Important to attend county budget meeting

In Kane County, we have taken enormous strides to construct budget/taxation transparency and accountability. I am firmly in favor of continuing our five-year county government property tax levy freeze.

However, it takes an entire team effort of all elected officials and department directors to produce that fiscally disciplined approach. Several preliminary agency budgets have been submitted that total more than $5 million in more spending than last year. If you and the county board don't require substantial reductions, the county property tax levy will increase for the first time in six years. I am sounding the alarm while there's still time to react.

Come to the Kane County Committee of the Whole meeting at 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 26, at the Kane County Government Center, Building A, 719 Batavia Ave., in Geneva to see presentations of budgets that will affect your property taxes.

Some people inaccurately say that taxpayers don't care because they don't show up to budget meetings. Judging by the number of families and businesses that are leaving Illinois because they're being taxed out of their homes, I don't believe them.

Other people say that county government taxation doesn't matter because it's only nickels and dimes on the property tax bill when compared to schools. Again, I think they're wrong.

Public comment will come later in the budget process once all the pieces are fit together, but important information will be presented Tuesday night. Please protect yourself and your home from higher taxes. Join us for a meeting that matters and see for yourself what's being proposed by some agency heads.

Christopher J. Lauzen

Kane County Board Chairman