerce:

Only the House was in session this week, meeting on Thursday. 

Property Taxes

The House Revenue committee met on Thursday September 24. No substantive legislation was considered by the committee. The committee held a subject matter hearing on a proposal by the City of Chicago for an increase in the homestead exemption from the property tax. The proposal to increase the homestead exemption from the property tax levy for the City of Chicago is coupled Chicago Mayor Emanuel's recently announced proposal to seek a property tax increase in excess of $500 million as part of a plan to address the City's budget deficit.

Deputy Mayor Steve Koch testified that the proceeds of the property tax increase will be earmarked for payment of police and fire pension obligations.

The details of the Mayor's proposal to increase the homestead exemption remain vague. No proposed legislative language was provided to the committee by the witness for the City of Chicago, Deputy Mayor Steve Koch.

The City seeks an expansion of the homestead exemption to exempt the first $250,000 in value of all residential real property from the property tax increase.

The mechanics of the $250,000 exemption remain vague. Based on the testimony of Deputy Mayor Koch, it appears that the City is seeking to increase the homestead exemption only for the property tax levy for the City of Chicago. The remainder of the taxing bodies that levy real property taxes on owner-occupied residential real estate located in the City of Chicago would not be subject to the increased homestead exemption.

Under the proposal as outlined by Deputy Mayor Koch, it appears clear that the bulk of the property tax increase would fall on business. In addition, the Deputy Mayor, in response to questioning by Representative Flowers, confirmed that owners of apartments would remain subject to the property tax increase.

Both Democratic and Republican members of the committee posed questions about the potential adverse impact of the increase on business and individuals who rent their residences.

Representatives of the business community testified as to the adverse impact of property tax increase on business.

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce is on record as opposing the City of Chicago proposal to expand the homestead exemption in the context of the Mayor's proposed property tax increase because of the disproportionate impact on business.

To read more from the IL Chamber of Commerce, visit their website!

Who Are You?

Mystery Member of the Week:

Wenzel Select Properties

"As President and Founder of Wenzel Select Properties, Ltd, it has always been my belief that commitment to serving the needs of our customers and providing each customer with one on one support through your home buying experience remains our #1 focus.   

Our experienced team of professionals are here to assist you in “selecting properties that meetyour needs” and finding the exact fit for your individual or family lifestyle.  One of our main priorities is to always look out for clients interests first and take the necessary time to find the right home that meets your budget. 

As a member of the REALTOR® Association of the Western Suburbs Multiple Listing Service, we are able to show you virtually all properties available for sale in the Greater Chicagoland area.  Whether you are looking for a home in the heart of downtown Chicago or the surrounding suburbs, Wenzel Select Properties will help you find your dream home.  As a seller, our membership in the Multiple Listing Service allows exposure of your property to all available purchasers within the network of Real Estate sales professionals in the Chicagoland area."

Lisa Wenzel and her team at Wenzel Select Properties are dedicated Members of Chamber630! For more information on Wenzel Select Properties visit their website. Thank you for all that you do, WSP!

Melissa Nelson, Lisa Wenzel, and Christine Leonchik at Downers Grove Art Van Furinture's Grand Opening

Melissa Nelson, Terri Novak, and Christine Leonchick at the 2015 Taste of 630 

2015 Chamber630 Awards Winners

Congratulations to our 2015 Winners! 

Business Excellence: 

Retail: Yonan Carpet One 

Industrial: Flavorchem Corporation 

Professional: Flint Architects

Service: Celebrity Dance Studio

Community Contribution: 

Not-for-Profit: Diveheart

Individual Achievements: 

Young Business Professional: Phyllis Roman, of Giamanco & Ooink

Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Floyd Mizener, of Downers Grove Lions

Back by popular demand.. 

Overall Business Excellence Winner: 

Flavorchem Corporation

Who Are You?

Mystery Member of the Week 

Good Samaritan Health & Wellness Center

Full service fitness center, open to the public, with three indoor pools, track, extensive fitness and weight room, exercise studios(including TRX, SPINNING and Pilates) and a basketball court. Specialty services and amenities round out the center's offerings and include clinical services such as nutrition counseling and weight management services; spa services such as massage therapy, body wraps, waxing and manicures; and personal training services including land- and water-based group and private swim lessons and Pilates Allegros Reformer exercises. Recipient of a Checkmark for Quality, Voted Best Fitness Center and received a Distinguished Achievement Award from the Medical Fitness Association.

A fitness membership is the best option for those who want to make long-lasting changes. Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center has membership offers for individuals, couples, families and college students. In addition, corporate pricing plans, medical memberships and other special needs memberships are available.

Every new member begins with a comprehensive, free private assessment, conducted by a degreed fitness specialist. This assessment measures your current physical condition, including body composition, flexibility, strength and aerobic capacity. Based on your results, our professional fitness staff will work with you to create a program tailored to your specific health needs and goals. We understand that giving attention to both mind and body is fundamental to total well-being.

Take a tour and receive a guest pass certificate good for one free exercise/workout session. Feel free to use the equipment on the fitness floor and in the free weight area, jog around the track, shoot baskets, swim in the pools and participate in scheduled classes. Limit one free guest pass per person per lifetime. For membership dues information and to learn more about the Wellness Center, call Member Services at 630.275.2879 or click here to request an appointment.

To learn more about Good Samaritan Health & Wellness Center click here.

Who Are You?

Mystery Member of the Week...

The Lock Up Self Storage

ABOUT US
Family Owned - Family Managed Lock Up Development Group (an affiliate of BRB Development, LLC) is a family owned and operated company that has been in the self storage business since 1976. Continuing to be one of the most active and well-respected private companies in the storage industry, The Lock Up was started by Robert Soudan Sr. and Charles Sample Sr. who built their first self storage facility in Glenview, Illinois. With the help of his son and son-in-law, Bob Soudan Jr. and Rick Hielscher, Mr. Soudan has significantly increased both the number and quality of his self storage facilities. Currently, The Lock Up operates storage centers in eight states. We own and manage over 1.6 million square feet of self storage. Additionally, we have recently partnered with a large pension fund that controls tens of billions of dollars.

Self Storage Industry Leaders 
We take pride in being leaders in the self storage industry. The Lock Up has also been cited as industry leaders and innovators in The Wall Street Journal, Urban Land Institute, and Business 2.0.

 Lock Up's President, Bob Soudan Sr., is a past National President of the Self Storage Association (SSA). Bob Soudan, Jr. has served as a National Director of the SSA as well as Regional President. Additionally, all of the Lock Up principals have spoken as experts at SSA national conventions and seminars. 

To learn more about the Lock Up Self Storage click here. 

Are Happy Hours Back?

You may be aware that a  Happy Hour Law was recently proposed and passed into Public Act in the State of Illinois, a bill that was sponsored by Representative Ron Sandack. To date, the Villages of Woodridge or Downers Grove have NOT however adopted the law, so if you serve alcohol, your business is subject to the ‘old’ laws that exclude Happy Hours.

Chamber630 is hosting an informational meeting on the topic to gain facts as well as a consensus which in turn will be relayed to the two Councils (pending Chamber630 Board approval).  If you are interested in providing input into this CALL TO ACTION, please join us on September 11^th at 8:00 AM at 2001 Butterfield Road, Suite 105 in Downers Grove.  

For your reference, you may find some FAQs on this issue here:  Happy Hour FAQs

Please RSVP online at Chamber630.com or e-mail Chamber@Chamber630.com. 

One key step to ensuring the business voice is heard throughout Illinois is encouraging your employees to engage, and helping to facilitate their participation, by promoting voter registration.  People fail to vote for a lot of reasons—lack of awareness, apathy, confusion, or the belief that “my vote won’t make a difference.”  No matter how well we educate and motivate our employees to vote, it’s important to remember that our work won’t count unless they are registered.  It takes inspiration plus registration to increase voter participation.  There are millions of eligible unregistered voters whose voices are not being heard especially in the business community. As a result, this is an area in which we can have a major impact.

This September 21-25, The Illinois Chamber will be participating in Employee Voter Registration Week (EVRW) and providing resources that you can use to help your employees get registered.  Our belief is that, when our member employees vote, the business community’s voice is heard. We have our first business friendly governor in a long time so now is more important than ever to make sure the business community’s voice is heard.

We are providing you with access to our Employees Vote Toolkit resources and outreach content to distribute to your employees in conjunction with this initiative.  Getting involved in this effort is as easy as notifying your employees about the 2015 EVRW initiative and encouraging them to register to vote.  Copy, paste, and use this content as your own—and let us know when you’ve done so!

Remember, our system is a government is of the people. Increased voter participation can and will improve how the system performs. The hope is that by encouraging your employees to register to vote, the business community will have a stronger voice in elections to come.

Nathan C. Hoffman

Illinois Chamber of Commerce

Advocacy Manager

Who Are You?

Mystery Member of the Week

Kristufek & Associates, Attorneys at Law, P.C. 

Kristufek & Associates is a law firm whose focus is on customer service and getting results.  We bring a diverse background and years of combined experience together to provide our clients with quality legal representation.

We are gratified and honored when a client's legal concerns are placed in our hands. 

Over the years we have worked hard to inspire the trust and confidence of those we serve, and we continue to strive to maintain our reputation for excellence.

We serve clients in DuPage county for court cases and northern Illinois for real estate transactions.

About Us

Lynne Kristufek                                                                Attorney at Law

Lynne graduated in 1986 from Southern Illinois University , B.S. Business Economics. She graduated in 1989 from John Marchall Law School and has been licensed to practice law in the state of Illinois since November 1989. She was a staff attorney for the DuPage County Bar Association Legal Aid Office for one year and worked for five years as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the State’s Attorney Office. She is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and DuPage County Bar. Her practice is concentrated primarily in criminal, civil and matrimonial litigation and real estate.

Mary Cox Coffey                                                              Attorney at Law

Mary grew up as one of ten children in Oak Brook, Illinois. She graduated in 1990 from John Marshall Law School in the top 10% of the class and was selected to write for the Law Review. Ms. Coffey is a graduate of the Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart in Lake Forest and St. Mary’s College (B.B.A. and B.A. in Spanish). In 1982 she studied at the University of Valencia in Spain. While in Law School she was an intern at DuPage County State’s Attorney Office—Civil Division. She is a member of the DuPage County Bar. In her practice she specializes in real estate.

To learn more about Kristufek & Associates, visit their website! 

Announcement: Chamber630 Awards Finalists

After viewing all applications and discussion, the Chamber630 Awards Judges have selected 8 finalists for the 2015 Chamber630 Awards Ceremony.

To purchase tickets for the Chamber630 Awards Ceremony held September 17th at the Tivoli Theatre from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM visit Chamber630.com!


Business Excellence Category: 
         

Celebrity Dance Studio

Community Contribution:

Diveheart 

Individual Achievement 

Phyllis Roman
Young Business Professional

Dr. Floyd Mizner
Lifetime Achievement Award