Since becoming mayor of Harvey in 2019, Christopher Clark’s administration has promoted an economic development program advertised under the slogan Building a Better Harvey.
To advance efforts to revitalize Harvey’s nearly deserted downtown, members of the city’s Economic Development Committee attended a real estate conference in May to draw potential investors and forge connections with other business leaders, according to Glenn Harston, the city’s spokesperson.
Clark, 1st Ward Ald. Shirley Drewenski, 3rd Ward Ald. Telanee Smith, 6th Ward Ald. Tyrone Rogers and Remona Simpson, an executive assistant, attended the International Council of Shopping Centers convention from May 19-21 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The annual event is designed to connect “dealmakers and industry experts who are driving innovation and evolution in commercial real estate,” according to the convention’s website.
“I had the wonderful opportunity to meet other municipalities very similar to ours and an opportunity to speak with several businesses and establishments willing to take an interest in the city of Harvey, and that is what we’re trying to do,” Drewenski said. “We’re trying to redevelop our city.”
Some residents have questioned why city tax dollars were spent on what many speculated was a vacation.
Clark spent at least $3,637 on the conference, according to spending reports the Daily Southtown obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. This number does not include flight and hotel expenses for the other four city officials.
The expenses include $705 on a round-trip flight, $338 for three-year membership dues for the conference and $1,544 for a four-night stay at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino, for an average of $386 per day. Another receipt indicates Clark spent $1,050 to register himself, along with city administrator Corean Davis and 1st Ward Ald. Shirley Drewenski, for the conference.
Davis told the Southtown she did not attend the conference.
Clark would not agree to repeated requests for an interview about the conference. Harston provided an emailed response detailing its purpose, saying it “offered Harvey a unique opportunity to connect with key industry leaders, developers and retailers just as it did for municipalities like Wheaton, Lockport, Romeoville, and 2,143 other state of Illinois members.”
By attending this year’s event, Harston said Clark sought to attract responsible businesses “committed to investing in the community and adhering to local regulations.”
“The event allowed the mayor to directly engage with potential investors and partners who can play a significant role in revitalizing the community,” Harston wrote.
Drewenski said she sought to explore ways to attract chain establishments to Harvey. She said spoke with representatives from Dairy Queen and Starbucks, which she said would be beneficial additions.
“The only ice cream establishments we have are the mom-and-pop restaurants in this Harvey. And to bring a chain in would be wonderful,” she said. “Same thing with Starbucks. You look at Starbucks, Homewood has like two of them and our surrounding communities. Why not Harvey?”
Harvey has seen thousands of people and businesses leave over the years. Despite a declining population and decreasing property values, a series of Tribune investigations in 2015 found property taxes remain high, leaving the remaining residents to foot the bill for a dried up pension fund and years of financial mismanagement.
When Clark, then an alderman, defeated Mayor Eric Kellogg in the 2019 election, he established a goal of transforming the city and “restoring the name and reputation of our great City of Harvey,” according to a message from Clark on the city’s website.
As part of Clark’s revitalization efforts, a key focus is addressing decades of overdue property taxes for a majority of businesses in Harvey.
Clark previously told the Southtown the city collects 52% of its property tax revenue, and some businesses have evaded property tax payments for up to 20 years, costing the city roughly $12 million in tax revenue. The city also loses 35% of all sales tax revenue because of unpaid Police and Fire department pensions, an issue he says he inherited from his predecessor.
However, Clark’s attempts to collect delinquent property taxes, combined with growing distrust in the city government, led to a protest June 10, held just before the City Council’s twice-monthly meeting.
Residents called for an investigation into Clark’s administration in light of growing concerns about how city tax dollars are spent. One of the key concerns raised was the purpose and details of the trip to Las Vegas in May.
“Everybody knows that you went on a trip. Everybody knows that you spent our money,” said Mauzkie Ervin, who introduced himself as a former Harvey Public Library trustee. “Everybody knows there’s other things you need to be concentrating on besides having a good time.”
Harvey has not posted an annual treasurer’s report since 2022, which provides a detailed breakdown of government expenditures and revenues. Instead, a comptroller’s report was published in March.
Fueled by uncertainty over Harvey’s finances, protesters chanted “stop the extortion” and “where is the money?”
Despite residents’ speculation about the trip’s purpose, Harston said it was not intended for leisure.
But many residents said while the mayor has no obligation to respond to public comments at city meetings, transparency is lacking when questions go unanswered.
“When you do stuff like that there, it kind of points a finger toward your life. You’re doing something that’s wrong,” Ervin said at the June 10 meeting. “You’re trying to be secretive and not by giving her the information that just lets us know that you are doing something right.”
Drewenski said there is no open dialog during public comment because the bi-weekly meetings are only intended for business purposes. She encouraged residents with concerns about the trip to reach out to her directly, promising to address any issues.
“Not one of those individuals have ever personally called me and asked me what my purpose was for attending those conferences,” she said. “This is a business meeting. We are there to run the city to the best of our ability. So with that being said, they can ask me any question that they want, whenever they want, except when I am sitting in that council meeting.”
Still, Harston said in his email that attending the conference was intended to benefit the city and support efforts to bring businesses back to Harvey.
“The conference enabled the mayor to present Harvey’s redevelopment vision and the strategic initiatives underway to make the city more business friendly,” he wrote. “These engagements have already led to preliminary discussions about potential projects that could bring new retail, dining, and service options to the city.”
The conference also provided opportunities for networking and professional development, Harston said. While there, Harston said Clark attended several workshop and networking events including the opening reception, an Advancing Retail in Communities Breakfast, Urban and Suburban Renewal Strategies session, an ICSC Diversity Reception and an exhibit hall and networking event.
Because of the city’s dire financial state, Drewenski said rebuilding Harvey has been a gradual process. However, she said with grant funding for infrastructure repairs and growing business interest, the city is steadily progressing toward it’s former prominence.
“It’s a slow process, but it’s coming together,” she said. “I credit Mayor Clark for a lot of it, but I credit the residents more, because they want a Harvey that they can be proud of.”
smoilanen@chicagotribune.com