Economic Development
No other candidate can match my experience in economic development and job creation. As your state representative I will leverage my experience to bring jobs and growth to the seventh district. I will do this by working with House leadership to develop policies and to implement programs that will attract developers and site selection consultants. We will get them to take a closer look at Illinois communities.
The Hoskins Plan to Attract Jobs
In contrast to most legislators, Rory Hoskins has direct experience working with economic development officials from neighboring states, and from other regions in the United States.
As your representative, Hoskins will work to create a west suburban economic development partnership that will market the Proviso area by promoting the Maywood Enterprise Zone and other state and local economic development programs. For example, the partnership would catalog local communities' various TIF maps, and would employ staff who will assist developers in combining state and local incentive programs. Staff will also be prepared to discuss whether individual communities have entered into revenue sharing agreements, or have been willing to apply for state infrastructure funds in support of a job creation project.
A regional approach will be more efficient than the status quo. Today, many Proviso area communities are not able to employ their own economic development staff due to budget constraints. The regional partnership will compliment, and add value to, the efforts of our local chambers of commerce.
As a member of the General Assembly, Rory Hoskins will advocate for reforms to Illinois' incentive programs so that they are more effective. Reforming our programs will attract the attention of real estate executives and site selection experts. Many real estate industry publications, and other specialized industry periodicals, monitor state legislatures for changes to their tax policies. Changes to existing state laws are often featured in the various publications that real estate, tax, and accounting professionals refer to when they evaluate whether state and local jurisdictions appear "business friendly". The states that offer new and innovative tools are often among those closely watched by site selection consultants, and tend to be recommended for large-scale private sector investment.
Rory Hoskins knows what it will take to get developers and business executives to take a closer look at Illinois and the towns that make up the seventh district. Hoskins has observed that while Illinois has strong incentive programs that often retain large employers, other states are often more effective in communicating their new and existing business development programs to the private sector.
No Candidate Matches Hoskins in Understanding
Job Creation Tools
Prior to law school Rory Hoskins worked for KPMG LLP (2006-2009) as a tax consultant. Hoskins has more than 11 years of professional experience working economic development. Unlike many legislators, Hoskins has direct experience working with economic development officials from neighboring states, and from other regions in the United States.
At KPMG, Hoskins advised clients on business incentives with significant focus on power and utilities industry clients. Hoskins assisted clients in securing benefits through Illinois' EDGE Tax Credit program, and the Illinois Enterprise Zone program. Hoskins' responsibilities included researching and reviewing non-Illinois statutes and regulations applicable to credits and incentives. In 2008 after working on a number of high-value projects in Minnesota, Hoskins was invited to serve as subject matter expert for that state's "Governor's 21st Century Commission on Tax Reform".
From 2004 to 2006, while employed by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Rory Hoskins was a member of the team responsible for awarding incentive packages, and other types of development assistance including public infrastructure grants and planning grants, for businesses and local governments. Hoskins spent six year at DCEO and worked with the following programs: Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit, Large Business Development Programs, Business Development Public Infrastructure, and the Renewable Fuels Development Program. Hoskins has attended numerous economic development training conferences, both inside and outside of Illinois. One example of the training programs is the Council of Development Finance Agencies' two-day Tax Credit Finance Course. Hoskins completed the course in 2008, in Washington, D.C. In Forest Park, Hoskins took the lead in negotiating the sales tax revenue-sharing agreement that will keep a major automotive dealership in Forest Park for the foreseeable future. No candidate for representative in our district knows as much about job creation tools as Rory Hoskins.
