Interest grows in Lake County sales tax hike
An idea to increase Lake County's sales tax by 1 percentage point to help pay for construction-related expenses continues drawing interest, with the Grayslake Elementary District 46 board the latest to address the subject Monday.
Under a new state law, school boards representing at least 51 percent of the student population of a county are allowed to pass resolutions to get the sales tax question on the ballot. Local county board members can put the tax hike to a vote on their own or at the request of school districts.
So far this year, the Woodland Elementary District, Millburn Elementary District, Big Hollow Elementary District, Lake Villa Elementary District and Waukegan Unit District have supported letting voters decide in November whether Lake County's sales tax should be raised by 1 percentage point.
Mundelein High School board members are expected to vote tonight on whether to back the November referendum.
At Monday night's Grayslake District 46 meeting, Lake Villa Elementary Superintendent John Van Pelt gave a presentation on the mechanics of the new law. He said districts that support the idea would be endorsing only the concept of letting voters decide the issue.
The one-cent solution, as it's commonly called, "provides another solution for facility improvements and debt reduction," Van Pelt said.
Lake County school districts are projected to receive $550 per student annually if the 1-point increase receives voter approval. Grayslake District 46 would get about $2.3 million annually, under that formula.
Sales tax money from a 1-point hike would help pay for school renovations, architects, new buildings, land acquisition and other construction-related expenses across Lake County. The money also could be applied toward paying off debt from previous building projects.
At minimum, it would take resolutions from the 11 largest of Lake County's 45 school districts to place the question on the November ballot. Van Pelt said the school districts need to act by the end of May.