Grayslake fire district proposes tax increase
Safety and the need for a third station are the driving forces behind a tax increase sought by the Grayslake Fire Protection District, supporters say.
A referendum question on the Nov. 4 ballot will ask for a 17-cent property tax increase per $100 of equalized assessed valuation. If approved, the tax rate would go from 43 cents to 60 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Figures show an owner of a $200,000 market value home within Grayslake Fire Protection District's boundaries would pay an extra $100 in taxes the first year if the ballot measure succeeds.
Gregory Koeppen, a member of Friends of the Grayslake Fire Protection District group backing the tax hike, said approval of the request will allow pursuit of the third station. It would be in the district's southwest area near Alleghany and Peterson roads.
Koeppen said typical response times can be up to 11 minutes, almost double the 6-minute response time considered acceptable by the National Fire Protection Association. He said the response times would drop with a third station near Alleghany and Peterson, not far from the 55-and-older Saddlebrook Farms subdivision.
While the request for more money comes in a down economy, Koeppen said a major selling point is ensuring safety.
"You want good schools," Koeppen said, "and you want solid police and fire protection."
At a recent board meeting, Fire Chief Donald Mobley provided his vision for the department's future that includes the third firehouse, additional manpower and more equipment.
"There has been significant growth in both our population and requests for service in the past 10 years," Mobley said. "When combined with the increase in traffic congestion Lake County has seen, our response times are becoming unacceptably long."
Grayslake Fire Protection District doesn't just include the namesake village. Third Lake, Round Lake Park, Round Lake Beach and unincorporated Lake County areas of Wildwood, Gages Lake, Highland Lake and Fremont Township also are within the district's boundaries.
Two fire stations serve the district. One is in downtown Grayslake and the other is to the east on Brae Loch Road near College of Lake County.