DeKALB – No Walmart. No Target. No preservation of historical sites such as the Sycamore train depot and DeKalb’s Egyptian Theatre.

Government officials throughout DeKalb County say that would be the reality without the use of tax increment financing districts.

In 2012, more than $9.2 million in tax revenue was generated by TIF districts around DeKalb County, accounting for about 5 percent of the total tax dollars collected. That number is expected to grow next year with new districts starting in Cortland and Maple Park this month and two more possibly coming to DeKalb.