Crime & Safety
Voters Reject Algonquin-LITH Fire District Tax Hike
The tax hike referendum, if passed, would have helped address declining revenue in the fire district.
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Voters cast 4,591 “yes” votes for the referendum and 5,265 “no votes,” according to unofficial results. Here is a look at the full referendum as it appeared on Tuesday's ballot:
PROPOSITION TO CREATE A NEW TAX RATE FOR EMERGENCY AND RESCUE FUND PURPOSES
Shall the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District, Kane and McHenry Counties, Illinois, be authorized to levy a new tax for emergency and rescue crews and equipment purposes and have an additional tax of .10% of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property therein extended for such purposes?
Due to several issues at the polls Tuesday, it took the McHenry County Clerk's Office nearly 48 hours to tally the unofficial results, according to the Northwest Herald. Now, one local politician is calling on the State Board of Elections to investigate the clerk's office's handling of the election.
>>> State Board of Elections Asked to Investigate Primary Election Day Issues in McHenry County
If passed, the Algonquin-LITH Fire District tax would have brought in $900,000 more each year for the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District, according to the Daily Herald. That money would have been used to support emergency and rescue crews and purchase new equipment.
The increase, the first the fire district has requested since 1997 when it began offering full-time ambulance service, was meant to address declining revenue from a variety of areas.
One of the biggest drops in revenue for the district came when the federal government decided to no longer allow the fire district to own and operate a radio frequency fire alarm monitoring system, according to fire officials. In 2013, the fire district brought in $407,000 by providing radio frequency alarms to commercial property in the district, according to the Northwest Herald.
Another big cost for the fire protection district has come from the addition of the Affordable Care Act, which now requires the fire district to provide part-time firefighters with paid health insurance, according to the fire protection district. This change costs the fire district an estimated $200,000, the Northwest Herald reports. Declining property values and an increase in the cost for workers' compensation insurance have also contributed to less money in the fire district's coffers, according to the fire district.
To try and balance its budget, the fire district has reduced staff, cutting administrative positions by 40 percent and reducing the number of on-duty rescue personnel from 18 to 15, according to the fire district.
The Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District covers 24 square miles and operates three rescue stations. Firefighters and rescue crews respond to over 3,700 emergency calls each year.
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