John Reinert Urges Rejection of McHenry High School Tax Hike Referendum

A press release from McHenry County Board member John Reinert: Reinert: Alternatives to McHenry High School Board’s Tax Hike Proposal Unexplored CRYSTAL LAKE – McHenry County Board member John Reinert is urging voters in McHenry High School District 156 to … Continue reading

Three McHenry Township Vendors Help Finance Opponents’ Campaign to Thwart Consolidation of the Road District with the Rest of McHenry Township

“Follow the money.” That was the strategy of the Washington Post reporters in their Watergate investigation. A week ago I sent a Freedom of Information request to McHenry Township asking for payments since the beginning of 2017 to any of … Continue reading

Opposition to McHenry High School and McHenry City Tax Hike Bond Referendums Shows Up in Mailboxes

The committee to hike taxes in McHenry High School District 156 got $2,000 from each of the car dealers in McHenry, so they are rolling in cash. Until now, no opposition has reared its head except, McHenry County Board member … Continue reading

Reader Mark Offers Thoughts on McHenry High School Referendum Tax Hike Proposal

From McHenry County Blog reader Mark, who has return after too long an absence: One of the big problems in school district reorganizations is what to do about the pay of employees in the lower paid district, which in this … Continue reading

John Reinert: Shift McHenry High School Students to Crystal Lake to Avoid $44 Million Bond Issue

McHenry County Board John Reinert has researched how the McHenry High School Board could meet the needs of its students without voters approving the borrowing of $44 million. That is the amount of the bond issue on the November ballot … Continue reading

CL Library Architect Donates $8,000 to Library Yes Committee

Haven’t seen anything like this since the Woodstock School bond referendum committee received tens of thousands of dollars from the builder on the south side of town which went under in the housing recession. Architects Engberg Anderson wants to do the … Continue reading

CL Library Bond Issue Supporters Make Another Mailing

Here is the “closer” in the campaign to convince Crystal Lake voters to vote to increase their real estate tax bills by an average of $132 per year for the next twenty years. … Continue reading

CL Library “Vote Yes” Signs Appearing

People poo-pooed my suggestion a couple of years ago that the signs being passed out by the Crystal Lake Library were intended to support a property tax hike. But look what is popping up in the same yards as those … Continue reading

Local School Finances – How to Probe

Crack researcher Susan Handelsmann of rural Woodstock has put together a “how to” piece about figuring out what your school board has done with school finances. It is presented below for McHenry Grade School District 15, but can be adapted … Continue reading

County Seeking Million Dollar Savings in Debt Refinancing

The McHenry County Finance Committee received a proposal to refinance outstanding debt this week. BMO Harris representative Eric Anderson make the presentation. That bank will get the biggest payment for the deal. Refinancing these debt certificates is a lot like refinancing … Continue reading