Gurnee mayor urges schools to abandon referendum

Gurnee Mayor Kristina Kovarik tried to convince Woodland Elementary District board members Thursday night to drop their support of referendum on a 1 percentage point increase in Lake County's sales tax to help finance construction at all local schools.

Board members didn't say if they're willing to retreat from their stance, but they heard Kovarik stress how more than 50 percent of Gurnee's general fund is fueled by the sales tax. Kovarik said she's fearful shoppers would flee her village for nearby Wisconsin if the county's sales tax rises from 6.5 percent.

Kovarik told the Gurnee-based Woodland District 50 board that she won't support the 1 percentage point hike in the sales tax if the question goes before voters in November.

"You're pitting us against each other," Kovarik said. "Then I have to go against the school board."

District 50 board member Mark Vondracek said school officials have to consider new revenue sources. Another board member, Lawrence Gregorash, said he and his colleagues aren't supporting a tax hike - just the idea of it going to a vote.

Elected board members at Woodland, Waukegan Unit District, Millburn Elementary District and Big Hollow Elementary District have passed resolutions backing a sales tax increase referendum in November. Mundelein-based Diamond Lake Elementary District board members are expected to address the topic this month.

Under a state law that took effect late last year, school boards representing 51 percent of the student population of a county are allowed to pass resolutions to put the sales tax question on the ballot. Local county boards can put the tax increase to a vote on their own or at the request of schools.

At minimum, it would take support from the 11 largest of Lake County's 45 school districts to get the measure on the ballot.

Sales tax cash would help pay for school renovations, architects, new buildings, land acquisition and other construction-related expenses across Lake County. The money also could be used to pay off debt from past construction projects.

Lake County school districts would receive $550 per student annually if the 1 percentage point sales tax gains voter approval. Woodland would get about $3.85 million under that formula.