There are three tax hike referendums on the ballot:
- Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District
- Crystal Lake Library Bond Issue
- Village of Greenwood
Two of three are behind at this point.
The Algonquin-LITH Fire Protection District:
| Choice | Votes | Percent | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YES | 3,796 | 52.84% | ||
| NO | 3,388 | 47.16% | ||
| Total | 7,184 |
Crystal Lake Library Bond Issue:
| YES | 3,221 | 45.94% | ||
| NO | 3,791 | 54.06% | ||
| Total | 7,012 |
Village of Greenwood Tax Hike:
| YES | 7 | 16.28% | ||
| NO | 36 | 83.72% | ||
| Total | 43 |
The Algonquin – Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District tax hike is ahead.
The Crystal Lake Library Bond Referendum is behind.
The Village of Greenwood Tax hike is way behind.
The blog said the Crystal Lake Bond referendum was advisory, but the County and State Board of Elections websites did not indicate it was advisory.
There is no excuse for the Village of Crystal Lake and the Library to not be more clear about the proposed debt service schedule and proposed annual tax hikes for the duration of the bonds.
Annual bond debt service payments are often not the same amount every year.
They often increase in a ladder fashion.
It’s all over the map.
The only way one knows the annual debt service schedule, is if it explicitly presented, and it wasn’t.
And just that is of little use unless the existing bond debt service schedule is not also presented (assuming there is an existing bond debt service schedule).
And then the build vs remodel options should be presented.
And a summary of the proposed costs, and detailed cost estimates, should also be presented.
The taxpayer should have more information than they are being provided.
Typo.
And just that is of little use unless the existing bond debt service schedule is also presented (assuming there is an existing bond debt service schedule).
On the bright side, the Crystal Lake Library just posted on its Facebook page that “Without a Yes majority, the City Council will not issue the bonds for a new Library building.”