The following letter to the Northwest Herald was published today and is reprinted with the permission of its author Jamie Grubich of McHenry:
Township efficiency argument fizzles when taxes keep rising
If you were told by elected officials that they were the most efficient and effective form of government doing more for less every day, yet your tax bill went up every year, year after year, when would you think that just maybe, possibly, that you might be getting smoke blown up your bottom?
Those same elected officials wouldn’t think of trying to consolidate with other government units because there was no possible way that costs for the tax payer could be further reduced, after all, these government units are the model of efficiency and all of the leaders must hold their knowledge of efficiency and cost savings abilities close to their vest preserving their own future over that of the lowly taxpayer.
Funny though, they all work in a state that is bankrupt but can’t go into default and bankruptcy protection yet because the laws don’t allow.
There is for the first time ever, a willingness in Springfield from the governor on down, to admit that the state is in real trouble.
Voters in McHenry County are being given the opportunity to vote to consolidate the redundant and antiquated form of township government into the county.
People in McHenry County are really hurting with the excessively high taxes and rapidly declining property values.
The federal tax laws for deductions on income tax help almost no one because of the high property taxes and the burden is so high because of the huge costs associated with about 7,000 units of government in Illinois, 2,822 of them being township government units and highway departments associated with them.
When the Governor of Illinois gives you the ability to consolidate units of government for guaranteed tax savings, you vote to consolidate.
Some people in McHenry County said no one would apply for the Valley Hi rebate being offered to tax payers.
Wrong.
Over 47,000 residents applied for the rebate splitting $15 million that they were previously over taxed on.
All Illinois taxpayers should join the government consolidation movement to preserve what’s left of Illinois.
Vote to consolidate McHenry Township during the March 2020 election.
Finally somebody who makes sense.
The township pigs are trying to tell people that bigger government costs less.
Absurd.
Just think of all the fat pensions that will be stopped.
And all the Milleresque-nepotism and corruption.
I don’t post much any more, but I must say these townships are criminal rackets.
We do not need the tax burden imposed on us by these gold bricks.
Read this if you will: http://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/May-2019/Lets-Get-Rid-of-All-the-Townships/
Excerpt —
In a report titled “Why Townships Don’t Add Up,” the Better Government Association concluded that townships are wasteful and redundant:
There’s already a county assessor, so why have separate township assessors or assistant assessors? Roads get plowed and maintained by overlapping municipalities or the state, so why do the township road crews do it too? And general aid and assistance to the poor is handled by a plethora of government-supported human services agencies, so what exclusive support role do townships perform?
In 2013, Evanston Township voted itself out of existence — the first Illinois township to do so since 1932. Since the township’s borders were coterminous with the city, and the aldermen also served as the board of supervisors, nobody misses it. In fact, absorbing the township’s functions into the city saved property owners $250,000. (The high school, however, kept its Evanston Township name.)
We need townships like we need a Caronavirus plague.
Biggest rip-off in the County.
More blah blah blah more psychobabble.
McHenry Township returns the most return on your property tax bill than anything else, by a wide margin.
Is this a sour grapes deal?
http://www.ptab.illinois.gov/web/Decisions/2016/2016-05197.pdf
Sour grapes???
No, only a taxpayer probably fed up with the inept work done by the township assessor.
Now is the time to make that change!
We have the chance.
Let’s not blow it!
Vote YES to consolidate in the March primary.
Illinois has more taxing bodies than any other state.
Way more than the next state, Penna.
Townships are part of the problem.
The Pension problem crushing us.
That’s why the property taxes are hurting us and killing home sales.
Vote Yes to toss out a bunch of taxing jerks
3 things you’ll never see:
1) Bernie denouncing Communism.
2) Gov. Pritzker passing up a ‘fourths’ at a smorgasbord.
3) Jimmy Condon, McH township hywy commissioner actually doing his job.
Paul Revere/aka Jim Condon, it never fails to amaze how the previous two road commissioners functioned without any particular talent for the job but now we pay you an outrageous salary because you have an engineering degree.
With all your “knowledge” why aren’t you in the real world where you could earn more?
Oh, the answer is you have any easy job and are overpaid…
why would you go out and face competition?
Your “talent” would not stand up in the marketplace..
Jimmy ‘the Sneak’ Condon: you fired Leon Van Every’s second in command when you landed your township gig.
Why????????
He’s sharing his records with the authorities.
Quite an investigation.
‘Odd man out, I don’t have gout’.
Jimmy, get the ‘acorn’
No more KFC gift cards, please!
Fried Chicken Yum , Taxpayers can cry all they want, nothing will be changed.
I don’t get these inside baseball posts.
But I do get how townships are a big rip-off.
Why did the township board in Nunda vote for the township elimination referenda to become effect in 15 years after they get their pensions?
Why did township employees get the referendum put on the March primary?
Because they thought a big Republican turnout in the presidential election next November would be more likely to get rid of this parasitic layer of gov’t.
I live in Greenwood Township.
Our Road Commissioner Goad never bothers to show up at the Township.
His paychecks are electronically deposited.
He has a crew of 10, but only 19 miles of road to take care of.
Who amongst you can show me the cost savings?
An audited study by a reputable firm?
Also, I have never met Jim Condon.
Where is the cost analysis McH twh commissioned, it was suppose to be done before the election?
Greenwood twh has 43 miles of roads according to this website, and their site says 90 lane miles.
Lets discuss numbers related to costs, historically the bigger the gov agencies the higher the actual costs.
1432 township in IL, the Letter writer has issues when it comes to factual info.
I have asked for the study, which I understnad was supposed to be delilvered Friday.
Beamer— where do you come up with the 19 miles of roads total that you say Greenwood Road maintains?
Is the website incorrect?
https://greenwoodtownship.net/highway-department
One thing’s for sure, the taxpayers are guaranteed a 10% tax cut when trhey consolidate the township to the county.
All these crooked fiefdoms will be wiped out.
Perplexed must be a township ’employee’!
10% cut on your township portion of your tax bill.
Not your total tax bill.
That’s only for the first year no limit after that.
How could the township portion of your tax bill go up when the township levies have been reduced or flat for years?
Jamie aka Bobs puppet lives on the golf course in McHenry in a 7 bathroom house and pays to much in taxes!
Hahaha who needs 7 bathrooms?
She is just like Bob upset their mansions are taxed for what they actually are.
Condons salary is the same as his predecessors maybe with a small increase but within 2-3%.
All of these lies and fake numbers thrown out by all of Bobs cronies what a joke.
I’m going to vote to consolidate.
It will save 10% off my outrageous tax bill.