3 Fox Valley referendums: Gail Borden, Sleepy Hollow, fire district

Voters in the Fox Valley will have three referendum questions on Tuesday's ballot, including one asking if they want to add land on the western edge of the Gail Borden Public Library District.

The results would affect an estimated 870 unserved households east of Route 47, generally north of Burlington Road and south of Plank Road, mostly in Elgin and Plato Township.

Both library district residents and residents of those unserved areas will be asked the question.

The new district members would start paying library taxes in 2015. For a house with an assessed value of $150,000, library taxes are estimated at about $240 annually, library officials said.

Sleepy Hollow voters will decide whether to approve an 82 percent property tax increase, nearly doubling what they now pay. The village is seeking to collect an additional $478,571 yearly from its more than 3,300 residents.

If approved, the owner of a $200,000 home would pay roughly $310 more in property taxes to the village in 2015.

Officials plan to use the additional revenue for long-term capital expenses, including police squad cars, dump trucks and snow plows.

Voters in and near Wasco and Campton Hills will decide whether to disconnect from the Elburn and Countryside Fire Protection District to join the Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue District.

Fox River has more than $4 million in debt after it built and equipped two fire stations since it started running its own calls in 2011, while the Elburn district started saving for a new station after voters approved a tax rate increase in 2002.

The Elburn district has appealed the Kane County court ruling that allowed the referendum to be placed on the ballot, and the judge has agreed to stay certification of the election results pending the outcome of the appeal.​