Mysterious pro-TIF website enters the fray in Northfield

“Free markets. Real Jobs. No new taxes.” 

That slogan lines the top of UnlockNorthfield.com, a new and cryptic player in Northfield’s contentious, ongoing debate on whether to establish a tax increment finance district, or a TIF.

The website, which debuted on July 21, supports the TIF and cites those three things as benefits of the proposed financial tool, saying that a TIF would “unlock” private investment in Northfield for a “better downtown.” 

UnlockNorthfield.com, which according to digital records was generated by the AI-powered website generator Lovable, allows users to send a pre-written email to the Northfield Village Board and sign a petition expressing their support for the TIF. As of Aug. 25, the petition had 124 signatures.

In contrast, a petition opposing the current TIF plan — which resident Jennifer Hull started in June, as an attempt to “delay any final action regarding the proposed TIF district until residents have had adequate time to review, understand, and discuss the proposal” — was presented during an Aug. 13 Joint Review Board meeting on the topic and as of Aug. 25 features more than 1,100 signatures.

The proposed development of a TIF district in Northfield, a town of approximately 5,500 residents, has sparked heated local debate. A public hearing on the issue will be held during the Village Board meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 25. A trustee vote on the TIF tentatively scheduled for late September.

Digging In

UnlockNorthfield’s stake in the local matter, however, is unclear.

According to its website, UnlockNorthfield is paid for by The Coalition for Jobs Growth and Prosperity, a 501c4 not-for-profit organization based in Chicago. The similarly. named organization, the Illinois Coalition for Jobs Growth and Prosperity, is also a 501c4 that appears obsolete. The organization formed in 2026 has not filed a tax form since 2023, when it claimed $40,998 in assets and no activity in 2022. Chicago attorney Kevin O’Keefe is listed as the organization’s treasurer.

A previous tax form (2019) for the Illinois version lists officers businessman Ronald Gidwitz as the principal officer and former CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association Greg Baise as the secretary and treasurer. Gidwitz worked with President Donald Trump’s first administration, was the co-chair of Bruce Rauner’s campaign for Illinois governor and himself ran as a Republican for governor (2006).

In 2019, according to the tax form, the organization claimed $1.55 million in revenue and reportedly gave $145,000 to the Economic Freedom Alliance, a pro-business political organization that Baise and Gidwitz formed in 2008, according to the City Club of Chicago.

Still, though, it remains unclear who is directly behind UnlockNorthfield. The website does not list individual names or contact information. The Record’s attempts to reach Baise, Gidwitz and O’Keefe, as well as their organizations, were unsuccessful.

Local Reaction

Village President Tracey Mendrek told The Record that she had not heard of UnlockNorthfield and its website until a resident brought it to her attention. She said whoever is behind the website has not reached out to her.

While Mendrek said the Village Board does not take positions on outside advocacy groups, she believes multiple perspectives can be helpful to the debate.

“We welcome all kinds of discourse on this topic,” said Mendrek, who has expressed support for the TIF. “Having both sides voice their positions, I think, is good, healthy debate for Northfield.”

Northfield business owner Sean Hofherr — who has lived in Northfield for more than 40 years and has spoken out against a TIF district — said he first learned about UnlockNorthfield through a Facebook ad.

He said something did not sit right with him about the website.

“(The website) was just alarming to me. … Something has smelled fishy for a while,” Hofherr said.

He continued that, as a small business owner, he did not relate to the pro-business remarks on the website.

“It just seems very generic to me. It doesn’t really speak to the fact that we already have small businesses here,” he said. “They have been around for decades. I don’t understand the need to be pro-development; what are we unlocking?

“It seems to me that the TIF is addressing things that don’t need addressing, and it opens the door for potential deeper pockets to come in and increase rent to a point where smaller businesses can’t survive,” Hofherr said.

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