Local Government and Public Finance
Miller, Hall & Triggs LLC provides representation to municipalities, park districts, counties, port districts, and other local governmental bodies. No other law firm in Central Illinois has made a greater commitment to public law or has the depth of experience in representing public bodies.
Attorneys in the firm are regularly called upon by local governmental bodies to provide legal services in a wide variety of matters, including development, financing, employment and labor, zoning, compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, and litigation unique to municipalities and other local governmental bodies. Because of the firm's concentration in public law, there are many issues that Miller, Hall & Triggs LLC can respond to in much less time, and therefore, in a more cost-effective manner, than firms that do not have the same breadth of experience in representing public bodies.
Moreover, Miller, Hall & Triggs LLC has worked diligently to foster a reputation for finding innovative solutions to various kinds of projects undertaken by, or problems facing local governmental bodies, and has prepared, overseen, and handled bond issues and other financing mechanisms ranging from relatively small amounts to multi-million dollar issues of substantial complexity.
Attorneys at Miller, Hall & Triggs LLC serve as general counsel for a number of local governmental bodies of varying sizes. In addition, we are frequently called upon by other law firms, or asked to assist local counsel with specific projects requiring special expertise and experience, especially in matters pertaining to bond financing, development of economic incentive programs, land use, and labor negotiations.
Miller, Hall & Triggs LLC has had extensive involvement with the development and financing of several major civic projects, as exemplified by the following:
- Assisted the City of East Peoria in the development, construction, and financing of EastPort Marina;
- Organized EastSide Centre, Inc., an Illinois not-for-profit corporation, consisting of the City of East Peoria, the Fon du Lac Park District, East Peoria Community High School District 309 and East Peoria Grade School District 86, and financed, through various means, the construction of a $14 million community recreation center, including a football stadium, aquatic facility, indoor recreation center, ten lighted baseball and softball fields, lighted soccer fields, and a two-acre fishing and paddleboat lagoon;
- Assisted the City of Henry in constructing a municipal sewer system, including obtaining all requisite easements and financing through grants in the issuance of $8.5 million in bonds at below-market interest rates;
- Encouraged economic development throughout represented municipalities through creation and modification of TIF Districts, enterprise zones, and creative use of sales tax;
- Increased tax revenues by analyzing and, where appropriate, challenging requests by private entities for reduction in tax assessment, and fostering cost sharing of fees and expenses among benefiting local governmental entities;
- Obtained $36 million bond issue through IDFA for the benefit of Bradley University;
- Obtained $80 million bond issue through IFA for the benefit of Bradley University;
- Obtained $5.5 million 501(c)(3) bond issue of the City of East Peoria for the benefit of EastSide Centre, Inc.;
- Obtained $10.3 million bond issue through the Illinois Development Finance Authority for the benefit of Illinois Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation (WTVP);
- Fostered development agreements for the John Bearce Auto Mall, Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino, Town Centre I and Town Centre II Shopping Centers, and Riverside Shopping Center;
- Obtained $26 million refunding bond issue for the City of East Peoria refunding, at substantially lower interest rate, a majority of the City's outstanding debt;
- Obtained $60 million Gateway Landing, site of an Embassy Suites full-service hotel and a publicly owned Riverfront Conference Center and other amenities;
- Obtained $16 million bond issue through the Illinois Finance Authority for the benefit of Illinois Central College Educational Foundation to construct an on-campus student residence facility;
- Obtained $12 million Low Income Housing Tax Credit transaction for the benefit of Menard County Housing Authority, Menard County, Illinois;
- Obtained $14 million Low Income Housing Tax Credit transaction for the benefit of Champaign County Housing Authority, Champaign County, Illinois;
- Obtained $4.5 million Hospital Revenue Bond for the benefit of Perry Memorial Hospital, Princeton, Illinois;
- Obtained $2 million Library Bonds for the benefit of the Princeton Public Library District, Princeton, Illinois;
- Formed and organized the Heart of Illinois Regional Port District, an Illinois municipal corporation, Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Marshall, Fulton and Mason counties;
- Obtained $7.1 million bond issue through the Illinois Finance Authority for the benefit of Sauk Valley Community College Foundation to construct an on-campus student residence facility;
- Drafted an annexation agreement for the benefit of the City of Henry, Illinois, regarding the annexation of property and the creation of a river port;
- Assisted the Washington Park District and the Washington Community High School District 308 in connection with an intergovernmental agreement with the Washington Area Community Center, Inc, an Illinois not-for-profit corporation for the construction, operation, maintenance and funding of a community complex;
- Obtained $4.9 million 501(c)(3) bond issue for West Central Illinois Educational Telecommunications Corporation for purpose of digital technology conversion and equipment upgrade for WSEC, WQEC, and WMEC television stations in Springfield, Quincy and Macomb, Illinois;
- Arranged $60 million of mixed public/private financing for Embassy Suites and Riverfront Conference Center for the City of East Peoria.
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