Parks, schools dominate Lake County's February ballot

Lake County voters will be asked to approve money to fund an outdoor water park in Wauconda, a new library in Fox Lake, and improvements and operations at several school districts this February.

Most of the dozen local governments with referendums on the Feb. 5 ballot are asking for approval to borrow funds or raise tax rates, either to pay for projects or boost cash for operations. Thursday was the last chance to certify ballot questions.

While many of the governments had already made their plans known, there were a few last-minute surprises, one being the request by Volo to gain home rule status.

Volo Mayor Burnell Russell said the village is seeking home rule authority because officials would like to raise the sales tax as a result of businesses looking to come into town, which according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimate has 216 people.

He said as more businesses locate in town, roads will need to be upgraded.

"We have major roads like Route 12, Route 120 and Route 60 that will all need roadwork when we add commercial businesses," Russell said. "By declaring home rule status, we can increase the sales tax and use that money to pay for the roads."

The sales tax in Volo now is 6½ percent. After the state and county take their share, Volo is left with only 1 percent of the receipts.

Russell said he wants to double the town's take to 2 percent of the receipts, with half of that going to road improvements.

Big Hollow School District 38 in Ingleside, which initially was planning to request an education fund increase, is instead asking voters to approve issuing $10 million in bonds to bolster its working cash fund.

The district had no luck getting education fund increases approved in 2006. Voters twice rejected raising property taxes, by $1.25 per $100 of equalized assessed valuation in April and 75 cents per $100 EAV in November.

Its money woes began with the growth in the student population by more than 1,000 students in the past decade. The district now serves 1,400.

Grant Community High School District 124 in Fox Lake is seeking voter approval on Feb. 5 for a $38.5 million addition at the school. The district wants to keep its tax rate the same as it is now, at $2.053.

If voted down, taxes would drop by about $150 annually.

If the plan is approved, the district would add about 21 classrooms, new science labs, art studios, family and consumer science labs, an activity center and a field house at the school, at Route 59 and Grand Avenue.

Here is a list of other referendums on the Feb. 5 ballot:

• Deer Park seeks voter approval to impose a 0.5 percent sales tax on people selling goods and services within the village. Proceeds would pay for road and drainage improvements.

• An advisory question asks Fox River Grove voters whether the village should be required to hold a public vote on how funding will be appropriated for planning and building the proposed streets and parks maintenance facility.

• An advisory question asks Hainesville voters whether the village should participate in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund as a benefit for its employees. The petition was submitted by a resident.

• Newport Township seeks voter permission to transfer surplus money -- $150,000 from the road and bridge fund, $250,000 from the gravel fund and $50,000 from the general town fund -- to the township capital projects fund to build a new town hall.

• Barrington Park District officials want voters to approve issuing $12 million in bonds for building and equipping a new recreational facility and demolishing and renovating portions of the existing recreational facility at Langendorf Park.

• Wauconda Park District officials want voters to approve issuing $12 million in bonds for building an outdoor water park and related facilities, and expanding and improving its community center.

• Fox Lake Public Library District officials are asking voters to approve issuing roughly $15 million in bonds to build a new library on Grand Avenue.

• Mundelein Elementary School District 75 has two questions on the ballot. They ask voters to approve issuing nearly $10 million in bonds to complete an array of projects at all four district schools. That includes making necessary health and life safety improvements and installing air conditioning.

• Antioch Fire Protection District officials are seeking voter approval to raise the limiting tax rate from 0.185 to a maximum 0.215 for four years, an increase of 40 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation, to provide around-the-clock staffing in downtown Antioch and one of the substations, either on Grass Lake or Deep Lake roads. If approved, the owner of a single-family home with a fair market value of $100,000 would pay an extra $71.67 in the calendar year 2009.