'Evanskie' Residents Tired Of Paying Tax On Both Evanston And Skokie Park Districts

SKOKIE, IL — A group of Evanston homeowners has submitted a formal request last week to be removed from the Skokie Park District, saying they should not have to pay taxes in two park districts at once, the Skokie Review reports.

The roughly 180 homeowners who live in a three-block corner of northwest Evanston on the border with both Wilmette and Skokie (sometimes termed "Evanskie") currently pay for Evanston parks through their property tax assessments.

But they also pay separate taxes to the Skokie Park District, according to Evanston resident Craig McClure. He has been organizing efforts to secede from the district, and last Thursday he submitted signatures representing 120 households seeking to sever themselves from Skokie taxes, according to the Skokie Review.

"The statement didn't make sense to me and I didn't realize it was happening so some research was required," McClure told the paper.

The executive director of the Skokie Park District told the paper he expects its board to vote on the matter next month. He endorsed the group's attempt to disconnect from the district.

If the group is successful in its efforts to be removed from the district, the Skokie Review reports the following things will occur:

• Evanston residents would still have to pay taxes on all outstanding debt borrowed by Skokie (an estimated 11 percent of their annual bill.)
• The Skokie Park District would lose about $77,000 in annual tax revenue.
• The group of Evanston residents would no longer be able to qualify for resident rates for park district events and activities.

» Read more from the Skokie Review

Top image: Approximate borders of "Evanskie", a region of Evanston that pays taxes to the Skokie Park District | via Google Maps