Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Much of Tuesday’s Springfield City Council meeting featured discussion of where development money is going.

“Private investment is happening in the west.  It’s not happening on the east side,” said Ald. Jennifer Notariano, Ward 6.  “There are homeowners and business owners on the east side who want to stay on the east side and want to improve their businesses or homes. They should have access to the money (through a Tax Increment Financing District) to help improve their businesses and homes.

“First of all, there’s a big difference between private money and tax money — big difference,” said Ald. Ralph Hanauer, Ward 10.  “People are putting their rear ends on the line by developing. They get zero.”

The question of whether incentive money drives development, or the other way around, dominated Tuesday’s city council meeting. Businessman Robert Frazier is a frequent public commenter.

“I listened to all the different ideas of trying to get things going on the east side, which is definitely a disinvested area — definitely.  It is desolate,” said Frazier.  “It’s crumbling because no one wants to invest there.”

Some on the council are optimistic that the time is coming for development on the city’s east side.

“We’ve got a lot of things to do, and not a lot of time to do them, as far as funding and things of that nature. We have some really, really good opportunities over in our community,” said Ald. Shawn Gregory, Ward 2.  “The goal of the TIF is to invest in it so much that we drive it above the baseline that it is frozen at.”

Hanauer, meanwhile is tired of this debate.

“You’re going to find out that this narrative that the west side gets everything is absolutely false.  It’s absolutely false,” said Hanauer.

Aldermen next week will vote on neighborhood grant programs for a couple of the city’s TIF districts.