No taxation without representation in EG
A previous vote by the Elk Grove Village Library Trustees reflect that the taxpayer is best represented by providing full library services to some 12,000 non-taxpayers residents west of Rohlwing Road.
We also have two nontaxpaying trustees determine the taxes we should pay to provide their free library services.
But here is another fact. Village residents west of Rohlwing Road can also be elected to the Schaumburg Twp. District Library Board, which receives their taxes and provides their library services.
That’s right, they can be elected to a library board to which they pay taxes and can also be elected to a library board to which they pay no taxes. The Elk Grove Village Library Board evidently believes this situation represents responsible and responsive local government and doesn’t require correction since they voted (6-1) to maintain the status quo.
This is a matter of electoral fairness and taxpayer representation. The current nontaxpaying library trustees should have no rights to tell taxpayers how their tax dollars are to be spent. If they want that privilege, get elected to the Schaumburg Twp. library.
It is time to finally acknowledge the results of the 1983 referendum. Residents west of Rohlwing Road, by majority vote, determined that their property taxes for library services should go to the Schaumburg Library and not to the Elk Grove Village Library. It is time to redefine the boundaries of the Elk Grove Library so only taxpayers east of Rohlwing are eligible to be represented on the Board.
It is time for accountability by having only elected officials on the board that also pay the same taxes as the rest of us based on their decisions on tax levies, tax increases, indebtedness and service levels. Taxpayers should not be represented by non-taxpayers.
If some archaic state law permits this aberration, then seek the support of our state senator and state representative to amend the legislation. The status quo fails to address a taxpayer’s right to representative local government. And the status quo will only change if our elected library trustees work to correct the situation.
Gary Parrin
Elk Grove Village