Algonquin-LITH Fire Tax Referendum is Back After Failing March Vote

Residents living in the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District will again be asked to vote on a tax to help cover declining revenue during the Nov. 8 general election.

The same referendum failed in March. And as was the case in March, residents living in the district will be asked to pay an additional tax of .10% of the equalized assessed value on their property. That amounts to about $65 more per year for the owner of a $200,000 home, according to the fire district.

The tax hike requests are the first tax increases the fire district has requested since 1997 when it began offering full-time ambulance service. The additional funds will address declining revenue from a variety of areas.

On Wednesday, the fire protection district will host its final informational meeting on the emergency and rescue tax. The public meeting will be held at the fire district headquarters, located at 1020 W. Algonquin Road in Lake in the Hills, at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 2.

Algonquin-LITH Fire Protection District Sees Drop in Revenue, Increase in Costs

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.

In addition, the Affordable Care Act has required the fire district to provide health insurance to part-time employees--an added cost for fire protection district. If passed, the tax hike would also ensure a fund for the replacement of rescue vehicles is maintained, according to a fire district press release.

To address the declines in revenue and increase in costs, the fire district has already reduced administrative staff by 50 percent and on-duty fire-rescue staffing from 18 to 15 personnel per day. The 15 fire personnel on duty is below the National Fire Protection Association’s recommendation of 17, according to the Northwest Herald.

Without the tax hike, Fire Chief Peter Van Dorpe said the residents living in the fire district will see a reduced level of service.

In March, 53 percent of voters rejected the referendum. In total, 8,595 cast their ballot on the tax hike this past spring.

• Voters Reject Algonquin-LITH Fire District Tax Hike

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.

Here is a look at the full referendum as it will appear on the November general election ballot:

ALGONQUIN FIRE DISTRICT: 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?
(1) The approximate amount of taxes extendable at the most recently extended limiting rate is $8,861,489, and the approximate amount of taxes extendable if the proposition is approved is $9,758,419.
(2) For the 2016 levy year the approximate amount of the additional tax extendable against property containing a single family residence and having a fair market value at the time of the referendum of $100,000 is estimated to be $33.33.

More via the Northwest Herald and the Algonquin Lake in the Hills Fire Protection website.