Algonquin Township Assessments Get Negative Multiplier of 4.22%

Real estate assessments on property in Algonquin Township will be decreased by 4.22% as a result of the McHenry County Supervisor of Assessments having applied what is called a “negative multiplier.” That does not mean tax bills will decrease. That’s … Continue reading

County Legislative Committee Considering Tax Cap Modification

You may remember that McHenry County Blog revealed that the County’s nursing home, Valley Hi, has $35 million in the bank.  That’s as of the end of November, 2013. Now, it’s $36 million. A lot of that is clearly surplus … Continue reading

McHenry County Tax Take Up by 1.5% or $12 Million

Last year McHenry County real estate taxpayers were billed $797,419,250.88. This year the McHenry County Clerk’s Office has determined that bills amounting to $809,385,180.76 will be issued. That’s a dollar increase of $11,965,930, a percentage increase of 1.5%. The Property … Continue reading

County Government Aims to Capture New Growth

The inadequate language of the Property Tax Cap encourages tax districts to “balloon” levy. The Tax Cap, know as PTELL to the technocrats, has two parts. In the first, which is most widely known, tax districts like schools and county … Continue reading

Questioning MCC’s Assumption that New Construction Will Be Up 3.29% for 2013

In my article about the McHenry County College Board’s discussion on the proper size of next year’s property tax levy, I mentioned that I had sent an email to MCC Public Information Officer Christina Haggerty, asking the basic question that … Continue reading

MCC Levy Talk, College Sticks to Assumption that New Growth Will Be 3.29%

McHenry County College’s Chief Financial Officer Bob Tenuta presented some spreadsheets showing what would happen if the Trustees decided not to ask for the additional $224,000 in property taxes that the Tax Cap law allows. That’s the amount that a … Continue reading

Fight in the Offing about Whether to Hike MCC Property Taxes or Keep Them Flat

McHenry County College taxpayers might get a break next year. After MCC Chief Financial Officer Bob Tenuta gave his report on next year’s budget, discussion indicated that several new Board members are thinking about asking for the same amount from … Continue reading

Dave McSweeney Seeks to Force Flatlining of Township Taxes

State Rep. David McSweeney is proposing at amendment to Senate Bill 1937 that would prohibit township governments throughout Illinois from increasing the amount of money they extract from taxpayers’ pockets for the next two years. Unlike some legislators and local … Continue reading

McHenry County Multiplier Increases Assessments 1.0243 for This Year’s Tax Bills, $1 Billion Assessment Loss Sends Tax Rates Soaring

Taxpayers may be making more of a fuss this year than previously. Maybe not. Tax districts are getting less than 2% more this year, when the Property Tax Cap allowed them to get 3%. So, some tax districts showed restraint … Continue reading

Most Tax Rates for McHenry County’s Upcoming Tax Bills – Up 15% in Algonquin Township Part of Lakewood

Here’s what it looks like for my Algonquin Township part of Lakewood: MCHENRY COUNTY – $1.00 per $100 of assessed valuation (up from 79 cents per $100 – this must include the 708 Board Mental Health tax) MCHENRY CO CONSV … Continue reading

Is DuPage County a Portent of Property Taxes to Come?

This was in the Daily Herald Tuesday: “DuPage County homeowners can expect to pay more property taxes to school districts and other local governments, even though land values continue to plummet. “The overall value of land in DuPage decreased last … Continue reading

Lakewood Red(Ink)Tail Golf Club Alternative Revenue Bond Failure Featured in Chicago Tribune – Part 2

Part 2 of the Chicago Tribune said about Lakewood’s alternative revenue bond purchase of what is not called RedTail Golf Club: Lakewood is featured as one of the villages “where bets backfired on taxpayers…where taxpayers should have been protected form … Continue reading

Lakewood Red(Ink)Tail Golf Club Alternative Revenue Bond Failure Featured in Chicago Tribune – Part 1

On January 6, 2013, right on the top of the Sunday Chicago Tribune, there was an expose that should send warning flares up about the alternative revenue bonds that the majority of the McHenry County College Board seem set to … Continue reading

Lakewood Votes for Maximum Levy with Caveat

This is the season that taxpayers should be attending municipal meetings. It’s when village trustees, city councilmen and aldermen decide how much to raise your taxes next year. I almost added “if any” to the above sentence, but raising taxes … Continue reading

Message of the Day – A Tee Shirt for Tax Hikers

Today’s message is dedicated to those McHenry County Board members and other tax district officials who have or will cast “Yes” votes for any budget which exceeds last year’s extension. The tee shirt says, “Whatever it is, I didn’t do … Continue reading

County Board Increases Balance One-Twelfth Pretty Much Gruaranteeing Taxing to the Max

You may remember my critique of the County Board’s budget limiting efforts. My May 30th article was entitled, “County Board Just Can’t Say, ‘No New Taxes.‘” The guts of the article was this table: Approximate 20 Year Effects of Not … Continue reading

McHenry County Republican Precinct Committeemen Have Chance to Exercise More Power Than Ever Before

An astute political observer noted that Republican Precinct Committee have more power being thrust in their hands at Saturday’s 9 AM meeting of the GOP Central Committee than they have ever had before. Indeed, in times past, Precinct Committee have … Continue reading

The Tax Cap Did Not Make Your Tax Bill Go Up, Tax District Officials Asking for More Money Did That

Under the heading of “Why your tax bills went up,” in Kevin Craver’s article on the issuance of Property Tax bills is a misstatement from the McHenry County Supervisor of Assessments. The Northwest Herald story says Robert Ross indicated, “The … Continue reading