McHenry County Voters: Local Referenda On Your Ballots

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — In the November election, voters in McHenry County will be presented with more options to think about than who will be the next governor or member of congress. Referenda will ask for feedback on public officials' term limits, city projects, tax increases, school district improvements and other important issues.

Here's a breakdown of referenda questions on the November ballot:

MCHENRY COUNTY:

• In all McHenry County regions, voters will be asked about term limits for the Office of County Board. Residents will be asked if they think any Office of County Board member who has previously served in the position for twelve cumulative years should be eligible to seek re-election, beginning in 2022.
• Voters will also be asked if any Office of County Board Chairman who has previously served in the position for ten years should be eligible to seek re-election, beginning in 2020.

CITY OF MCHENRY:

• Voters will be asked if the city of McHenry should build an addition to the McHenry Recreation Center that will include an indoor pool, a gymnasium and an outdoor family aquatic park — and issue its bonds in an amount not to exceed $30 million — to construct the improvements. Annually, for twenty years, the increase to the city's portion of a property tax bill would not exceed $1.08 per $1,000 of the “fair cash value” of the taxable property, according to the records of the McHenry County Treasurer.

VILLAGE OF GREENWOOD:

• Voters will be asked of the village should be authorized to levy a new tax for roadway maintenance purposes and to have an additional tax of .25 percent of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property extended for the maintenance.

MCHENRY TOWNSHIP - OBJECTION PENDING:

• The ballot will include a question about whether the Road District of the Township of McHenry should be abolished, and should the rights, powers, duties, assets, property, liabilities, obligations, and responsibilities of the district be assumed by the Township of McHenry.

WILLIAM RAINEY HARPER COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT NO. 512:

• Voters will be asked about a proposition to issue $180 million in General Obligation Community College Bonds. The ballot will ask whether the Board of Trustees of William Rainey Harper Community College District No. 512 (Counties of Cook, Kane, Lake and McHenry and State of Illinois) should acquire real property, build and equip new buildings, build and equip additions to and alter, equip, repair and renovate existing buildings of the district and issue the bonds of the community college to an amount not to exceed $180 million.

HEBRON TOWNSHIP:

• The ballot will include a question about the extension limitation under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for the Hebron Township. Voters will be asked if the limitation should be increased from the lesser of 5 percent or the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index over the prior levy year to 7.31 percent per year for 2018.

1. For the 2018 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 $4.15.
2. Based upon an average annual percentage increase in the market value of such property of 4.7 percent, the approximate amount of the additional tax extendable against such property for the 2019 levy year is estimated to be $4.35 and for the 2020 levy year is estimated to be $4.55.

COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT NUMBER 156, MCHENRY AND LAKE COUNTIES, IL:

• Voters will be asked whether the Board of Education of McHenry Community High School District Number 156 (McHenry and Lake Counties) should upgrade the McHenry West High School Campus and the McHenry East High School Campus, which would improve student safety, security and learning environments; construct infrastructure improvements including roofs, ventilation, environmental units, doors, plumbing, electrical improvements, parking lots, walkways and other ADA compliance improvements at both campuses; construct a Science, Technology and Industry Center at West Campus; expand West Campus to add classrooms to replace 26-year-old mobile classrooms and to accommodate additional students; and renovate East Campus classrooms; and issue bonds of the School District to the amount of $44 million for the projects' costs.

MARENGO PARK DISTRICT:
Advisory – Non-Binding Referendum

• The ballot will include a question about re-opening the pool located within Indian Oaks Park of the Marengo Park District, which would require a significant property tax increase to pay the costs of investigating the current state of the pool, repairing and rebuilding the pool and maintaining it in the future. Should the investigation of the current state of the pool be approved, an additional significant property tax increase would be required to pay for the rebuilding, repairing and maintaining of the pool for the future. Voters will be asked if they approve a significant increase to their property taxes to acquire funds not exceeding $150,000 to pay for the investigation of the current state of the pool.

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