Got tired before I had the opportunity to report on the failed effort to keep McHenry County government’s tax take approximately constant.
After passing the levy, which, without other action, will increase county government’s taxes by 4%, an effort was made to abate the $2.74 million taken from the Valley Hi authorization.
In the first budget presented to the Finance Committee, there was $2.75 million for Valley Hi.
Pressure must have been too intense, because the next iteration showed $10,000 for Valley Hi.
While pretty irrelevant with over $40 million sitting in the bank, the levying of even $1 for Valley Hi keeps the tax alive.
A vast majority of County Board members voted to keep the Valley Hi tax.
After the $79.3 million tax levy was passed and the motion to eliminate the $10,000 levy for Valley Hi was defeated, Woodstock member Michael Rein moved to abate the $2.4 million basically taken from Valley Hi taxing authority.
County Clerk Mary McClellan, who determines tax rates, told the Board that a separate abatement resolution would have to be filed by the first week in April for such a levy reduction to be implemented.
Finance Committee Chairman Mike Skala reminded the Board that if the reduction motion passed money would have to be found elsewhere to pay for the capital projects.
It could be either borrowed from the Valley Hi surplus or from bond holders.
Skala stressed the repair and construction needs of County government.
The projects being considered are from an estimate for capital needs for the next five years, while borrowing money would take ten years to repay.
“We’ve already made those decisions,” retiring member Carolyn Schofield, Crystal Lake, said.
“It’s the most cost-effective way of doing it.”
“I’m going to be gone so I’m no going to be blamed for this.
“I want it to be the most cost-effective method.”
“These are things that need to be done,” Harvard’s Larry Smith pointed out.
“We have the opportunity to do [some] of these projects and move ahead without borrowing money.”
Using the $2.74 million to finance part of the capital program would be, in essence, a “pay as you go” approach without the need to pay interest on debt.
Rein called one of the proposed projects–buying the building on Russel Court “a cesspool.”
“We haven’t even decided which projects we’re going to do.”
Ending debate, McHenry’s Chuck Wheeler agreed with Rein, saying his approach was “the most prudent scenario.”
The following nine voted to abate $2.74 million from next year’s tax bills:
- Yvonne Barnes
- Chris Christensen
- Diane Evertsen
- Andrew Gasser
- John Hammerand
- Michael Rein
- Jeff Thorsen
- Michael Walkup
- Chuck Wheeler
The fourteen voting against cutting the amount the previously passed tax levy would allow were
- Michele Aavang
- Sue Draffkorn
- Joe Gottemoller
- Jim Heisler
- Tina Hill
- John Jung
- Don Kopsell
- Donna Kurtz
- Bob Martens
- Mary McCann
- Robert Nowak
- Carolyn Schofield
- Mike Skala
- Larry Smith
Anna May Miller did not attend the Board meeting.
This just shows how really STUPID these people are.
What a disgusting bunch of morons.
Couldn’t agree with you more Cindy
Clearly, the time has come for a 3rd party in McHenry.
Honest Abe, there is no need for a 3rd party.
People simple need to be actively involved with the parties that are all ready in existence.
If you are not happy with how the party of your choice is doing things, speak to those party leaders.
Run for precinct committeeman.
Run for other local offices.
Encourage people who share your view point to run for office.
A 3rd party is not a magic answer to solving what we may not agree with.
You’re being active may be.
Glad I resigned as a Republican Precinct Committeeman last month.
Ask people like Paul Serwatka how reforming the GOP from the inside went.
I’ll give you a hint. He resigned too.
The 9 Masters of Abatement are a useless lot. If I read your posting correctly, this lot affirmed cutting taxes knowing that in the end loans loans would be needed to pay for projects? Master Abaters indeed!!!
We NEED tax relief in this county.
Those 9 people are in touch with the people.
The others are tax & spend politicians.
So glad some of them are out!
Re: “Glad I resigned as a Republican Precinct Committeeman last month.
Ask people like Paul Serwatka how reforming the GOP from the inside went.
I’ll give you a hint. He resigned too.”
For at least the last sixty or seventy years while our country was enjoyed unrestrained growth fewer and fewer citizens paid much attention to politics.
Some who did got disappointed and simply dropped out.
Some of the disappointed started third parties.
Meanwhile election laws were established to ensure two political parties would have an easier time during elections than any independent or third party.
Now that our country is going in the wrong direction as a world power and economic giant, people are waking up to the reality that they have lost control of the two primary political parties.
A few people are joining the two political parties to effect change.
When change does not happen as rapidly as the action with a Playstation 3 or some other video game or a scripted TV show, many of them get discouraged and ‘throw in the towel’.
If we want to effect change, we had better plan on at least a twenty year process to turn things around, not two or three years!!
Believe me, the One World Order crowd has been working on their plan for over a hundred years – don’t expect them to give up easily.