Referendum issues gain edge in Lake
Lake County voters were in a giving mood when it came to referendum questions.
Voters approved six referendums dealing with tax increases and building bonds and rejected three others. One question is still undecided, according to Tuesday's unofficial vote totals.
Here's how Lake County voted:
Big Hollow District 38
Voters passed a referendum to reinstate cut programs and reduce classes sizes.
With early ballot and absentee totals and all 13 precincts reporting, the question received 1,763 "yes" votes and 1,658 "no" votes.
It raises tax rates by 54 cents per $100 equalized assessed valuation for the purpose of boosting the district with a $10 million bond for the working cash fund.
"It's going to make a big impact on the education of the kids," said Phil Carter, head of the Big Hollow referendum committee.
Mundelein District 75
Voters approved two questions asking for nearly $10 million in bonds to finance repairs and improvements.
The requests were for $6.6 million to make a host of repairs and $3.3 million to install air conditioning.
With early voting and absentee ballot totals and all 15 precincts reporting, the measures received 4,638 "yes" votes and 2,483 "no" votes.
"I wouldn't say I was surprised, but I was holding my breath," said Charmela Anderson, co-chair of Citizens in Support of District 75 Schools.
Despite the approval, property tax bills will still drop because other debts are being retired.
Wauconda Park District
Voters rejected a request for $12 million in park bonds to build a new pool.
With early ballot and absentee totals and all 10 precincts reporting, the question received 1,459 "no" votes and 1,099 "yes" votes.
The proposal was for an outdoor pool and to expand the park district facility on Main Street. In 2000, a previous bid failed by 80 votes.
Referendum approval would have increased the tax rate by about 17 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation. It would have cost the owner of a $265,000 home about $142 per year.
Fox Lake Library:
Voters approved nearly $15 million in building bonds for a new Fox Lake library.
With early ballots and absentee totals, all 20 precincts in Lake County and one precinct in McHenry County reporting, the question received 3,059 "yes" votes and 2,619 "no" votes.
The owner of a $250,000 home will pay an additional $94 annually for the new library.
The proposed, two-story, 41,000-square-foot building would be more than double the size of the library at 255 E. Grand Ave.
Antioch Fire District:
Antioch Township voters rejected a tax-rate increase proposal by the fire protection district that would have provided around-the-clock fire coverage.
With early ballot and absentee totals and all 16 precincts reporting, the question received 1,384 "no" votes and 1,150 "yes" votes.
The measure would have more than doubled the tax rate from 19.8 cents per $100,000 of equalized value to 40 cents to provide the staffing in downtown Antioch and one of the substations.
The owner of a $200,000 home would have paid an extra $80 the first year.
Village of Hainesville:
Hainesville voters opposed a pension plan for village employees. The pension would be administered under the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund.
With early ballot and absentee totals and both precincts reporting, the question received 452 "no" votes and 133 "yes" votes.
Voters were asked if the village should commit to the IMRF for two full-time employees and four part-timers.
Ela Township:
Residents will have to wait to hear if the township can negotiate a contract on their behalf for garbage collection services in unincorporated areas.
The referendum question was mistakenly left off the optical scan ballot. Instead, township voters received a special pink ballot.
Those ballots will be placed in a cardboard ballot box and hand-counted. The results will not be known until the write-in candidate results are tallied and posted.
If the question is approved, it would not raise taxes for any township resident. Unincorporated residents would be billed individually by the chosen agency for services.
Grant High School
Grant High School residents approved a $38.5 million building proposal that won't result in higher taxes.
With early ballot and absentee totals and all 29 precincts reporting, the question received 4,891 "yes" votes and 3,126 "no" votes.
"A lot of credit goes out to the 100-plus volunteers and the community," said Kim Schnoor of Grant Citizens Helping Students.
The project will accommodate enrollment growth from 1,745 to 2,300 by 2014. Current capacity is 1,750.
Construction would add 111,400 square feet of space, including 21 classrooms. The project would be accomplished over two phases. It would feature activity center/field house, with seating for 2,500, targeted for the 2009-10 academic year.
The tax rate will remain at $2.053 per $100 equalized assessed value of a home. A referendum defeat would have cut the tax rate to about $1.85 per $100 equalized assessed valuation.
Village of Volo
Volo residents voted to give the village home rule powers as a precursor to the creation of a new local sales tax.
With early ballot and absentee totals and all four precincts reporting, the question received 145 "yes" votes and 135 "no" votes.
The village board now has the power to increase sales tax in town by a percentage point. The special tax would generate an extra $600,000 in revenue annually for new turn lanes, traffic lights and other transportation projects.