Primary day tomorrow!

I'm glad it's almost here. I'm really tired of all the typical mudslinging ads on TV and radio between the candidates. I had a laugh on my way home tonight because there were no fewer than 20 "Dan Hynes for Governor" sign in front of the plumbers union. I wonder who they're endorsing??? :)

To check your polling place for tomorrow, go to : http://www.lakecountyil.gov/CountyClerk/VoterServices/WheresMyVotingSite.htm

Let your opinion be known!

Don't forget to vote tomorrow! And be sure to express your opinion on whether or not you want Route 53 to be extended from Lake Cook Rd to IL-120!

Eat a Paczki & VOTE on this Fat Super Tuesday!

I meant to send this out this morning, but I'm celebrating my Polish heritage by enjoying my Paczki while watching the returns. I am keeping my eye out for the following local returns:

- Volo Home Rule Status
- Big Hollow Referendum
- Fox Lake Library Bonds
- Grant High School Bonds
- State Senate 26th District Democrats (Republican race was uncontested)

UPDATE : Below are the final tallies from the Lake County Clerk's website

All Precincts Reported
11:05pm

State Senate 26th (DEMOCRAT)
Bill Gentes - 58.64% (9,869)
Richard Hammes - 41.36% (6,960)

Volo Home Rule Status
Yes - 51.79% (145)
No - 48.21% (135)

Fox Lake Library Bonds
Yes - 53.99% (3,029)
No - 46.01% (2,581)

Big Hollow Bonds
Yes - 51.53% (1,763)
No - 48.47% (1,658)

Grant High School Bonds
Yes - 61.01% (4,891)
No - 38.99% (3,126)

Not all the precincts have reported, but all the precincts that include Volo have reported. Looks like the voters were very generous, as every referenda on the table passed.

Could sales tax increase affect Home Rule vote?

Assuming the mass transit bill passes and Lake County sees a .5% increase in the tax rate, what would the Village do in regards to the Home Rule referendum on the table for February 5th? They've discussed implementing an additional 1% on top of the existing 6.5% for a sales tax of 7.5%. If the base rate goes up to 7%, would Volo still go after a 1% to take the Village to 8%? Or would they reduce their proposed increase to only .5% and still maintain an overall rate of 7.5%? My opinion is that I think people would be ok increasing to 7.5%, but attempting to go to 8% might cause this to fail. Thoughts?

Unofficial voting results

Well the turnout in Lake County was overwhelming - with a whopping 15% of registered voters heading out to the polls! Below are unofficial results of the races that most greatly impacted Volozens!

(I used information from the Lake County Clerk's website at about 11pm)

VOLO VILLAGE PRESIDENT:
Village President Russell retains his position with 100% Yes votes (although there were only 67 votes cast)

VOLO VILLAGE CLERK:
Judith Rutishauser has been elected Village Clerk with 100% Yes votes (70 votes cast - 3 more than for the Village President!) :-)

VOLO VILLAGE TRUSTEES:
Buschick, Wagner & Evans captured the majority, but Wegener will be appointed to the unexpired 2 year term that was not contested.

BIG HOLLOW TAX INCREASE:
Overwhelmingly voted down by a more than 2-1 margin and it was only favored in three of the thirteen precincts, and just barely.

Possible property tax increase for Big Hollow

Below is an article from the 4/4/07 Daily Herald regarding the potential tax increase in Big Hollow school district. Before I publish the article, I must interject an editorial that I flat out oppose the increase:

1) Taxes on my measly $170,000 townhouse are already nearly $4,000 a year. This increase would cause that to be closer to $4,400. Utterly ridiculous, especially considering I am single, live alone and have no children. Yes, I know it's tax deductible, but to have a nearly 10% increase in my taxes on a 3% cost of living increase is a burden I do not feel that I should have to bear. For the larger units in my subdivision that are more in the mid $250s, we're talking close to *6,000* a year.

2) Why do we have *3* schools for primary age kids? They could easily consolidate the K-5 into one school and save money.

3) They just built two brand new, beautiful schools. Although I haven't toured them personally, I hear they are state of the art. Why did we put so much of our tax money into
these new schools when they already had a shortfall?

Yes, in order to attract people to the area and to have higher property values, the school district must be good, but this area will never become the next great place to live by 2012 if the taxes are so out of control, no one can afford to live here.

----

In a tough position

By Russell Lissau
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Supporters of a proposed tax-rate increase in Big Hollow School District 38 are pretty blunt when they describe the schools’ financial woes.

If voters don’t approve the 75-cent tax-rate increase, they say, the district’s multimillion-dollar deficit will continue spiraling out of control, an apparent free fall that eventually could lead to a state takeover.

“We have to put that out there because it is a real possibility,” said Boyce Carsella, a member of the Citizens Referendum Committee for Big Hollow Schools, the community group campaigning for the tax plan. “There’s no one (on the board or the committee) who wants to raise taxes. But this is the sad reality of it.”

Big Hollow includes portions of Fox Lake, Ingleside, Lakemoor, Volo and Round Lake. Roughly 1,450 students attend classes its three schools: a primary school for kindergartners through second graders; an elementary school for third- through fifth-graders and a middle school for sixth- through eighth-graders.

The proposal on April 17 ballots would boost the district’s limiting rate by 75 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation. It’s designed to help fund the operation of the schools and slow the growth of a budget deficit that’s projected to reach $31 million by 2012.

It won’t eliminate the district’s financial problems, however. The long-term solution must be decided by legislators who have the power to change how schools are funded, Carsella said.

If the proposal passes, the owner of a house valued at $100,000 will pay an extra $250 in taxes to the district in 2008, the ballot question explains. That figure would increase each of the next three years.

For the owner of a $300,000 house, the impact would be three times as great.

The ballot figures are estimates and don't include the senior or homestead exemptions or any other break that would lower a tax bill.

If voters reject the proposal, however, program cuts are possible, according to reports on the citizen group’s Web site at www.preservebighollow.org.

Options include eliminating afternoon kindergarten classes, shortening the school day, reducing bus routes and increasing class sizes.

Additionally, the deficit will continue growing unabated, which eventually could lead to a state takeover of the district, similar to what happened a few years ago in neighboring Round Lake Area Unit School District 116, Carsella said.

“Is it that dire today? No,” he said. “(But) it happened in the district right next to us.”

The question is the second tax plan to appear before District 38 voters in recent months. Residents overwhelmingly rejected a request for a $1.35 tax-rate increase in November.

Before deciding to put another referendum on the ballot, the school board explored many money-saving options but opted to simply consolidate bus routes and cut the number of routes from 22 to 12.

Bus service was singled out, Superintendent Ronald Pazanin said, because officials didn’t want to negatively affect educational programs.

The proposed $1.35 rate increase would have eventually helped erase the district’s deficit, Carsella said. Even though it won’t raise as much money as the first plan, officials proposed a lower amount this time because of the strong opposition in November.

“You can see the ‘rock-and-the-hard place’ position the schools are in,” Carsella said. “It’s a tough decision.”

Although no local groups have formed to oppose the tax plan, it’s found a foe in Libertyville business owner and political activist Jack L. Martin. Martin campaigned against the 2006 tax proposal and said he plans to contest the current one, too.

He declined recent interview requests, however.

Who Wants To Be A Board Member?

From the 3/29/07 Daily Herald:

Here’s contested village election where everyone will be a winner

By Lee Filas
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Thursday, March 29, 2007

There are no losers in Volo.

Even though four candidates are vying for three, 4-year seats on the Volo village board, the candidate who doesn’t win the position on Election Night will be appointed to an open 2-year trustee position at the very next board meeting, Volo officials said.

The four candidates running for the three open positions on the ballot are Bill Evans, 34, Leroy Wegener, 75, Bruce Buschick, 52, and Mike Wagner, 36.

Mayor Burnell Russell said he will appoint the candidate who comes in fourth on the ballot on April 17 to one of two uncontested 2-year terms currently on the ballot.

He added it will be up to the village board whether to approve the appointment, but said he doesn’t see any problems with that happening.

“All of them want to serve, so I think they should,” he said. “I’ll put the person up and see if the board approves it. Then, we’ll have to appoint another person for the vacant position.”

He said the real problem will be finding that final person needed to serve out the remaining 2-year term on the board.

He said he doesn’t have any names on a short list to choose from for the vacant position.

In fact, he added, the one person he was thinking about appointing plans to move out of town before the term starts.

“So, now, I have no one,” he said. “I’m sure someone will step up, but if not, we’ll just keep pushing forward.”

He said anyone interested in being a Volo village board member should contact village hall at (815) 344-4771.

Speed Trap on 12

After living in Volo for almost 9 months, I continue to ask myself why the speed limit drops to 45 mph just prior to and just after the intersection of 12 and 120 and then increases back to 55 mph again. At first I thought it may have been because of a high accident rate but when I studied the boundary lines, I realized that the stretch of 12 starts in Volo, then becomes Lakemoor right when the speed limit drops, and then returns to Volo when the speed limit increases. A matter of safety or a matter of extra revenue generated by Lakemoor for speeding tickets issued to unsuspecting individuals who don't slow down fast enough??