Here’s a resolution that the McHenry County Board’s Public Health Committee is considering.

Please read it carefully and tell me if you think any County Board member who votes for it is saying that he or she is saying that passage of the tax hike is a good thing. I have put in italics what makes me think so.

WHEREAS, the McHenry County Board does hereby find and determine that there are insufficient funds available providing for facilities and/or services for the developmentally disabled in McHenry County; and

WHEREAS, it has hereby been determined by the McHenry County Board that the need exists for a levy and collection of a tax not to exceed .1% of the value as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue of all taxable property in the County; and

WHEREAS, the McHenry County Board is authorized to submit the proposition of such levy to the voters of McHenry County pursuant to the Illinois County Care for Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act (55 ILCS 105); and

WHEREAS, such proposition must be approved by a majority of the voters of the County voting on such proposition at an election to be held in and for the County; and

WHEREAS, the McHenry County Board has hereby deemed it advisable, necessary, and in the best interests of the County that the proposition of levying and collecting said tax as above referred to, be submitted to the voters of the County at an election to held and conducted in accordance with general election law.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the County Board of the County of McHenry, Illinois as follows:

Section 1. Incorporation of Preambles: The McHenry County Board hereby finds all of the recitals contained in the preamble to this Resolution are full, true and correct and does incorporate them into the Resolution by reference.

Section 2. Need for Tax: It is necessary and in the best interests of McHenry County, in order to provide sufficient funds for the provision of facilities and/or services for the developmentally disabled, that the County levy and collect a tax not to exceed .1% of the value as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue of all taxable property in the County for said purpose.

Section 3. Submission to Voters: The proposition herein referred to shall be submitted to the voters of McHenry County in accordance with the general election law at the consolidated election to be held on Tuesday, the 9TH day of April, 2013, between the hours of 6:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M. on said day (hereinafter “Election”).

Section 4. Voting Precincts and Polling Places: The Election shall be held in the voting precincts and at the polling places established by the McHenry County Board, for voters of McHenry County at the Election.

Section 5. Election Notice: The County Clerk of McHenry County shall give notice of the Election in accordance with the general election law by (1) publishing the Notice not more than 30 days nor less than 10 days prior to the date of the Election in a local community newspaper having general circulation in the County, and (2) posting a copy of the Notice at least 10 days before the date of the Election at the principal office of the County Clerk.

Section 6. Newspaper of General Circulation: It is hereby found and determined that the Northwest Herald is a local, community newspaper having general circulation in McHenry County as is required by Section 12-5 of the Election Code of the State of Illinois.

Section 7. Form of Notice: The Notice shall appear over the name or title of the McHenry County Clerk and shall be substantially in the following form:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that at the election to be held on Tuesday the 9th day of April, 2013, the following proposition will be submitted to the voters of the County of McHenry, Illinois:

Shall McHenry County levy an annual tax not to exceed .1% upon the equalized assessed value of all taxable property in the county for the purposes of providing facilities or services for the benefit of its residents who are intellectually disabled or under a developmental disability and who are not eligible to participate in any program provided under Article 14 of the School Code, 105 ILCS 5/14.1-1.01 et. seq., including contracting for those facilities or services with any privately or publicly operated entity that provides those facilities or services either in or out of the county?

YES _______
NO ________

The Polls of said election will be open at 6:00 A.M. and will continue to be open until 7:00 P.M. of that day.

Dated this _______ of ______________, 2012
____________________________________

County Clerk of the County of McHenry, Illinois

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It seems to me that it is up to the public, not the County Board to determine whether there is adequate money.

I vividly remember taking the first checks from the 708 Board tax, approved by referendum first to Pioneer Center in its first location at the old Terra Cotta School and second to Family Services in a building east of what is now McHenry East High School.

I believe each agency got half of the proceeds.

So, there is obviously no reason that the 708 Board money could not now be evenly divided between those with Developmental Disabilities and those with mental health needs.

Could money spent on this Mental Health Board building have been allocated to services for Developmentally Disabled people?

The 708 Board has earmarked so much of its money to its new structure, showing  by such votes that the building was more important that providing additional funds to the Developmentally Disabled.

Without extensive County Board hearings on how the 708 Board has husbanded the money it gets every year, I surely would not vote for this resolution.

But, instead of trying to pry more of our tax money out of the 708 Board, supporters of the Developmentally Disabled have embarked on a path to pry more money out of taxpayers pockets through a new “377” tax.

So at the next and lame duck County Board meeting eight of 24 votes will be cast by people who have no citizen mandate after the first week in December.

What the social service supplicants don’t recognize is that the more money that is pried out of McHenry County homeowners’ pockets, the less that state government puts in.

That’s not fair, of course, but most who receive tax dollars really don’t care where their funding comes from…as long as it comes.

The tax would be 10 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.