From McHenry County Board member Chuck Wheeler:
Chuck Wheeler on McHenry Referendum Questions
First the City of McHenry placed a referendum on the November ballot to fund a $30 million water park and rec center.
Chuck Wheeler
As if that’s not enough, now School District 156 is following up with a $44M request.
While they acknowledge decreasing enrollments, they want to keep both high schools open rather than accept realities!
What is going on with our taxing bodies?
Don’t they realize people are leaving Illinois in droves due to increasing property taxes?
What good does it do for the County to take serious measures to lower property taxes when the City and School Districts just want to take it all back?
Listed below are the Referendum Questions you’ll see on the ballot November 6:
CITY OF McHENRY
Shall the City of McHenry, McHenry County, Illinois, build an addition to the McHenry Recreation Center that will include an indoor pool, a gymnasium and an outdoor family aquatic park and issue its bonds, in an amount not to exceed $30,000,000, to construct these improvements? Annually, for twenty years, the increase to the City of McHenry’s portion of a property tax bill would not exceed $1.08 per $1,000 of the “fair cash value” of the taxable property, according to the records of the McHenry County Treasurer.
___ Yes X No
McHenry West High School picketers in 2015.
COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT NUMBER 156, McHENRY AND LAKE COUNTIES, IL
Shall the Board of Education of McHenry Community High School District Number 156, McHenry and Lake Counties, Illinois, build and equip additions to, alter, repair, equip and improve the sites of the McHenry West High School Campus and the McHenry East High School Campus, including, without limitation: improving student safety, security and learning environments; constructing infrastructure improvements including roofs, ventilation, environmental units, doors, plumbing, electrical improvements, parking lots, walkways and other ADA compliance improvements at both campuses; constructing a Science, Technology and Industry Center at West Campus; expanding West Campus to add classrooms to replace 26- year-old mobile classrooms and to accommodate additional students; and renovating East Campus classrooms; and issue bonds of said School District to the amount of $44,000,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?
__ Yes X No
Teachers picket at McHenry East High School in 2015.
“Taxpayers Lives Matter. So, in NOvember, please VOTE NO to increased property tax referendums!”
Also, if you are fed up with this tax and spend mentality of your local governments, I also urge you to seriously consider running for one of the open seats in these jurisdictions.
Only you can change the direction things are headed.
If both measures are defeated, with the Counties reduction of your property taxes, you might actually see your taxes go down several hundred dollars from last year.
On NOvember 6th Vote No to the $30 Million Referendum to increase property taxes for the Rec Center.
On NOvember 6th Vote No to School District 156 $44 Million Referendum to refinance its’ disappearing debt.
Charles “Chuck” Wheeler
County Board Member Dist. 4
City of McHenry Resident
Where’s Althoff??????
Asleep at the switch again?
ANY governmental body asking for a raise in taxes is so out of touch with reality that they should be run out of office.
Good Lord, why not give the folks a break and reduce your levy???
Thanks Chuck, I’m with you and you will have my vote for County Board also.
Declining enrollment at one school, rising enrollment at the other.
Developers are wanting to start building in McHenry, so that will in turn bring more families to McHenry.
Mayor Jett has been doing an awesome job at spurring economic development in the city.
Seems like people maybe leaving Illinois in droves but McHenry is on the rebound despite property taxes being obscenely high.
TIF is free money giveaway to developers, taken from taxpayers by law and handed out at the sole discretion of city officials like mayors.
“Spurring economic development’ by goiing free money to developers at the expense of existing taxpayers who are now paying obscenely high tax rates,
and which tax rates will ALWAYS increase under TIF conditions, does not seem to be something any Mayor should be proud of.
Reducing impact fees several thousand dollars is not gonna be missed in a budget of $55 million in D15 for example.
Filling up empty lots also will bring more money into area both in taxes and the frequenting of businesses.
Can you point me in direction of the source I can read where Mayor Jett has expanded the TIF districts in McHenry?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-mcqueary-exodus-taxes-illinois-20180904-story.html