Governor Signs Bill to Allow Park Districts and Conservation District to Buy Up to $25,000 Without Bids

Governor Bruce Rauner has signed House Bill 4536, a bill that gives $5,000 more flexibility for park districts and conservation districts in purchases and contracts. Sponsored by two Democrats and one Republican in the House and a Democrat in the … Continue reading

CL Park Police Doesn’t Get the Memo

Today I called Crystal Lake Park District Jayson Herbster to complain about State Rep. Jack Franks distribution of ice cream at the band concert. Obviously Franks would be campaigning for McHenry County Board Chairman, because his district covers the western … Continue reading

Looking at My Lakewood Tax Bill

McHenry County property tax bills went in the mail last Friday. Most will probably receive them today. If you don’t or if yours is sent to your mortgage house, you can find your bill here.  Just type in your name … Continue reading

Tax Time for Park Districts

Here’s the property tax record for park districts in McHenry County. Parks in Fox River Grove, Harvard, McHenry, Woodstock, etc., are not provided by park districts. Where there is not a park district, generally municipalities finance them out of their … Continue reading

Tax Dollars at CL Expo

It’s less than three weeks after the Primary Election. I went to the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce’s Business Expo searching things political and governmental. In its usual space right to the right after the entrance at South High School … Continue reading

CL Chamber Hosts Tax District Officials – Part 2

At Thursday morning’s Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce governmental forum, there was a question and answer session. There was a well-researched question asking about what tax districts were doing about duplication of services: “From 2009 through 2012, Countywide Equalized Assessed … Continue reading

CL Chamber Hosts Tax District Officials – Part 1

The Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce held its first Town Hall meeting Thursday morning. It was the usual time for such meetings, set so business people can attend before business hours. This time the public was allowed to come.  There … Continue reading

Chance to Ask Big Taxers Why

At last night’s meeting of the Lakewood Village Board, residents were masses in support and opposition of the creation of a Special Service Area tax district that would collect a maximum of 15 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for … Continue reading

Sterns Woods – The Little Pond That Disappeared When the Conservation District Built the Prairie Path

Local resident Jim Militello has discovered a diverted waterway along the train track north of Crystal Lake. It used to flow into and through Sterns Woods. Then, in the early 1990’s the McHenry County Conservation District built its Prairie Path … Continue reading

My Precinct at 5 PM

Readers know that I am following the Lakewood Village Trustee race. In 2011, only 28 people voted and the highest number of votes received by a trustee was 19. There was no contest. In 2013, 37 people went to the … Continue reading

CL Council Abandons Park District

At the Crystal Lake Expo on Saturday, I talked with Crystal Lake Park District Executive Director Jason Herbster. Earlier, I reported that he told me that the tax bill for the park district would be up 4% this spring. Today, … Continue reading

The CL Expo

Saturday I went to the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce Expo to see what things political were there. Right off the bat I saw McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi. I figure that means he is running for re-election in … Continue reading

Kiwanis Little Library at CL Main Beach

Former Crystal Lake Library Board President and still a Trustee Carol Heisler came up with the idea. Kiwanis should sponsor a Little Free Library in Crystal Lake. The first one was located at the Nature Center on the North side … Continue reading

No Contest for Any Park District Candidates

There are five park districts operating in parts of McHenry County: Barrington Hills Park District Cary Park District Crystal Lake Park District Huntley Park District Marengo Park District The rest of the county has more logical ways of providing recreational … Continue reading

Park District Taxes More Than Townships

Got this from a friend of McHenry County Blog and thought readers might find it of interest: Now that Annual Financial reports are posted on the State Comptroller’s web site, the information is more readily available. Information below was retrieved … Continue reading

Park District Real Estate Tax Comparisons

I know it is mid-summer and I forgot to show the comparisons between what McHenry County’s five park districts billed property taxpayers last year and this year. The word “extension” below is the amount that was billed taxpayers.  Because the … Continue reading