Trendy clothing stores, family-run restaurants, photography and dance studios — those are just a sampling of the dozens of companies the Aurora City Council has awarded taxpayer-funded business grants to in recent months.
Both grants are part of city programs to fund companies’ capital improvements or aid businesses suffering lingering effects from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to city documents. Property records show they are married and they regularly appear on one another’s social media, including one shot of the couple where commenters wished them a happy anniversary.
At last week’s council meeting, Irvin and several aldermen recused themselves from voting on the grants and left the room while their colleagues approved the payouts. Aurora resident and Irvin critic Aly Brown has been digging into city council deals as part of her newsletter, Uncover Aurora. She calls the grant to Ayala-Clarke “a bolder step … usually it’s more undercover.” But she says it fits a pattern of many people and businesses that get TIFs, grants, loans and other incentives from the city.
Other states and municipalities have stricter guardrails around campaign donations. In Chicago, people who have or pursue business with the city and its sister agencies can only give $1,500 per year to candidates. The federal government and nearly two dozen states prohibit corporations from donating directly to political funds, including Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa and Missouri., from people and companies that benefited from favorable legislation and millions in city contracts and incentives.