Andersson Passes First Bill

A press release from State Rep. Steve Andersson:

Andersson Passes First Bill

Yesterday Representative Steve Andersson (R-Geneva) passed his first bill in the legislature.

As a freshman member in the 99th General Assembly, Representative Andersson was excited to reach this milestone.

The bill, House Bill 2744 (HB2744) promotes orderly growth between adjacent municipalities and lessens the risk that litigation will break out between municipalities over boundary lines.

By reducing conflicts at the local level, it will increase positive growth state-wide.

Steve Andersson

Steve Andersson

Andersson said,

“As development rebounds following the recession, more growth will naturally cause friction between communities.  This bill reduces misunderstandings and encourages the smart growth of our communities.”

With 113 voting yes for the bill, it passed in the House of Representatives.

Representative Andersson appreciates the support for this piece of legislation, and is grateful to start off his tenure in the General Assembly on such a positive note.

“It is inspiring to see this progress and have the opportunity to continue to make change that will positively impact our communities.”

Representative Andersson has other legislation in the works that will promote better government, improve the policies of local and state governments and work towards bringing Illinois back to its prime.  He looks forward to these bills moving in the House.


Comments

Andersson Passes First Bill — 12 Comments

  1. Does this have bearing on the Lakewood tif?

    Lakewood annexed property in an adjacent school district,

    This enables Lakewood taxpayers to escape financial responsibility for all costs of schooling tif district children.

  2. Meanwhile this A.M., a Texas Senate panel has a approved a Constitutional Amendment, expanding the Homestead Exemptions on School property Taxes.

    Would save Homeowners on average $395 and the total cut is $4.7 B.

    But nice job passing anti squabble leg., too add to all the other PC drivel, coming out of Springfield.

  3. Here is HB 2744.

    The change is one sentence.

    “For purposes of this Section, it shall not be considered a ‘conflict’ when a municipality that is a party to a jurisdictional boundary line agreement cedes property within its own jurisdiction to another
    municipality not a party to the same jurisdictional boundary line agreement.”

    http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=&SessionId=88&GA=99&DocTypeId=HB&DocNum=2744&GAID=13&LegID=88590&SpecSess=&Session=

    http://www.ilga.gov > Bills and Resolutions > House Bills 2701 – 2800 > HB2744 MUNI CD-BOUNDARY LINE CONTRACT.

    Synopsis As Introduced
    Amends the Municipal Code.
    Provides that it shall not be considered a “conflict” under this Section when a municipality that is a party to a jurisdictional boundary line agreement cedes property within its own jurisdiction to another municipality not a party to the same jurisdictional boundary line agreement.
    Effective immediately.

    The bill passed the House and is now off to the Senate.

    Regarding Lakewood comment, school district boundaries are completely separate from village/city/town boundaries.

    A village does not annex property from a school district.

    A village can annex unincorporated property.

  4. There has been a deafening silence on the topic from Woodstock D200 Board.

    The clock is ticking for time limitations to file a lawsuit.

    If D200 does not, it falls to affected citizens (taxpayers in D200).

    Redistricting is the obvious solution; let Lakewood citizens who pay taxes to Crystal Lake D47 and 155 include children from their tif into that school district and pay the freight.;
    Letters to laschermerhorn@co.mchenry.il.us (superintendent of schools) have gone unanswered.

    This is relevant to the topic at issue (municipal boundaries) because byzantine municipal tax law mechanisms enable shifting of expenses from one municipality onto an ‘outside’ group of taxpaying citizens.

    Citizens who are the victims of the ‘tax-liability dump’ are left without recourse, as they are not citizens of the municipality doing the dumping.

  5. Lakewood citizens might want to feel some urgency to address this inequity (created by the Lakewood tif).

    As it stands, Lakewood is getting a sweet contract deal from Woodstock Fire and Rescue District.

    When Woodstock citizens are made aware of the magnitude of tax-dollar-burden-shifted pain caused by the Lakewood tif, they may feel angry and exploited enough to re-examine ALL subsidies being supplied to Lakewood which are currently flying under the radar.

  6. What would be the legal grounds to redraw school boundaries as the result of a TIF.

    To tax shift problem needs to be better explained so the average person can understand how their property taxes are affected by TIFs.

    The Cook County Clerk does a much better job at explaining TIFs than the McHenry County Clerk.

  7. 1. Lakewood citizens currently send all students and pay all tax dollars to CL D155&D47.

    2. Lakewood tif will send all students to WOODSTOCK D200, and pay ZERO TAX DOLLARS to WoodstockD200.

    3.Lakewood tif will get 100% of all of Lakewood tif tax dollars.

    4. Woodstock D200 will get ZERO tax dollar benefit from Lakewood tif dollars.

    Is that clear?

  8. 1. Woodstock D200 taxpayers will pay the entire cost burden of children created by Lakewood tif.

    2. The phantom EAV created by Lakewood tif will create an additional $4.7 million borrowing ability to D200. This debt will be the sole financial burden of D200 taxpayers—NO CURRENT LAKEWOOD RESIDENT WILL BEAR A PENNY OF TAX RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIR TIF CHILDREN.

    3. Legal mechanisms to appeal for redistricting apparently do not exist for citizens in communities on whom such tax burdens are dumped.

    4. Woodstock D200 has $148 million of debt, has incurred debt of 6.5% of citizens’ home values (compared to less than 1% for D47&D155 combined). Woodstock D200 engages in extraordinary amounts of refinancing activity. There are 48 issues listed on the municipal bond website emma.msrb.org for Woodstock D200 (CUSIP 581158). Compare that to CL D47&D155, with maybe 12 between the two (and enrollment at each exceeds total enrollment of Woodstock D200).
    There is no indication that the Board is not willing to forego the legal obligation to challenge this tif’s eligibility, in order to protect their taxpaying citizens and parent of students, who are paying 2.72% of home value to D200. (This amount of tax disparity compared to everywhere else in America could go al long way toward a college education, so let’s not say ‘it’s for the kids’.)

    It is up to citizens to protect ourselves against the tax dump engendered by a tif from another municipality, in addition to trying to protect ourselves against a School Board and Superintendent inexplicably mute on the subject.
    Any legislative advice for US?

  9. Go Susan.

    Bashing Lakewood residents is really going to get them to listen to your drivel. Y

    ou should really understand contracts prior to commenting on them.

  10. School districts do not worry much about TIFs.

    If the Teachers want more money they just go on strike.

    Show me one teacher contract dispute (strike) that ended up NOT getting salary increases for teachers!!

    AND in Illinois, state arbitration is a sick joke.

    The unions always win.

  11. Which drivel?

    The school district drivel or the fire and rescue contract drivel?

    As to school district data, that is all taken from data on the Official Statement of the most recent bond issue on emma.msrb.org for CUSIP number 581158 (Woodstock D200).

    Bond issue official statements tend to be accurate because many millions of dollars are invested based upon this data.

    (However I must point out that D200 OSs have consistently overstated enrollment numbers when compared with ISBE data).

    Fire and Rescue contract with Lakewood is not a public document. Publish it, please, if you are able.

    What IS public information is the budget of WFRD.

    They are a marvelous organization and Lakewood is VERY lucky to be able to have their services.

    The WFRD budget shows Lakewood paid $810,000 on contract for services last available data (2014-2015).

    Is $810,000 the right dollar amount for what Lakewood is receiving?

    How to analyze this might start with looking at a ratio of against the contract fee.

    That is, what portion of EAV are Woodstock taxpayers taxed, vs. what portion of EAV are Lakewood taxpayers taxed to pay $810,000 for fire and rescue services?

    (I have calculated this but do not wish to be baited by ad hominem attacks. You show me your data, I’ll show you mine.)

    Then look at what the formation of Lakewood tif will cause WFRD to be obligated to :

    new equipment? (if tif develops a multistory building which requires expensive hook-and-ladder equipment, only WFRD obligated taxpayers will be legally obligated to fund such purchases)

    new hires? (only Woodstock taxpayers will be obligated for those future salaries and pension obligations)

    new liability? ( when you propose a sports facility–thousands of young people playing contact sports with high statistical likelihood of brain trauma– without 15 minute access to level one trauma center, who will bear the civil liability…taxpayers obligated for all WFRD debt, or a contractual municipality which can fend off blame onto the contracted service providers?).

    Does the contract address all this liability and responsibility for an area of build out with undefined parameters?

    When the contract becomes public, we can analyze this question.

    So are you worried that unless Woodstock D200 taxpayers and WFRD taxpayers fail to silently pay the extra subsidization of Lakewood tif build out…they won’t like us?

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