Bill to vote on a tax decrease.

Today's Northwest Herald has an article about a Bill that would although voters to vote on a tax decrease for schools. Although this Bill is an excellent ideal it is highly unlikely that this Bill will pass. The teachers' unions in Illinois have now become so strong that they donate large sums of your tax dollars to both republican and democrat legislators.

Bill would turn tide on D-158's tax rate


[published on Tue, Nov 1, 2005]
State lawmakers are making a last-ditch effort to craft legislation that could help undo a controversial District 158 property-tax increase.

Voters in Algonquin, Huntley and Lake in the Hills were stunned after learning that a 55-cent tax-rate increase approved in November 2004 could increase taxes by more than double that amount. Members of the General Assembly have debated multiple bills to prevent a similar misstep in the future and possibly to keep District 158 from losing millions of dollars in state aid.

State Rep. Mike Tryon, R-Crystal Lake, said lawyers were reviewing changes to Senate Bill 1682, which could allow voters to decide on a tax reduction. He said the original bill would be replaced with language from Senate Bill 2123, sponsored by state Sen. Don Harmon, a Democrat from Oak Park.

"We have the ability in this bill to run a [tax] rate decrease," Tryon said.

But there is no consensus on whether this bill or others could result in a tax decrease for school districts. State school code does not mention a tax decrease, and Tryon's bill might not address the school-code issue.

Scott Nemanich, a lawyer who represents District 158, said he had not seen the revised bill so he could not comment. He said he expected to offer an opinion today on the bill's ability to provide the mechanism for a tax rollback.

After meeting last week with House and Senate staffers in Springfield, District 158 officials had mixed views on the tax legislation being debated in the General Assembly.

School board President Mike Skala said he had confidence in legislation accomplishing the board's goal to seek a tax decrease. Board member Larry Snow said attorneys for the district were not optimistic about the passage of a bill that would resolve the tax issue.

Tryon said, "If we have to amend the school code, it's a long shot at best."

The fate of the bill rests in the hands of House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat who decides which bills will be sent to the House floor before the fall veto session ends Friday.

By STEVE BROSINSKI
sbrosinski@nwherald.com