Republican County Board Votes Nixes Property Tax Hikes

The new McHenry County Board is composed of all Republicans.

All members of the McHenry County Board are Republicans.  All voted to keep next year’s real estate taxes about the same as this year’s.

In a 24-0 vote Tuesday night, the McHenry County Board voted not to take the inflationary increase allowed by the Property Tax Cap Law.

This past year, the Consumer Price Index increased 8/10 of one percent.

According to the Tax Cap law, all tax districts can get that much more than they are taking this year.

Wonder Lake County Board member John Hammerand made the motion to eliminate the inflationary increase.

The most important financial decision the County Board makes is how much money to extract from property taxpayers.

There is some irony that Hammerand, who served sixteen years on the Finance Committee, but was skipped over during the December reorganization, made the motion.

Below is the policy under which the budget will be crafted:

“The CPI increase authorized under PTELL shall not be utilized in the calculation of property tax revenues.”

Nick Provenzano seconded the motion.

Taken out of the policy was this alternative possibility:

“The County Board will work towards not taking the CPI increase authorized under PTELL when balancing the 2016 budget.”

The first vote was by voice and at least one voted against it.

When agreement was reached to have a record vote, not a “No” vote was cast.

The budget policy passed does allow for the capture of new growth, that is new construction.

This has been the case for the last two years in neither of which did county government take as much as it could have.

The only time the rate of inflation was lower since 1991, when the Real Estate Tax Cap went into effect, was 2008, when tax districts were allowed to take only an additional 1/10 of one percent.


Comments

Republican County Board Votes Nixes Property Tax Hikes — 19 Comments

  1. Yes now if the mayors, schools, conservation district, etc would do the same.

    They should have been giving no raises since 2008.

  2. We still have many taxing districts with tax rates in excess of 10%, not only should tax levies not increase, they should be reduced through attrition and other cuts.

    I was shocked to see tax rates in excess of 12% for 2014.

  3. Where are the Board demands for hiring consultants to report on recommended cost saving efficiencies?

  4. I’m hoping other taxing bodies are watching.

    First they passed the Rauner Turnaround and now this.

    The board members are leading by example!

  5. This is great news.

    Like everyone has said the other taxing bodies need to follow by example and we the tax payer need to encourage them to do so.

  6. Take the entire amount of taxes recently sent out for collection and the rate for 2014 is 0.0393034.

    For 2010 the rate published as per Cal above is 2.37 %.

    If all of these government units have frozen their levies as stated by them, how has the rate climbed to 3.93 %?

    Schools, pensions and the fact that even the County continues to increase the dollar amount levied each year.
    Total EAV multiplied by three = $20,758,387,596

    Total taxes billed in 2014 for collection in 2015: $815,876,046.19.

    Last year the County also FROZE their levy but the dollars billed this year have increased.

  7. Numbers guy..

    that’s right..

    its all about the taxing guys asking for a full Levy increase.

    Regardless if they need the money or not.

    Every taxing body is encouraged to ask for full Levy.

    All of that adds up to a lot of money.

  8. There is much more to this.

    People really need to hear the audio to understand who was fighting for what.

    Just because it was 24-0 doesn’t mean that is what the board was thinking or wanted to do.

    I am very glad we had this discussion.

    It was an excellent debate about the philosophy here in McHenry County and Illinois.

    Your county board is doing a pretty good job… we can always do better.

    Everyone should look at all these other taxing districts who are raising your taxes to the point where people want to move out.

    Townships, Fire Protection Districts, Municipalities, School Districts.

    They all take these slices and it adds up so quickly.

    And then of course you have those same officials who claim that my slice is insignificant – its the [FILL IN THE BLANK]’s fault that your taxes go up.

    The fact of the matter is our county and our state is losing population because of excessive regulation and taxation.

    http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-illinois-census-brookings-edit-0107-20150106-story.html

    It is my opinion that most of the elected officials will cry for lower taxes but when the rubber hits the road they will not vote for lower taxes unless there is such public pressure that they do so.

    We also voted for a commission on our population decreasing here in McHenry County.

    The commission will be lead by Carolyn Schoefield.

    I think this is a great thing.

    As Exhibit #1 I would like to submit the following report Channel 2 CBS News:



    Reporter Question: What could public officials have done to have kept you from leaving the state?

    Fleeing Illinois Resident: If it was more affordable, it has a lot to do with taxes and the cost of living.

    We do not have a revenue problem in McHenry County and Illinois. We have a spending problem.

    Exhibit #2:

    http://www.rebootillinois.com/2015/04/06/featured-articles/michael-lucci/pew-study-illinois-tax-revenue-increase-2nd-highest-in-u-s-during-recession-era/36029/

    Perhaps County Board Member Chuck Wheeler said it best on Tuesday night when he said that families and businesses are having to do more with less, why isn’t government?

    It is completely unfathomable to me, and completely out of touch with reality, to raise your taxes here in McHenry County and Illinois. We have to find other ways to provide services and fund organizations.

    When your taxes go up do not be looking at the county board, look in your own villages and schools, and in the case of Grafton Township, well good luck on that one.

    ** THIS IS MY CONSPICUOUS STATEMENT WHERE I SAY I AM SPEAKING AS AN ELECTED PRECINCT COMMITTEEMAN, AN ELECTED COUNTY BOARD MEMBER, AND NOT AS THE VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE MCHENRY COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY **

  9. The operative word here is “about” – as in “about” the same.

    We shall see.

  10. This will not stop the ongoing exodus from the once great “Land Of Lincoln”.

  11. It’s like their trying to drain a swamp with an eye dropper.

  12. The longest journey starts out with the first step and without it you go nowhere or go backwards.

    We took the first step a few nights ago to turn this huge freighter around and it wont be easy but we have the right people there at the helm and the bow.

    Now only if we could get our legislators to agree on a plan like 229 we will be able to continue.

    Reducing the size and cost of government is not just a one pronged approach we need to attack it with consolidation, reduction and efficiency.

    Remember we didn’t get this way overnight and we aren’t going to solve it overnight.

  13. Chuck, Consolidation creates bigger gov agencies. Bigger Gov costs more, it’s a historical fact. Cutting services is the only way friend, good luck with that.

  14. Wasn’t it Feb 17th when the County had a meeting with all the anti talk about Nepotism?

    Chuck and Andrew, y’ll put any legislation together to end that at least with county hiring?

  15. 1. Shut down Randall Road project if it now requires private funding by local taxpayers: it was sold on the premise that no local property tax dollars would be spent.

    What prices are being paid for land parcels along Randall Road? How do those prices compare (more than 25% higher as per consultant predictions based upon recent consultant report vs. a few years prior paid consultant report?)?

    2. Use influence to pry open specifics of school spending (“support services”?). Educate school boards on the devastating impacts they have had on their community. Inform school boards that continued hiring and higher spending, post- court ruling on pension guarantees, looks like gross negligence to property tax payers paying over 4% of home values.

    3.Present alternatives: add up all the money spent in the past (most destructive to local taxpayers)5 years on consultants for money SPENDING projects, and allocate 5-10 percentage of that number to jhiring a consultant to find efficiencies and cost saving OPPORTUNITIES for every taxing body in the County: schools, MCC, MCCD, County, Roads, etcetera.

  16. Andrew spoke for 10 minutes and same for wheeler and than did not even understand what they were voting for or against yes people listen to the audio they just play along and than take the credit. T

    hese county board members after 30 minutes did not understand what was even voted on

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