A Friend of McHenry County Blog took the time compare the amount of taxes that park districts levied in McHenry County last year to the bill this year.

The tax heading refers to Fiscal Years, which are one year behind. So the amounts under “2019 TAXES” refer to taxes owed this year. And the comparisons indicate the difference between this year {’19) and the year before or ten years before.

The Marengo Park District, which has a debt load that it cannot support with reasonable taxes, saw its tax levy leap 29%.

Most reasonable concerning tax hikes was the Crystal Lake Park District with a 1.53% increase.

Excluding new growth, the maximum tax hike for park districts and other non-Home Rule governments under the Property Tax Cap (PTELL, for technocrats) allows was 2.3%.

It appears that the Cary and Huntley Park Districts took as much as the law allowed.

As did Barrington Hills, although the overlapping tax district equalization law I passed in 1973 can result in some wild swings year to year. Barrington Hills is in four counties.