Got to hand it to the folks on the Woodstock City Council
I thought the Crystal Lake City Council was bold when it proposed and passed a 75% sales tax hike in 2007.
Crystal Lake hiked its tax from one percent to 1.75%.
Now, the Woodstock City Council, according to the Northwest Herald, plans to double its one percent sales tax.
That’s a 100% increase for those who don’t remember junior high school math (or is that taught in elementary school now).
Reading the NWH article, I see the reporter did not realize it was a 100% increase.
She reported that it was a one percent increase.
What will the money be used for?
Citing a staff memo (see memo from Paul Christensen, dated 3-1-17 in the council packet), the NWH reports it will go for street maintenance and police pensions.
According to a report filed with the Illinois Department of Insurance, Woodstock’s Police Pension Fund is funded at 63.7%.
(In 2012, McHenry County Blog reported Woodstock’s Police Pension Fund in 2011 was funded at 68.5%)
As some compensation for the 100% city sales tax hike, the Council proposes cutting its property tax levy by 10%.
The City Council meets tonight at 7.
If the City Council passes the 10% real estate tax cut, the $9,239,366 that is expected to be collected this spring will decrease to $8,315,429.
The annual estimated new revenue from increasing the city sales tax from one percent to two percent is $2,337,000.
I am shocked, just shocked, to learn that a NWH reporter doesn’t understand math.
LOL… NWH did that by design for sure…
Chambana Sun
Woodstock City Council Holds Workshop on 2017 – 2018 Budget
by Wadi Reformado
February 8, 2017
Mr. Christensen then provided information on Sales Tax as a portion of the City’s revenue mix.
He stated the City’s current Sales Tax Rate is 1% which is estimated to bring in $4.2 million in FY17/18.”
http://www.chambanasun.com/stories/511080342-woodstock-city-council-holds-workshop-on-2017-18-budget
Woodstock City Council members:
– Mayor Brian Sager
– Daniel Hart
– Maureen Larson
– Mark Saladin
– Joseph Starzynski
– JB Thompson
– Michael Turner
Did Sager fail to get his ‘husband’s’ permission to run for re-election ….. I don’t see any Sager signs up?
Will Sager’s doting Mama have to find a new do-nothing Woodstock municipal job if the a new Mayor is elected?
These are questions I need answers for ….. for my many friends who are Woodstock taxpaying-slaves.
My prediction: Pshaw Enterprises scraps the rotten NWH within the next 2 years. No more biased and/or fake local news!!!! Yippie …….
Hey Good Cindy!:
You’re not the only one shocked by the NWH’s deficient and/or math-challenged journalists.
So was this fellow:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RZHLqtEJeZo/UJ6DxDZnwjI/AAAAAAAABLc/6LUpb5aTBjg/s1600/claudeshocked.jpg
I doubt it was deliberate.
D
R
A
I
N
the
S
W
A
M
P
in Woodstock city and school boards this Apr 4th!!!
Northwest Herald
Woodstock Residents Differ on Proposed Home Rule Sales Tax
August 2, 2017
by Brittany Keeperman
“City officials want to instate a home rule sales tax to pump up revenue to make up for a reduction in property tax revenues after the decision to lower Woodstock’s 16 percent portion of the property tax bill by 10 percent.”
http://www.nwherald.com/2017/08/01/woodstock-residents-differ-on-proposed-home-rule-sales-tax/a4ie7wg
Northwest Herald
Editorial
Our view: Woodstock Should Not Implement 1 Percent Home Rule Sales Tax
by Northwest Herald Editorial Board
July 31, 2017
“The Woodstock City Council should not impose a new home rule sales tax that would tack on a percentage point to Woodstock’s 7 percent sales tax rate.”
http://www.nwherald.com/2017/07/27/our-view-woodstock-should-not-implement-1-percent-home-rule-sales-tax/awy0afv
Woodstock could have relieved Woodstock property tax by almost the full amount of reduction by simply letting Woodstock TIF expire, or by doing without a useless unneeded roundabout, but they decline to do so.
There is also a $60,000 plus expenses annual expenditure on Springfield lobbbyist.
Not clear what good that does for taxpayers
Contact name and firm name of the Springfield lobbyist?
There is enormous expense on “Real Woodstock’ or other internet marketing, and while it may benefit City Council members who on bars/restaurants on the Square, it is not clear what benefits accrue to taxpayers