Marketing Woodstock

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“Thanks for visiting Woodstock,” the sign on the way to Crystal Lake says.

If I were a store in Woodstock, I’d want the city to point out that the sales tax is 75/100 of a percent cheaper in Woodstock than in Crystal Lake.

That’s why I sometimes go to the Walmart in Woodstock, rather than in Crystal Lake.

When I saw the South Elementary School janitor there one day, I asked him why he wasn’t shopping in Crystal Lake.

The reply was that the sales tax was cheaper in Woodstock.

That makes me wonder why Woodstock does not play up this difference in taxation.


Comments

Marketing Woodstock — 7 Comments

  1. Lower sales tax rate is dwarfed by higher property tax rate.

    Woodstock homeowners pay 4.6% of total home value (14% of EAV).

    Unless a homeowner spends $200,000 per year (mean home price) in local stores, Crystal Lake beats Woodstock in the tax category.

  2. Huh.

    If my math is correct, you’d need to buy $150 of cheap crap at the Woodstock Walmart to offset the cost of the gasoline you burned(assuming gas is $3/gal., and your vehicle gets 40mpg).

    This does not take the cost of vehicle operation into account- even at the volunteer rate of 14 cents/mile, you’d have to buy another $280 of cheap crap made in China on top of the other $150 of crap to honestly call it a break-even.

    And there’s the matter of pissing one’s life away in a car…

    Of course, given the state of the State’s finances, and given your long career in guiding the state’s finances, I am not at all surprised that you would be so willfully ignorant as to drive 15 miles to save 3/4 of one penny on the dollar.

  3. Sometimes just the act of protest is a statement, more than the actual savings.

    Vote with your feet.

    Seems principle is more deserving of respect that John Lovaas’ intermperate remarks.

  4. Recent expenditures of property taxpayer $$$ by Woodstock:

    1. $120,000 for Census study.

    2. ???$$$ for marketing campaign “Real Woodstock.com” (“RealhightaxesWoodstock.com”, no cost to taxpayers).

    3. $150,000 pledged to Woodstock D200 North High School to replace a functional grass sports field with artificial turf.

    4. Anticipated $7 million for Courthouse building; likely new TIF district or extension of old tif due to expire in a couple years—-rubber stamp 12 year extension available from friendly Springfield politicians.

    Meanwhile Woodstock homeowners pay 4.6% of total home value property taxes.

    This tax rate causes home values to fall every year.

  5. The Crystal Lake Walmart is a far piece from where I live in Lakewood.

  6. If you live in the north or west part of Crystal Lake it is faster and closer to Walmart Woodstock than Crystal Lake on Rt.31.

    So yes you would be saving money with your car because you wouldn’t be sitting in traffic.

    5 min from the Rt. 14/Rt.176 interchange and once Rt.14 gets done it will be even better.

    Even people in Huntley is faster and easier to go to Woodstock than trying to get over to Randall for Menards or Farm/Fleet.

    But as usual the herd follows.

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