Cities and Villages Seek to Merge Local Police and Fire Pension Funds

From the Illinois News Network: As costs grow, cities push to consolidate hundreds of local public safety pension funds By Brett Rowland | Illinois News Network City leaders want to consolidate hundreds of local pension funds for police officers and … Continue reading

Algonquin-LITH Fire Protection District Chief Makes Daily Herald List of Chiefs Drawing Pension While Earning Salary Running Different Department

It is not uncommon for police officers and firefighters to get jobs after retirement. In my Village of Lakewood, experienced police officers have been hired that the village otherwise could not have afforded. When the Village Board concluded that the … Continue reading

Local Pensions Cause Huge Real Estate Tax Increases

An article by Austin Berg of  the Illinois Policy Institute: WHY YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL IS SO HIGH, AND HOW TO FIX IT Less than 50 cents of every additional property tax dollar over the last 20 years went to … Continue reading

Pensions and Property Taxes

An article by Austin Berg of  the Illinois Policy Institute: WHY YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL IS SO HIGH, AND HOW TO FIX IT Less than 50 cents of every additional property tax dollar over the last 20 years went to … Continue reading

Fire Protection Districts Effect of 2018 Property Taxes

Here are the statistics on how Fire Protection Districts had on McHenry County tax bills: Fire Protection Districts                           Alg-LITH FPD $7,821,097 $8,702,042 11.3%   $8,886,661 2.1% Barrington … Continue reading

Lakewood Newsletter from President Erin Smith

Here’s the latest missive delivered in the mail to Lakewood residents: From the President On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to wish you and your families a Happy New Year. As a community, we face many of … Continue reading

Lakewood Paying Private Fire Company $120,000 for Early Termination of Contract

At its Tuesday night meeting in the village-owned Red Tail Golf Course trailer complex, the Lakewood Village Board voted to hire the Woodstock Fire Protection District to replace American Emergency Service Corporation. The Gary Jensen firm, which provides privatized fire … Continue reading

Lakewood Trustee Shares Thoughts on Village Board Meeting – Part 3

Lakewood Village Trustees provides a public service to constituents who don’t attend village board meetings by jotting down his thoughts of what happened. Friday he covered the tax levy and dam in Turnberry, which is funded by a Special Service … Continue reading