It is really difficult to get people interested in their property tax bills beyond the “Holy Cow!” (or something stronger) when they arrive.
The local Republican Party in the southeastern part of McHenry County, however, is giving it a try tonight, Algonquin Township Republican Party Chairman Demetri Tsilimigras said.
The meeting, featuring Steve Willson, who has successfully managed two McHenry County College Board campaigns, as well as having served as a Republican Township Trustee in what he calls the “People’s Republic of Oak Park” will explain the following:
Steve Willson
“We will show them what questions to ask, where to find independent information, how to understand a budget, and the basics of municipal borrowing.
“With these basics, they can continue to learn on their own.
“My goal is to create skeptics.
“Skeptics are people who are willing to be convinced, but who demand objective proof.”
“This is a chance for anyone interested in better serving the public to learn how to be an effective elected official, to get the ‘Unofficial Guide’ instead of the ‘Official Guide’ normally served up by government administrators and the State Board of Elections.”
Demetri Tsilmigras
“We welcome new elected officials, veteran elected officials, and people thinking of seeking public office on any local city council, school board, park board, library board — any local government,” Tsilimigras said.
“In fact, every voter is welcome,”
Tsilimigras will also tell how to operate under Robert’s Rule of Order.
The meeting will be held at McHenry County Republican Headquarters at 16E in the Crystal Lake Plaza.
Doors open at 6; the program starts promptly at 6:30 and will end at 9.
Keeping the tax bill from growing is one thing. but cutting taxes means cutting services. Good luck with that. People often talk cutting others services, but when it comes to their own services, not so much.
People are going to miss the Stanley Cup final for a tax meeting???
I don’t think so!
We can start by cutting all PACE services in the County.
Vouchers for UBER and LYFT would suffice quite nicely.
Those vouchers should be administered by Townships who do filter out illegal aliens while the County Housing Authority does not appear to.
I see handicapped equipment paid for with tax dollars sitting idle every day on Hwy. 47 in Woodstock.
NISRA has its own bus(es?).
Cut the police force for MCCD.
Start verifying legal residency for food banks, SNAP etc.
Remove all payments to public sector employees for car allowances – this includes the elected.
Eliminate healthcare payments for ELECTED officials.
Quit wasting taxpayer dollars on the plethora of committees at the County.
Some elected officials claim that there is no cost for these committees and task forces but I fail to find where public sector employees are NOT being paid to attend the meetings or do the clerical work for the committees / task forces.
The County lists over FORTY committees / task forces.
https://www.co.mchenry.il.us/county-government/departments-
a-i/county-board/county-board-appointments#apptsList
End the policy of allowing Public Sector employees from the BANKING of vacation days.
Vacation days are given for R and R, not to increase an employee’s annual payroll.
End the practice of providing retirement plans to any elected official.
Elected office is supposed to be to SERVE the people; it was not meant to be a career path!!!
Con on, all good ideas, but what services you personally receive are you willing to give up?
Nob, I fundamentally disagree with your point that cutting taxes necessarily means cutting services.
Consider the school districts in McHenry County. Total expenditures per pupil in FY2013 ranged from $9,000 to almost $17,000 in round numbers. Yet the outcomes, especially when adjusted for demographics (e.g., percent of low income students) are statistically indistinguishable.
Or consider the local libraries. Crystal Lake Library spends twice as much per book circulated as other libraries in the area. And they want to spend $700 per square foot to build a big new library.
Or consider the Conservation District that has EIGHT TIMES the land it should have to meet the nationally recognized standard for open space.
Do you really think local governments couldn’t find ways to save money without the taxpayer even noticing the difference in service levels?
Nob: All of them with one exception: Immigration law enforcement including Border Security plus protection from foreign invaders.
You?
Steve I agree with you almost all the time, but lowering taxes isn’t realistic.
We can stop raising them like they have in the past though.
I’d like to change the system from property taxes to all income taxes even the local govs.
Schools in Mich tried that but got the numbers wrong and just went back to same old same old.
I’m a fiscally responsible progressive, and want all my gov agencies with balanced budgets with no borrowing, even short term with out a 2/3 voter approval.
Con on, you use those service’s?
Why do I think not?
I’d give up having my street plowed so often, brush removal, and a few others locally as that is paid for by property taxes which is the issue not income tax paid services.
Nob, I think you and I are in substantial agreement.
I doubt we can really cut taxes significantly.
Even where one school district spends 80% more per student than another district, they have contracts they aren’t going to be able to break.
But I think we can cut taxes moderately if we examine all the areas governments spend, both for necessity and efficiency.
And I think it is realistic to put into place a “Proposition Two and a Half”, like Massachusetts passed back in 1980. All the governments howled Prop 2½ would destroy the state. (Cue Helen Lovejoy: “Please, won’t SOMEONE think of the CHILDREN!”)
In fact, there were no disasters.
Steve Reick pushed this idea in his campaign.
He has done a huge amount of research on the subject.
Nob: I have no brush removal.
I can (and have in other places) existed quite well without taxpayer supported snow removal.
Name one service I cannot exist without.
Some Townships have in fact reduced their incomes from property tax.
Why can’t others?
Why do we continue to levy a tax for Valley Hi when most state they do not need it?
We can find reasonable cuts and in many cases actually cut taxes.
Outsourcing, zero based budgeting, and in some cases cutting unnecessary or wasteful services adds up.
If you can’t cut them, at least freeze them until it’s painfull to provide core services.
Inflation is real, but somehow the free market keeps making consumer products cheaper and better.
Not trying to do more with less is a cop-out.
Con on, I don’t know where you live, but most people can’t live without snow removal even if it was done like it was in the 60s.
In fact most people today think if it’s white and they can’t drive 10 over the limit, the snow plow dudes aren’t doing their job.
To many hands out asking for the world from gov, that’s the real problem don’t ya know.
Of course you do you listed some of those above. Water, and even if you have a well the gov was involved with your well.
Electricity goes threw gov ROW and they regulate the cost also, when installed the health dept, and the quality of it in the future also.
Hand pump it do you?
LOL Of course if you live in town you pay extra for the water.
Septic or city sewer the gov always regulates and of course we have to pay for one way or the other.
Personally I’m more into trying to regulate the amount of tax money we give them to spend and stopping any borrowing without our 2/3 vote.
How about bike paths???
We need some government, how much will be debated till the end of the earth.
As tax payers we must take away some of the power/decision making away from our elected officials, spending and setting tax rates.
These two issues were a problem that were never addressed properly when the Constitution was written, but should have been, but the partisan nonsense started already way back then of over spending and borrowing to buy votes.
Spending must always match actual revenue available at the time, ie what we are willing to give in the form of taxation.
Borrowing should only be allowed for World Wars, not police actions like we’ve had since 1945.
Even weather disasters should be budgeted for, they’re regular enough, and we should be able to budget for them to some degree.
Individual Income tax rates and Property tax rates should not be roller coasters of ever changing rates that just leads to insecurity for the tax payer not knowing what is coming next from the elected to buy votes.
The class warfare thing must be put in the grave; it’s just dividing the country more and could lead to more and more divisive actions in the future.
We all need skin in the game, and it should be equal skin.
I would propose we force our elected by Petition, which is allowed in the constitution, to enact a Balanced Budget Amendment that has the income tax rate and/or property tax rate control tied to it.
The Congress, State, and Local gov agencies will only be allowed to adjust the income or property tax rates after a 2/3 approval vote within its legal boundary, ¾ vote would be better.
Our choice with a strong majority vote behind changes, not the Pacs controlling the partisan as the wind blows hacks.
I’d prefer a Flat income tax with no deductions at least till we start paying off the debt in a manner that has a time limit attached to it.
Gov agencies that use Property taxes should have no levy power, whatever the home value up or down; the rate we voted on determines what is paid in taxes.
Not enough as most elected seem to keep saying, then come to us with your yearly recommendations and let us vote 2/3 for any change from the year before.
No more passing on our debt to future generations should be allowed.
We borrow almost 40% for the Fed Gov now that must stop ASAP.
To not propel the economy into the dumpster any farther, we should demand freezing the spending at the 2014 rates or a small cost of living, every year till spending is lower than actual revenue.
We can budget a pay back of the added debt which will be pushing 20T by then.
Yawn.
I listening for other suggestions, got one?
Here is an example of balancing the Fed budget:
http://www.usgovernmentrevenue.com/ All numbers in Billions
Year Revenue Spending
2014 $3021.5 $3504 actual
2015 $3176.1 $3574 est Gov revenue with a 2% cost of living to spending
2016 $3525.2 $3646 est Gov revenue with a 2% cost of living to spending
2017 $3755 $3718 est Gov revenue with a 2% cost of living to spending
If Gov numbers are correct on revenue guessing, and no changes to taxation, with realistic cost of living increases, the Fed budget can be balanced by 2018.
Of course Gov guessing on revenue side has always be optimistic historically and both sides of the isle keep messing with tax rates and deductions to get reelected.
Illinois’ Squishy Balanced Budget Requirement It would appear that Illinois’ budget is required to be balanced.
The Illinois Constitution states that “Proposed expenditures shall not exceed funds estimated to be available for the fiscal year shown in the budget” (emphasis added).33
However, Illinois’ balanced budget requirement has some serious limitations.
First, it refers to anticipated revenues, and there is no requirement that the state adjust its spending if the anticipated revenues are not realized.
There is nothing to stop a governor or General Assembly from using an unrealistically high estimate when crafting the budget.
This is well known and has been acknowledged by political leaders.34, 35
In addition, Reports of the State Budget Crisis Task Force Illinois Report 18 “funds available” can include existing fund balances, even if these are intended to meet future obligations; and borrowing, even to pay operating expenses. Illinois’ balanced budget requirement is also a cash concept, referring only to the current fiscal year.
This means that the balanced budget requirement does not refer to future pension liabilities or unpaid bills from the previous year. Each fiscal year from 2009 to 2012 ended with a larger stack of unpaid bills — $8 billion at the end of fiscal year 2012 — and each year these bills were ignored when projecting balance for the next year’s budget.
Rauner should have legislation to change the IL Const to read: “Proposed expenditures shall not exceed the previous year’s funds for the fiscal year shown in the present year’s budget”
If Brucy, Jack, Dave, Pam or any other IL politican doesn’t work in that direction they are no better than the other political hacks that came before him.
Nob, we’ve got to get you to run for office.
Why don’t you come to the meeting tonight and introduce yourself?
Where is this place?
By Helzberg Diamond s?
“We can budget a pay back of the added debt which will be pushing 20T by then. Yawn.
I listening for other suggestions, got one?”
Payback of debt?? It is mechanically not possible.
I am no economist, but I think it is naive to speak of paying back the debt.
From my reading on the topic, that debt is never meant to be paid, not with today’s dollars anyhow.
There will have to be some inflation.
That is the only way the system can work.
There has always been a big conflict in Washington between voters and their representatives on one side, and the wealth holders of this country on the other side.
Over the years, this conflict has been managed by the Federal Reserve.
When interest rates are down, the voters and their politicians borrow on the cheap.
This occurs during wars, crises, etc.
After all, the financiers don’t know what to do with all their money other than lend it to someone at interest.
Conversely, when the Fed raises rates, it is payday for wealth holders.
The Fed has historically brought interest rates up after every war and after every crisis in order to restore capital to wealth holders.
That is of course called “deflation.”
Deflation is of course bad for the “productive” part of the economy, bad for the farmers, bad for manufacturers of all sorts.
But deflation is great for wealthy bond holders because it makes each of their dollars go a longer way.
This is the real problem with Washington: Congress makes promises it cannot keep because it can’t/won’t raise taxes.
The Fed however has a way of making everybody pay by raising interest rates.
Think 1982, if you were alive and remember that time.
What is am saying is this: The US Congress long ago abdicated from the constitutional responsibility of minting money and keeping the currency stable.
They transferred that business to the Federal Reserve.
The Federal Reserve now is the only group of grown-ups in Washington.
The US Congress is no longer a serious institution.
I do not think I exaggerate when I say that the typical politician is scum who will say and do anything to get elected.
The voters can only blame themselves.
Voters are gullible and easily manipulated by single issue politicking, whether it is abortion, taxation, guns, whatever.
There is no hope.
Brush pick up?
Seriously?
Our tax dollars go to brush pick up?
Payback of debt??
It is mechanically not possible.
I am no economist, but I think it is naive to speak of paying back the debt.
From my reading on the topic, that debt is never meant to be paid, not with today’s dollars anyhow.
Of the 237 years of The United States of America , how many of those years did America live within its budget ?// 79 years, Kennedy to now, nada.
If you look at the dates you will see that the founders did believe in paying off the debt.
Years the debt decreased:
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt.htm
1794, 1797, 1799, 1802, 1803, 1805, 1806, 1807, 1808, 1809, 1810, 1811, 1812, 1817, 1818, 1819, 1820, 1821, 1823, 1824, 1825, 1826, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832, 1833, 1834, Jan 1, 1835 zero debt, 1840, 1844, 1845, 1846, 1852, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1867, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1875, 1876, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1886, 1887, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1893, 1898, 1906, 1914, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1947, 1951, 1956, 1957.
1835 no debt, no we came pay off the debt and the country will survive.
We simply need to control spending threw control of taxation but mostly borrowing that they us to buy votes to get reelected.
Keep making it easier for them by complicating something that is rather simple.
Yes our tax dollars go to brush pickup.
Cary for instance started after the Microburst that hit there.
They expanded the program to once a month, and many other local gov agencies do it at least twice a year or on demand.
Partly brush collection was a gov response to no burning leaf and yard waste ordinances passed by the same gov agencies.
After abuse by a number of residents, hiring contractors to cut down trees in there back yard then dragging them out to the curb for the village to pickup, CPW got a limit put on brush pickup to piles the size of a pickup truck bed, about 4x4x8 feet, That help cut down on man hours and a Special Pickup program was started if the resident wanted to put out large amounts.
The resident would have to agree to pay the village at a rate of $200 per hour which with billing paid the village cost.
Cary just stopped the monthly pickup in favor of the Garbage contractor picking the brush up.
Either way the tax payers pay.
Action reaction, that’s why the Fed and states have such big debts.
Nob, nothing is simple. If you think this particular subject is simple, then I do not know what is complicated.
The issue of US debt is very emotional, but for the wrong reasons. US debt is not the problem. US debt is the symptom.
Let me explain:
The US economy needs a certain amount of currency in order to keep trade moving.
If there is excess money, that is called inflation.
If there is a shortage of money relative to the value of goods, commodities, etc., that is called deflation.
So far so good.
You can think of it as oil in an engine.
It has to be a certain amount, it cannot be flooded with oil, it cannot run without oil.
Of course, a bigger engine, has to have more oil in it than a smaller engine.
Now back to the money: the amount of money in the US economy is not determined at a single point.
For instance, many private banks create dollars out of thin air every day when they give out loans.
Your local credit union banker creates millions of fiat dollars each month through the miracle of “fractional banking”.
That’s how the system has worked for centuries.
This can cause inflation when bankers misjudge the potential of the borrowers to pay back debt.
Therefore, if there is excess money in the economy, in order to minimize inflation, your US government institutions, namely the IRS and the Fed take that excess money out of circulation by the methods available to them respectively:
1. Taxation
2. Purchasing of treasuries, in other words excess money goes into the US debt balance.
Taxation is anathema.
What we are left with then, gentlemen, is debt.
Those excess dollars have to go somewhere.
So yes, this stuff is complicated.
If you think this stuff is simply a matter of “controlling taxation,” you are perfect prey for demagogues.
Again an example from recent US history:
When Reagan cut taxes, the Fed increased interest rates above 20%. Is that interest rate not a form of taxation?
Here’s what’s going on in US economy now in my view:
1. Poor trade policy results in excess dollars in China, multinational corporations, and many private hands (anywhere but main street USA)
2. US Government then takes those dollars out of circulation by selling debt paper to the Chinese and others (US debt increases because taxation is not an option)
3. That keeps the amount of money in circulation stable (so inflation is stable)
4. Stable inflation makes wealth holders happy
5. Wealth holders open more factories in China (back to 1 again)
6. Wealth holders put the money in treasuries (even more debt)
7. You and I together cry over the US debt for no good reason
Here’s the cure to the US debt:
Tax some of that idle wealth and fix trade policy.
Thank you Steve and Demetri for hosting this very informative training.
Was ribbing Paul Serwatka for not being there but he got hung up at a Grafton Township meeting speaking in front of 60+ angry residents from the 66th Dist.
Sometimes I sure wish I could be in two places at once!
name less, you are correct that our country does suffer from poor trade deals.
NAFTA and the recent deal with South Korea are disasters for the US economy.
Both don’t level the playing field for American workers to compete and cause more out sourcing.
The leaked TPP seems to be not much better, and what troubles me about that deal is the BO admin seems to be promising out our military to protect foreign workers production against growing Chinese expansionism in that region.
It’s bad enough some, want us to increase DOD spending to fight ISIS, now we may have to increase our military in the Pacific rim?
I don’t disagree with what you are saying, my point is deficit spending at this time is all about politicians from both sides of the isle borrowing to buy votes to stay in power, not so much to help our economy.
I want to take that borrowing away from them unless they ask us if it is OK.
Big Problem is the seemingly constant changing of tax rates, people generally hate uncertainty, especially in their $$$$$ flow.
You lefty’s and Righty’s need to stop with the changing nonsense, get a flat rate with no deductions and leave it alone.
We need to take changing property tax rates away from the politicians also.
Rates shouldn’t change without 2/3 voter approval, not as the wind blows nonsense we have now.
No matter the revenue, spending must not exceed it.
Over spending and debt accumulation adds to the uncertainty just as much as changing tax rates.
Oh, Ronny Reagan was not my hero.
Ya he lowered taxes, then he raised taxes, a roller coaster.
Worst part was he was part of some of the worst borrowing in a non world war economy.
Ronny justified W and BO’s over spending, both of which have a very negative effect on us all in case you haven’t noticed.
Raise the debt limit, ya that constant political battle is good for the mentality of the country, sure, right.
Most of this is kind of off track from dealing with local politics of course.
What I have suggested in my rant is not about cutting spending or taxes, it’s about giving voters some control over the whole dealy which we really don’t have now and never did since the country was started.
The flaw in the “Inflate Away The Debt” argument is that there ARE parties without legal recourse to escape liability.
Clever money managers in the past 8 years (municipal and school finance managers among them) have found loopholes to shift “RISK” to “others”, and keep “REWARD” for themselves.
This has naturally ballooned debt as a function of artificially altered chances of succeeding in a non-fixed risk scenario: think of free lottery tickets being given away: the odds of winning would drop.
So social engineering has created an environment of refusal to risk personal capital (because “public” capital is being given away, and competitors are forced to capitulate or withdraw).
All along the spectrum (Argentina to Zimbabwe)this strategy of inflating away debt has been employed.
Until recently, US has been too prosperous to employ this tactic.
Isn’t it troubling that this tactic seems to be the only remaining strategy available for survival?
Watchdog a taxing district and try to organize.
All of you who have commented seem to have studied and reviewed various segments of this issue in great detail.
Seems simple to me.
The economy in the State of Illinois and McHenry county has been declining in strength since 2008.
Yet taxes have increased throughout those years, with government entities seemly ignoring the condition of the county tax payers.
Business’s have had to cut budgets and employees throughout the economic downturn.
Government seems to want to “maintain” it’s position no matter what.
Voter apathy has led to no visible government leaders even on a local basis.
Your middle class have been squeezed as far as they can go.
Poor job climate, unemployed and under employed can’t maintain the tax burden.
Only answer I see, and I am in the process of implementing is leaving Illinois.
I am going to a State that has fiscally responsible leaders.
Bye