What’s Jack Franks Up To in Springfield? Substance & 48 (!) Shell Bills

Thought I’d take a look at what McHenry County’s Democratic Party State Representative Jack Franks has introduced in Springfield. There are two Constitutional Amendments: Abolish the Office of Lt. Governor.  (Dave McSweeney introduced it and got it through the House … Continue reading

Franks Aims Legislative Arrows at Property Taxpayers

On the first day of his third set of three-year terms, Democratic Party State Rep. Jack Franks introduced four bill that could be merchandised to homeowners in a General Election four years from now. Seems to me it is in … Continue reading

NW Herald Article Actually Quotes Cal Skinner

Guess my article about the motivation for Democrat Jack Franks’ Real Estate Tax Cap bill and the one about his Senate sponsor’s outright rejection of the idea and the posting of the email from Crystal Lake Grade School District 47 … Continue reading

Crystal Lake Grade School District Asks Taxpayers’ Help to Fight Their Self-Interest

A email has been sent this morning soliciting parental opposition to State Rep. Jack Franks’ bill to prohibit the collection of more property tax dollars when assessments go down. Apparently Superintendent Donn Mendoza and School Board President Jeff Mason were … Continue reading

Property Tax Hike Becoming County Board Top Issue – Part 1

As I mentioned in my short article Saturday, the records of incumbent County Board members and the positions of challengers on holding real estate taxes constant or even lowering them could become the issue of the March 20th Republican primary … Continue reading

Tryon Recaps Veto Session

An email from State Rep. Mike Tryon: Our second week of veto session has ended, and while typically this would signify the end of the fall veto session, legislators are being called back to Springfield on Tuesday, November 29 to … Continue reading

School Supt. State Rep. Roger Eddy Throws Wrench at Jack Franks’ Tax Cap Bill

No doubt which side of the taxpayer Downstate Republican State Representative Roger Eddy is on. It’s not the taxpayers’. This is the legislator who wanted to loosen the Real Estate Tax Cap in the early 2000’s in order to allow … Continue reading

Assessment Appeal Tips from County Government

From the McHenry County email last Friday: 10 Questions to a Fair Assessment: An Explanation of the Assessment Appeal Process in McHenry County After you have received your 2011 assessment notice please use the commonly asked questions below to better … Continue reading

Assessment Appeal Time

Sorry for the delay in pointing out that homeowners can appeal their assessments in McHenry Township. It looks like the deadline is the day before the election. The sparsely populated Dunham Township, on the south edge of Harvard, also has … Continue reading

Aging Dept. Plans to Waste $3 Million in Unnecesary Office Consolidation While Cutting Circuit Breaker Benefits in Half

Credit my Google search for “Jack Franks” name for this story. I wrote how the Illinois Department of Aging, now in charge of the Senior Citizen and Disabled Person Property Tax Relief program, was cutting benefits in half. The cutback … Continue reading

Pat Quinn Cuts Seniors’ Circuit Breaker Property Tax Relief Program in Half

That’s what Pat Quinn’s Department of Aging put in the Circuit Breaker forms being mailed out to seniors and the disabled. That’s what I learned in Sunday’s article by Daniel T. Zanoza of Republicans For Fair Media. Here’s the announcement … Continue reading