McHenry County Treasurer Candidate Says He Intentionally Paid Property Taxes Late

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — Democratic McHenry County treasurer candidate Amin Karim acknowledged intentionally paying property taxes late on properties he owns in McHenry and Lake counties, according to Shaw Local.

Property records show three of Karim's properties have gone to tax sales a combined five times, although he said he has always paid the delinquent taxes before losing the properties. Karim said he deliberately delayed the payments to invest the money in his real estate businesses rather than borrow from banks, claiming his investments generated returns of 25 to 30 percent, according to the article.

The McHenry County Republican Party criticized his payment history, questioning whether someone who repeatedly missed property tax deadlines should oversee the county's tax collection system.

Karim, who is challenging incumbent Republican Treasurer Donna Kurtz in the Nov. 3 election, defended his decisions as legal financial strategies and accused Republicans of attempting to create controversy over the issue, according to the Shaw Local article.

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