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TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: The Mayor's Office
DATE: August 13, 2025
SUBJECT:
Engagement of the Aurora Regional Economic Alliance ("Alliance") to provide special services in Special Service Area One through December 31, 2025.
PURPOSE:
To engage the Alliance to provide special services in the downtown area through the end of the year
BACKGROUND:
In 1994, the City Council established Special Service Area One to provide a revenue source to fund additional services intended to beautify and enhance the quality of life in the downtown areas that were different from services offered generally throughout the City. Historically, the City engaged Aurora Downtown, a not-for-profit corporation organized by property owners within the special service area, to deliver these special services - which, among other things, consisted of marketing, beautification, and entertainment efforts, all focused in downtown.
In late 2024, as a result of efforts to consolidate a variety of civic entities into the Alliance, the City began to conclude its relationship with Aurora Downtown with the understanding that Aurora Downtown, would eventually wind down its operation and seek dissolution by the Secretary of State.
Since its relationship with Aurora Downtown ended in February, the City has been negotiating with the Alliance to assume Aurora Downtown's role as the provider for special services within SSA One, at least on a temporary basis. The proposed attached to this ordinance will allow the City and the Alliance to work together to provide the traditional downtown programming during the final months of 2025, while allowing time for the City to consider its future options for the use of the special taxes collected in SSA One for tax years 2025 and 2026. SSA One, in its current form, will expire at the close of tax year 2026 (December 31, 2027) unless it is extended by the City Council.
DISCUSSION:
The Alliance is willing to perform the services set forth in the Agreement and it is in the best position to fill the role previously held by Aurora Downtown, at least on a short-term, interim basis. The alternative to contracting with the Alliance is for City staff to directly engage vendors and volunteers to provide these special services, with very little lead time and in addition to their regular duties.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
Approval of this ordinance will authorize the expenditure of funds collected through special service area taxes for the purposes for which the taxes were levied.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council authorize this agreement.
cc: Finance Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
ORDINANCE NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
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An Ordinance authorizing an agreement with the Aurora Regional Economic Alliance for the provision of special services within the area constituting Special Service Area One through December 31, 2025
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WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the Aurora Regional Economic Alliance (“Alliance”) is an assumed corporate name of the Greater Aurora Chamber of Commerce, a duly organized not-for-profit corporation organized and existing pursuant to the Illinois General Not for Profit Corporation Act; and
WHEREAS, the Special Service Area Tax Law authorizes municipalities to establish special service areas within their respective corporate limits to provide special governmental services in addition to those services provided generally throughout the municipality, and to levy a tax upon the real properties benefited by such special services within the designated area; and
WHEREAS, beginning in 1994, the City has enacted a series of successive special service areas to provide special governmental services in the area generally constituting the downtown area of Aurora, which have been collectively designated as Special Service Area One (“SSA One”); and
WHEREAS, the most recent ordinance establishing SSA One was enacted on August 28, 2018, by Ordinance O18-0056; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance O18-0056 authorizes the City to levy taxes to provide for special services in the area designated as SSA One, to wit: specifically defined Purposes relating to the development, marketing, management, promotion and improvement of the area constituting SSA One through property tax year 2026 (calendar year 2027); and
WHEREAS, through 2024, Aurora Downtown, an Illinois not-for-profit corporation provided such special services within SSA One, including the planning and promotion of “First Fridays,” a collective monthly open house with offerings of art, music, and food under an agreement with the City; and
WHEREAS, effective in 2025, the City and Aurora Downtown have concluded their relationship; and
WHEREAS, the Alliance possesses the capacity to render special services within SSA One; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to contract with the Alliance to render such special services within SSA One, including, but not limited to the planning and promotion of First Fridays); and
WHEREAS, the City and the Alliance have reduced the terms and conditions by which the Alliance shall render, and the City shall pay, for the provisions of such special services as set forth in the Agreement attached to this Ordinance as Exhibit A.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: that the attached Agreement between the City and the Alliance shall be and hereby is approved, and further
BE IT ORDAINED, that the City's obligations under the Agreement shall be paid entirely from the funds collected by the special service area taxes levied in Special Service Area One and that the obligations of the Alliance under this Agreement shall be performed for the benefit of the taxpayers in Special Service Area One; and further
BE IT ORDAINED, that the respective officers and employees of the City shall be and hereby are authorized to take such actions are necessary and required to execute the attached Agreement and carry its terms into execution.