McHenry County Blog

Here’s a shot of Crystal Lake Firemen lined up in front of City Hall at the 9-11 ceremony conducted there:

Crystal Lake Firemen lined up in front of City Hall about noon.

Crystal Lake City Hall

State Rep. Pam Althoff and State Rep. Mike Tryon are holding a series of events.

Two will be town hall meetings held in Crystal Lake and Huntley.

Specifically aimed at seniors are ones concerning fraud prevention.

September 19, 2010
Representative Mike Tryon and Senator Pamela Althoff
to Host Town Hall Meetings and
Senior Fraud Prevention Seminars

Huntley Village Hall

Interested resident can learn about recent and upcoming legislation in the Illinois General Assembly and who also want to share their views on current political issues are invited to attend an upcoming Town Hall meeting hosted by State Representative Michael Tryon and Senator Pamela Althoff.

At the meetings the lawmakers will be on hand to discuss the challenges facing local residents and the State of Illinois, and a question and answer period will follow.

Residents may choose to attend one or both of the following Town Hall meetings:

• Tuesday, September 28, Crystal Lake City Hall, 100 W. Municipal Complex, 7:00 PM
• Wednesday, September 29, Huntley Village Hall. 10987 Main Street, 7:00 PM

Area seniors interested in how they can protect themselves from fraud are encouraged to attend an upcoming prevention seminar.

State Sen. Pamela Althoff (R-McHenry), State Rep. Michael Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) and Deputy Republican Leader Tim Schmitz are teaming up with Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s Office to offer numerous “Silver Beat” fraud prevention seminars, aimed at giving seniors the information they need to avoid such scams.

Two seminars have been scheduled in the area and refreshments will be served:

• Monday, September 27, Algonquin Township Offices, 3702 U.S. Highway 14, Crystal Lake, 10:00 AM-Noon
• Wednesday, September 29, PNC Bank (formerly National City Bank), 13300 South Illinois Route 47, Huntley, Noon-2:00 PM

At the seminars, seniors will receive a wide variety of information and training on fraud prevention, including:

• Avoiding financial exploitation and scams, including information about debt settlement traps and how to avoid fake check cashing scams
• “Reverse mortgages” and if they are really right for you
• The Senior Medicare Patrol Project and health care fraud
• Your rights under the new credit cards rules
• How you can protect yourself, your friends and family from scam artists and fraudulent businesses.

Through the Silver Beat Training Program, the Attorney General’s Office trains and educates a corps of seniors on how to detect and avoid scams, and they in turn use that knowledge to help educate other seniors. The seminars are free and open to the public.

For additional information about these events, please call Representative Tryon’s legislative office at 815-459-6453.

Crystal Lake City Hall

From the Crystal Lake Police Department comes this area warning:

Telephone Scam Warning: Beware of subjects posing as DEA agents requesting fines to be paid

Crystal Lake police received a report from a resident who had received suspicious telephone calls from a subject posing as an agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The caller indicated the resident had been determined through an investigation to have purchased pharmaceutical drugs illegally via the internet, and demanded a fee be paid to avoid prosecution.

The DEA does not conduct investigations in this manner.

The DEA is aware of several such scam attempts in other areas of the country, and is investigating further.

Crystal Lake Police wish to remind all residents to be wary of any unsolicited caller requesting money be sent to them.

When in doubt, contact police to investigate further.

McHenry City Hall on this rainy day.

To raise the McHenry City Sales Tax 50% or not.

That was the question last night at a sparsely attended public hearing.

It’s less than the Crystal Lake City Council raised its City Sales Tax. In the county’s biggest municipality, the rate was hiked 75%.

Right after the legislature tripled the RTA sales Tax.

The goal of those in support of the tax is to extract another $1.5 million from area shoppers.

McHenry Finance Director Chris Black says that is needed to hold off a deficit and pay bills.
According to him, the city has been deficit spending for the past two budget cycles.

There were a dozen or more residents who came out for the hearing.

When Mayor Sue Low called for public comment, the first lady on the list stated that she was against the tax increase, but did not wish to speak, she stated that she thought the list was, “just a sign-in sheet.”

In all, seven residents took the podium to speak against the tax hike

And there was on man who said he was “neither for nor against a tax hike, but just wants the city to examine all the options before raising the sales tax.”

Some of the statements from the public included, the following;

“Why can’t we cut the $500,000 police pension?”

“The unions already gave an $80,000 concession. We could ask for that 10-fold and it wouldn’t amount to half of the proposed tax increase.”

“A tax increase during a recession when we have

• 10% unemployment,
• property values plummeting,
• while property taxes are staying the same or increasing, and
• an overabundance of boarded-up businesses

is not the time to propose a tax hike.”

One resident asked if a “Sin Tax,” an additional tax on only alcohol and tobacco might be a better option. That question drew murmurs from the crowd as if some might find this idea acceptable.

After the public had completed their comments, Mayor Low thanked the eight who had the courage to speak, but she lamented the fact that out of a city of 25,000 only eight chose the speak.

The Mayor then asked for questions or comments from the City Council.

Five members spoke, many of whom described the process of deciding on a tax increase to be a difficult task.

Some of the council members’ statements are follow:

“Perhaps we could do a combination of 1/4% tax increase and additional cuts to the budget.”

“Could we put a ‘Sunset’ provision in place so that when the economy improves we can repeal the tax hike?”

“A big part of our deficit is the $500,000 police pension, which we have no control over.”

One Alderman stated that he was surprised that nobody had come-out in favor of the tax increase.