Mt. Prospect candidates disagree on eminent domain
“The village initiated eminent domain proceedings in 2007 in an attempt to acquire property on Busse Avenue in the downtown area. The property owner fought the effort. In 2010, faced with years of fruitless negotiations and a collapsed real estate market, the village abandoned the attempt.
The property owner, meanwhile, filed a civil racketeering suit against the village that continues to move through the courts.
Arriaza said the village was wrong to try to acquire the property in the first place and now has put local taxpayers on the hook for what could be a sizable legal bill. Arriaza said that if elected, he would “respect property rights.”
“The village shouldn’t take property from a private owner just to hand it to another private owner,” Arriaza said. “Now the village is in court and the case could end up costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. That’s bad leadership by the trustees.””
Arado, Matt. Daily Herald 23 March 2013.