Annexation a surprise for some Mundelein taxpayers

Decisions made more than a year ago recently surprised some Mundelein area residents when they opened their property tax bills.

Those living in some unincorporated areas in the area known as Ivanhoe found they had been unknowingly annexed into the Mundelein Park & Recreation District.

With that came several hundred dollars in added taxes, a situation some would like to change.

"My idea was to get as many people as I could to attend the next (park board) meeting and tell them we're not happy about it," said Glenn Garamoni, a resident on Lemon Road, just east of Route 60/83.

Several homes on Lemon Road and other properties in nearby areas were absorbed by the park district in five separate annexations in January and March 2008.

Altogether, about 78 parcels of land comprising about 129 acres were brought into the district, according to Margaret Resnick, executive director.

She said small areas can be annexed if completely surrounded by a taxing body.

Resnick had been on the job about a year when the board directed her to "clean up our boundaries," she said of the decision to annex.

"We're just closing up our boundaries is what we're doing," she said.

The district was required to publish a notice of the pending action not more than two weeks or less than one week before the board considered the matter. Individual property owners were not notified directly, she added.

Some residents argued the legal notice was easily missed and many had no idea what was happening.

"They went about it the wrong way. They didn't come to us because they knew they'd get shot down right away," said Ken Tekampe, a Park Avenue resident.

Garamoni said his tax bill increased about $500. He chided the park board in a letter for their "grab at my wallet."

"My goal would be to get us de-annexed. I think that's what most people would be hoping for."

Resnick said some people thought it was a money grab but that is not the case. She did not know how much revenue the annexed areas will generate.

"People have called and they're very upset with me," she said. "I'm just following the state statute."