Village (United States)

Orange Village Council held a public hearing on proposed tax increment financing (TIF) incentive districts tied to the residential portion of The Canyons, a 55-and-older development. The plan, debated for months, would redirect future property tax revenue from rising property values to fund public infrastructure. It is separate from a related commercial TIF covering five parcels on Harvard Road.

Cuyahoga County officials have objected, arguing the arrangement diverts money from the county's general fund supporting courts, the sheriff, and other services. Mayor Judson Kline supports the TIF as a way to capture development-related revenue, while critics, including Councilman Jim Boyle, question its necessity and scope.

Mark Stephens, 67, chairman of the Triton College board and a son of late Rosemont founder Donald E. Stephens, was arrested on drug charges during a traffic stop in Harvard, in the far northwest suburbs. Police say Stephens was seen dropping an unmarked prescription bottle under his car after being pulled over for speeding; the bottle later tested positive for cocaine. Officers also reported smelling unburnt cannabis in the vehicle, and Stephens handed them an open container of cannabis. He was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of cannabis by a driver, and cited for speeding.

Stephens is the brother of current Rosemont Mayor Bradley Stephens, whose spokesman confirmed the mayor is aware of the arrest, calling it a "personal matter" and wishing his brother well. Mark Stephens has long run Bomark Cleaning Service Corporation, which has held maintenance and parking contracts at Rosemont-owned venues, and has chaired Triton College's board since the early 1990s. The arrest follows recent friction between Bradley Stephens' village government and Triton College over taxing districts.