McHenry County Blog

Inside the Crystal Lake Library.

The Northwest Herald has a fascinating article about the possibility of the Crystal Lake Library District using a Crystal Lake Grade School District elementary school.

Wednesday night the Board held a meeting in which the following was on the agenda:

AGENDA ITEMS REQUIRING DISCUSSION AND/OR BOARD APPROVAL
5.1 Discussion on D47 Facility Use – Dr. Mendoza

Naturally, I am seeking more information.

But, let’s assume the Northwest Herald story is accurate and the Elementary School District is thinking about re-visiting the possibility of closing a grade school.

When I wrote my article about the possibility, I suggested either Husmann or South Schools could be converted to housing for seniors. Both have advantages. Husmann because it is within walking distance of Downtown and across from the library building and South because it one story with a basement.

See

Which Grade School to Close

for more details.

South Grade School

And enrollment continues to fall:

• 2007 – 9,124
• 2011 – 8,359
• 2012 – Down another 300 the NWH reports, although I cannot find enrollment figure on the DE47 web site

So down about a thousand since the recession started.

Now comes forth a new option.

Having the Crystal Lake Public Library use one of the grade schools.

Husmann Grade School is right across the street from the Library. It underwent at least extensive exterior renovation this past summer.

There are several problems with such a possibility.

Crystal Lake taxpayers might get stuck with paying for a grade school twice.

The library is a City library.   That means those living outside of Crystal Lake cannot use it without paying what they would have paid in property taxes had their homes been inside the City limits.

However, the school district boundaries are much larger.  Lakewood, part of Prairie Grove, part of Lake in the Hills and lots of unincorporated subdivisions surrounding Crystal Lake helped Crystal Lake residents pay for the schools.

The other consideration is that when Prairie Grove is developed, there will presumably still be the need to a new grade school building.

Perhaps the School Board would consider renting an elementary school to the Library Board, just in case the economy takes off again, providing the need for another grade school.

It would seem to me that we would not want to follow Huntley’s example in which the taxpayers were forced to pay for schools twice.

The Huntley School District sold its high school and either a nearby grade or middle school to the park district.

Now, the park district boundaries are closer to the school district boundaries in Huntley than are Crystal Lake’s limits to those of District 47, but most Huntley area taxpayers ended up paying for the schools twice.

That, of course, is an argument for consolidation of governments…unless one thinks paying for public buildings more than once is a good idea.

Early construction of a new building at Crystal Lake’s West Beach began at the end of August.  The $1.7 million building is being financed by non-referendum bonds not subject to the Property Tax Cap.

Today we are looking at Park Districts with territory in McHenry County to find out if any are close to their maximum rate limits. The source of this information is the Tax Rate page of the McHenry County Clerk’s web site.

As long as the rates are under the limit enough, districts can continue to obtain the extra tax dollars which the Property Tax Cap allows.

That is a 3% increase for next year.

In such cases, it does not matter that one’s property value has decreased.

Park Districts that had debt outstanding at the end of 1994 or 1995 were granted the ability to sell bonds in perpetuity without voter approval as long as the amount of interest and principal are the same as the amount paid in that benchmark year.

It something like a revolving credit card that never has to be paid off.

Such bonds are undoubtedly financing the new building at Crystal Lake’s West Beach.

There certainly was no referendum passed.

Marengo’s Park District is at the 10 cent limit for its Corporate Fund already. That accounted for just 29% of the tax rate, however. Another fund, the Recreation Fund, is not near its limit. It took up 24% of the tax bill this year.

That, with another 35% of the bill not limited by the Tax Cap means Marengo taxpayers should not hold their breath hoping the Tax Cap will cut their Park District tax bill next year.

The Park District tax bill was cut last year, Heather Shepard told me. because a bond was paid off.

The first park district on the McHenry County Clerk’s list, Barrington Hills, is near its maximum. Its maximum rate is 10 cents per $100 of assessed valuation and it’s rate this year is 9.965589 cents per hundred.

Multiply this year’s rate by the increase in the Consumer Price Index (3%) and you will see that the Barrington Hills’ rate would be 10.25 cents per hundred.

Administering the Tax Cap the McHenry County Clerk’s Office will say, “Sorry,” so to speak, “you can only get 10 cents per hundred.”

The Cary Park District, on the other hand, is at its maximum tax rate for its Corporate Fund right now. That’s 35 cents per hundred.

Thar Corporate fund amounted to 53% of its total tax take this year.

Cary’s Recreation Fund is getting close to the limit, but won’t reach it for about two more years.

When that happens, about 70% of the Park District tax rate will be prohibited from increasing.

Crystal Lake, on the other hand, has about three more years at current rates of inflation before it bumps up against its maximum Corporate Fund rate of 10 cents per hundred.

Almost as large is something called an “Additional Corporate Fund.” It’s maximum is 25 cents per hundred and this year it is only at .4 cents, so there is plenty of room for growth there.

There is also a “Recreation Fund” with a 12 cent per hundred maximum. It is at 8.9 cents.

There are also a couple of other funds under their smaller maximum rates with no limit and all the bond paybacks, including ones issued without referendum approval, so the Tax Cap won’t have much effect on the Crystal Lake Park District for some time.

In any event, from a levy workshop I thought the Crystal Lake Park District is planning to tax to the max in the coming year.  Turns out the Board changed its collective mind in the intervening week and decided only to raise taxes by 0.45%.  See story here.

The Huntley Park District is not close to its maximum tax rate limits.

There is also another factor in play which could cause many more tax districts statutory rate limit problems.

Mandated by the State Revenue Department, assessment levels will decrease by 9%.

Logic tells me that a district less than 12% below its statutory rate limit will not get the maximum amount allowed under PTELL, the acronym of the property tax cap law.

Here are the latest details of tonight’s event at the Huntley Park District Building, where both candidates for the 14th District congressional seat–Randy Hultgren and Joe Walsh–will be courting Republican primary voters, as will State Senate candidate Karen McConnauhay and State Rep. Tim Schmitz, who represents the Kane County part of the Huntley area now.

Public Forum on the 2nd Amendment and Conceal Carry

Note: Since the original Announcement we are proud to tell you that Congressman Joe Walsh will be joining our Panel.

In addition, Congressional Representative Randy Hultgren, State Representative Tim Schmitz and Kane County Board President Karen McConnauhay will also be joining us.

The Huntley Area Tea Party will present a Public Forum on Tuesday September 27th on the Subject of the 2nd Amendment and the Right of Citizens to Conceal Carry. This will be held in the Willow Room at the Cosman Cultural Center in Huntley, Illinois, starting at 6:30pm.

Featured Panel members will be:

• State Representative Mike Tryon (co-sponsor) of the bill to enable Conceal Carry in Illinois
• Bill and Jennifer Jenkins from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
• Richard Pearson the Executive Director of the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA)

A map to help people find the Huntley Park District Building.

Each panel member will present their views on these issues along with specific reasons and facts supporting their views. The panel will then take questions from the audience.

By presenting both sides of this controversial issue we hope to provide the public with factual information and stimulate meaningful and respectful discussion.

Speaker Bio

• Bill Jenkins is the father of 16 year old William Jenkins, a murder victim, killed during the robbery of a fast food restaurant in Richmond, VA in 1997. A Professor at Dominican University, Bill is the author of the acclaimed book What To Do When The Police Leave: A Guide To The First Days of Traumatic Loss (WBJ Press). Bill is a nationally recognized expert on gun violence statistics and victimization by firearms.
• Jennifer Bishop Jenkins is the sister of Nancy Bishop Langert, who along with her husband Richard and their unborn child, were murdered in Winnetka, Illinois in 1990. They were killed by a teen who reported doing it for the “thrill” of it who “just wanted to see what it would feel like to shoot someone.” Inspired by her sister Nancy’s dying words of love, Jennifer spent the last two decades advocating for violence prevention and to support crime victims. Together Bill and Jennifer speak all over the nation on victim issues and violence prevention. Jennifer retired from a 25 year teaching career in 2005 to become the National Program Director for Victims and Survivors for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. She now runs a statewide victim’ rights campaign in Illinois and advises the US Congress and US Sentencing Commission on victims’ issues. Jennifer and Bill live in Northfield, Illinois with their two daughters.

This "Dream" button was found at the MoveOn.org rally against Congressman Don Manzullo.

At the MoveOn.Org demonstration in front of Congressman Don Manzullo’s Route 14 office, McHenry County Blog’s intrepid reporter/camera woman was informed of a meeting being held at the Huntley Park District Thursday night at 7.

I called to discover the sponsor and was told that Obama for America had reserved the room.

So, if you intend to attend the Grafton Township Board meeting at the same location at 7:30, you can come a bit early and see the beginning of President Barack Obama’s campaign in Del Webb.

The following “Contract for the American Dream” was provided at the rally against Manzullo:

Click to enlarge.

It appears that the four-member Grafton Township Board majority got its act together Wednesday night with the help of newly hired attorney Ancel Glick partner Keri-Lyn Krafthefer.

Left on the losing end of all contested votes was Grafton Township Supervisor Linda Moore.  So, while she had company, she was still lonely.

No boycotts like Monday and the Thursday before.

A still interrupting, but markedly calmer than before Trustee Gerry McMahon put it best,

“I believe the essence of the problem is majority rules and some people don’t understand majority rule.”

The obvious leader of the four trustees was Robert LaPorta.  Most of the agenda items proposed by LaPorta and Betty Zirk can be seen in this story.  You can see that Laporta was enjoying himself.

When I left, the board was going into secret session to discuss what apparently they dare not discuss in public:

“Discussion and potential action on prior sale of real estate for road district.”

Prior to going into what elected officials prefer to call “Executive Session,” Moore pointed out there was no mention of the sale she could find in the township minutes.

She had elaborated on the perceived legal problem at more length a previous meeting.

The township attorney at the time, Jim Kelly, and Krafthefer were both included in the closed session.

When Moore questioned Kelly’s inclusion, Trustee Robert LaPorta said,

“We need him as a subject matter expert.”

Earlier in the meeting the four trustees voted to pay Kelley $6,351 owed him.

Before the vote Moore pointed out that $48,941 had been spent on legal fees since the change of administration:

• $37,334 – Jim Kelly
• $10,457 – Joe Gottemoller
• $1,115 – Ancel Glick

There was also a bill pending to the latter for “over $5,000,” she said.

Moore observed that only $45,000 had been budgeted for legal fees for the entire year and that state law said that only 10% of that total– $4,500–could be moved from other line items to legal fees.

“The only was we can pay any attorney fees if at another meeting we (revise) the budget,” she continued.

The majority four approved payment. In her negative vote, Moore reiterated,

“We do not have the funds available.”

All of the above took place in the meeting called by two of the trustees. The meeting called by Supervisor Moore was ruled illegal by the township attorney because its notice had not been posted by Township Clerk Dina Frigo.

Moore read the opinion and, then, reported that the McHenry County State’s Attorney was investigating where an illegal meeting had been held prior to the Thursday boycott of the township meeting.

Frustrated members of the audience gave their views before a third trustee entered the room. Then, Krafthefer silenced them, saying that no business could be conducted.

One woman echoed Trustee Barbara Murphy’s comments from a month ago about the need to “unwind” the loan which the township’s Road Fund took out to pay the Town Fund for the township hall.

That was some irony in such a discussion being held at the old Huntley High School, which the Huntley Park District bought from School District 158.

Both the town hall and the old high school will be paid for twice by local taxpayers, unless the over $600,000 township loan is “unwound.”

One woman in the audience said that would save taxpayers $50,000 a month.

Of course, that does nothing to keep Huntley Park District taxpayers from paying for the high school twice.

The all-Republican township board, by the way, show no sign of recognizing the opportunity their open disagreements are providing local Democrats in 2013.  Indeed, McMahon announced his intention to increase the Clerk’s salary because of the additional duties she was being assigned by the board majority.

It appears that Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley was correct.

Other communities like Huntley, Woodstock, McHenry and Algonquin, are interested in a minor league baseball stadium, just like Shepley predicted right before his zoning proposal went down the Crystal Lake watershed drain tile:

“I guarantee you there are other communities that will accommodate a baseball team.

“What if it goes a couple miles down the road and settles in Woodstock?” he asked, pointing out that Crystal Lake would have the same problems with none of the benefits.

The interest from other McHenry County towns was revealed to Northwest Herald reporter Tom Musick by baseball promoter Pete Heitman, who heads up an unknown group of investors called McHenry/Lake Professional Baseball Limited Liability Corporation.

That’s “Limited Liability,” as in “We can walk away from the deal and leave you to pay off the cost to build our stadium, if we don’t make enough money.”

Musick, who covers Huntley for the NW Herald found explicit support from Huntley village and park district officials.

“It has been in my mind for probably six or seven years that I-90 and [Route] 47 would really be an ideal place for a minor league baseball stadium,” (Thom)Palmer said.

A possible solace to McHenry County College taxpayers is that Huntley is not near enough the center of the college district to be selected as anything the trustees could sell as being a centrally located MCC taxpayer-supported site.

Not in the original college district, Huntley School District 158 joined when the state legislator mandated that all parts of Illinois be in one junior college or another.

So maybe there will be a bidding war among communities like those for a major tax generator like a regional shopping center. Or a housing developer playing one municipality off against another.

The only difference is that baseball stadiums are not major tax generators. (Now that I think about it, subdivisions don’t pay their own way either, but towns still fight over them.)

In its one and only article looking at the financial end of McHenry County College’s baseball stadium, its staff could not find one economist who had done a study that showed the benefits outweighed the costs for a baseball stadium.

Huntley Village Administrator Carl Tomaso expressed excitement on behalf of village government. He talked about the desire to have a large entertainment venue near the tollway or elsewhere, reporter Musick found.

At least Huntley has figured out how to pry significant road improvements out of developers, something Crystal Lake has not done yet.

All of the widening of Route 47 from the tollway north to park was financed by developers.

The only pathetic contribution from state government on Route 47 is the center turn lane thru the old part of town—built by the state, complete with curbs and gutters, which will have to be torn out when the road is widened to five lanes.

Built with only three lanes, even though every state IDOT official with a brain knew Route 47 needed five lanes.

One final thought—if you thought the Crystal Lake city council chambers were full for the baseball stadium zoning meeting, can you imagine how large the room will have to be if a Huntley location is proposed where fireworks could be heard from Sun City?

It appears that Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley was correct.

Other communities like Huntley, Woodstock, McHenry and Algonquin, are interested in a minor league baseball stadium, just like Shepley predicted right before his zoning proposal went down the Crystal Lake watershed drain tile:

“I guarantee you there are other communities that will accommodate a baseball team.

“What if it goes a couple miles down the road and settles in Woodstock?” he asked, pointing out that Crystal Lake would have the same problems with none of the benefits.

The interest from other McHenry County towns was revealed to Northwest Herald reporter Tom Musick by baseball promoter Pete Heitman, who heads up an unknown group of investors called McHenry/Lake Professional Baseball Limited Liability Corporation.

That’s “Limited Liability,” as in “We can walk away from the deal and leave you to pay off the cost to build our stadium, if we don’t make enough money.”

Musick, who covers Huntley for the NW Herald found explicit support from Huntley village and park district officials.

“It has been in my mind for probably six or seven years that I-90 and [Route] 47 would really be an ideal place for a minor league baseball stadium,” (Thom)Palmer said.

A possible solace to McHenry County College taxpayers is that Huntley is not near enough the center of the college district to be selected as anything the trustees could sell as being a centrally located MCC taxpayer-supported site.

Not in the original college district, Huntley School District 158 joined when the state legislator mandated that all parts of Illinois be in one junior college or another.

So maybe there will be a bidding war among communities like those for a major tax generator like a regional shopping center. Or a housing developer playing one municipality off against another.

The only difference is that baseball stadiums are not major tax generators. (Now that I think about it, subdivisions don’t pay their own way either, but towns still fight over them.)

In its one and only article looking at the financial end of McHenry County College’s baseball stadium, its staff could not find one economist who had done a study that showed the benefits outweighed the costs for a baseball stadium.

Huntley Village Administrator Carl Tomaso expressed excitement on behalf of village government. He talked about the desire to have a large entertainment venue near the tollway or elsewhere, reporter Musick found.

At least Huntley has figured out how to pry significant road improvements out of developers, something Crystal Lake has not done yet.

All of the widening of Route 47 from the tollway north to park was financed by developers.

The only pathetic contribution from state government on Route 47 is the center turn lane thru the old part of town—built by the state, complete with curbs and gutters, which will have to be torn out when the road is widened to five lanes.

Built with only three lanes, even though every state IDOT official with a brain knew Route 47 needed five lanes.

One final thought—if you thought the Crystal Lake city council chambers were full for the baseball stadium zoning meeting, can you imagine how large the room will have to be if a Huntley location is proposed where fireworks could be heard from Sun City?