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Archive for the ‘McHenry’ Category

Algonquin Township Annual Town Meeting Tuesday

Posted in County, McHenry, Overhead, Politics, Property Taxes, Unions on April 10, 2026| Leave a Comment »

PUBLIC NOTICE TOWNSHIP OF ALGONQUIN ANNUAL TOWN MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to the legal voters and residents of the Township of Algonquin in the County of McHenry and the State of Illinois, that the Annual Town Meeting of Algonquin Township shall be held on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at the hour of 7:00 PM at the Algonquin Township Office Building at 3702 US Highway 14, Crystal Lake, IL.

Agenda
1. Call to order
2. Election and Oath of Moderator
3. Approve minutes of the April 8, 2025, Annual Town Meeting
4. Audience Participation
5. Old Business
6. New Business – Motions to:

1. Set the date of the 2027 Annual Town Meeting as April 13, 2027, at 7:00 PM.
2. To authorize the Board of Trustees and the Road District to provide mosquito abatement services in the unincorporated areas of the Township.
3. To Authorize the Road Commissioner to sell excess equipment
Adjournment

Millie Medendorp Algonquin Township Clerk Posted 03-17-2026

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Special Equestrian Commission (Riding Club) meets tonight

Posted in Agendas, Animal Welfare, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, BraveHearts, Commercial Horse Boarding, County, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, Goat Rodeo, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Lighting Ordinance, Massbach Hounds, McHenry, Open Meetings Act, Organizations, Overhead, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, The Other Half, Unions, Well Water Quality on March 16, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Equestrian Commission/Riding Club will be meeting this evening at 6:30 PM. Topics on their agenda include:

  • McHenry County Conservation District’s Comprehensive Plan
  • Animal Disaster Preparedness Plan, and
  • Equestrian Signage

A copy of the agenda can be viewed here.

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How much did Illinois take from your town’s income taxes?

Posted in Cook, County, Illinois Policy Institute, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Politics, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes on December 23, 2025| 1 Comment »

Illinois local governments lost out on over $10.9 billion in income tax revenue since fiscal year 2012. Here’s what your city or county lost.

By Patrick Andriesen | Illinois Policy Institute

Illinois local governments lost out on more than $10.9 billion in income tax revenue since fiscal year 2012, thanks to state lawmakers cutting the share of income taxes promised to municipalities and counties.

The state kept the difference.

An Illinois Policy Institute analysis found state lawmakers’ decision to reduce the local share from 10% of net income tax collections to less than 7% has cost municipalities over $9.49 billion since FY 2012. That includes cities, towns and villages and meant fewer dollars for programs and services, infrastructure, and potential property tax relief.

Use our table below to find out how much more income tax revenue your municipality would have received.

In addition to the municipal losses, county governments lost another $1.43 billion. Use our table below to find out much more income tax revenue your county would have collected.

More here.

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Illinois firefighter pensions torch local finances

Posted in BCFPD, Cook, Cost of Living, County, Illinois Policy Institute, Jewel-Osco, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Overhead, Property Taxes, Taxes, Unions on November 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »

In Lake County and across Illinois, fire pensions are driving up property taxes and leaving fewer resources for safety.

By LyLena Estabine | Illinois Policy Institute

Chicago fire pensions may be close to insolvency, but the city is not alone: firefighter pensions are consuming most of the resources needed to keep communities safe.

Statewide, the most recent data shows municipal fire department increased property taxes by $371.6 million between 1996 and 2023, adjusted for inflation. While the total tripled, pensions have gone from taking less than half of the property taxes to taking nearly three-fourths: $311.6 million more in 2023 than in 1996.

Actual fire protection operated on $60 million more than in 1996.

Firefighters receive generous pensions, and rightly so given the dangerous nature of their work. However, when those benefits become overpromised – as they have become in Illinois – they undermine retirement security and reduce the amount of money available for service. Police and fire pensions outside of Chicago reported combined liabilities of $493.1 billion in 2024, with only 49 cents on hand for each dollar owed.

The low funding ratio isn’t because property taxes aren’t going towards pensions. In most counties more property tax revenue is going towards pensions than in the past. In 1996, 48% of these revenues went toward pensions compared to 73% in 2023. A similar pattern can be seen in counties across the state.

That doesn’t mean every town is cutting back on fire services, but it does mean an increasing share of local tax dollars is being consumed by pension costs rather than the services residents rely on.

At 1.83% of their home’s value each year, Illinoisans pay the highest average effective property tax rate in the nation. But in some communities, it’s worse than that figure would indicate.

Read more here.

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McHenry County Board proposes tax levy increase while also looking for spending cuts

Posted in County, McHenry, Property Taxes, Shaw Local, Taxes on October 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The McHenry County Administration Building in Woodstock on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. The McHenry County Board is schedule to vote on the county budget this evening. | Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver

By Claire O’Brien | Shaw Local

McHenry County officials still are looking for ways to cut expenses and increase revenue as the County Board gets ready to vote on next year’s budget and a proposed property tax levy increase.

The McHenry County Board is considering whether to increase its levy to where it was before voters approved a sales tax increase to fund the county’s Mental Health Board, which came with a promise to lower the property tax levy by a commensurate amount.

The so-called “lookback” option comes as county leaders have worked to close a projected $3.7 million budget gap for next year.

On Tuesday, county board member Eric Hendricks proposed sending the budget and levy back to the county’s finance committee.

County board Chair Mike Buehler declined to take up Hendricks’ proposal, but Hendricks pressed the point. After some procedural back-and-forth, Hendricks’ effort failed.

Read more here.

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McHenry County Board gives raises to elected officials

Posted in County, McHenry, Politics, Property Taxes, Taxes on September 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The McHenry County Board has approved pay raises for various elected officials in the county. | Claire O’Brien/Shaw Local News Network

By Claire O’Brien | Shaw Media Group

McHenry County elected officials will receive pay raises to kick off their next terms.

The McHenry County Board approved the raises this week without discussion or a separate vote.

Instead, the raises were approved Tuesday as part of a consent agenda, which typically consists of a group of routine items bundled for a single vote. The measures passed 16-1, with board member Eric Hendricks casting the sole no vote. Larry Smith was absent.

The raises got approved in the middle of a tight budget season for the county. Officials said they expect expenses to outpace revenue by roughly $3.7 million during the next fiscal year, which begins Dec. 1.

Salaries have been discussed for the past few months since County Clerk Joe Tirio, who also handles the responsibilities of the county recorder, did pay comparisons and brought his request to the board.

Tirio said his job’s pay should increase because it had not kept pace with inflation. He also cited safety issues and harassment that county clerks and election officials have faced in recent years.

Currently, the clerk-recorder, treasurer, auditor, coroner and circuit clerk earn a base salary of $114,000 per year.

With the new raises, the clerk-recorder and treasurer salaries will increase to $154,000 starting late next year, when the new terms for those offices start after the 2026 elections.

Read more here.

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Village Board of Trustees meet tonight

Posted in Aunt Blabby, BACOG, Barrington High School, Building Department, Clown Car, Conflict of interest, Dinky, ePacket Agendas, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Finance Committee, Hill ‘n Dale Farm, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Pension Funding, Plan Commission, Police Pension Board, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Roads & Bridges Committee, Taxes, Traffic, Unions, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Clerk, Village Code, Village Director of Administration, Village Engineer, Village Government, Village President, Village Treasurer, Yabba Dabba Doo, Zoning Board on August 25, 2025| 3 Comments »

The “Cecola Room” depicted in planned $328,500 Village Hall renovations.

The Village Board of Trustees will be conducting their regular monthly meeting this evening beginning at 6:30 PM. Items on their agenda include:

A copy of their agenda can be viewed and downloaded here.

Related: “‘It is an enclave’: Developer defends concept of gated community on former PepsiCo site in Barrington,” “Barrington Plan Commission Public Hearing regarding proposed 88 single-family home development at former PepsiCo site continues Tuesday,” “Barrington luxury home proposal draws criticism from plan commissioners, residents, park district,” “Barrington Plan Commission Public Hearing tomorrow night regarding planned 88 single-family residential homes at former PepsiCo site,” “Barrington posts further information on proposed Claremont development,” “Barrington posts Public Hearing notice regarding proposed 88 home development at former PepsiCo site,” “88 custom home development planned for former PepsiCo Research & Development Center property in Barrington”

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11719 Ridge Road application withdrawn from August 6th MC Planning, Zoning and Land Use Staff Plat Review Committee agenda

Posted in BCFPD, Citizens for Conservation, County, Hill ‘n Dale Farm, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, McHenry, Plan Commission, Privacy, Public Safety, Real Estate, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, VBHPD, Zoning Board on August 4, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The agenda for Wednesday’s McHenry County Planning, Zoning and Land Use Staff Plat Review Committee meeting now states, “As of August 4, 2025, the applicant for this case (11719 Ridge Road) has withdrawn their application,” as seen above.

A link to the revised agenda can be found here.

Related: “McHenry County Planning, Zoning and Land Use Staff Plat Review Committee Public Meeting scheduled August 6th regarding 11719 Ridge Road application,” “Commercial development planned off Ridge Road in unincorporated McHenry County”

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McHenry County Planning, Zoning and Land Use Staff Plat Review Committee Public Meeting scheduled August 6th regarding 11719 Ridge Road application

Posted in BCFPD, Bicyclists, Citizens for Conservation, County, Entertainment, Hill ‘n Dale Farm, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, McHenry, Plan Commission, Privacy, Public Safety, Real Estate, Traffic, VBHPD, Zoning Board on July 31, 2025| 2 Comments »

A meeting of the McHenry County Staff Plat Review Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, August 6th at 8:30 AM to discuss an application for, “seven (7) Conditional Use Permits and one (1) Variance,” at 11719 Ridge Road.

The item on the agenda reads:

4.1    Z25-0062, Goldman, A-1 to A-1CV, Algonquin Twp

PIN:  20-32-400-006, 11719 Ridge Road, Barrington

Applicant is seeking seven (7) Conditional Use Permits and one (1) Variance

1) Intensive Agritourism with a variance to reduce the minimum acreage from twenty (20) to thirteen and a half (13.5) acres, 2) Agriculture Employee Housing, 3) Reception Facility, 4) Community Center, 5) Day Camp, 6) Art Gallery, and 7) Vacation Rental Facility

A copy of the agenda with attachments can be viewed and downloaded here.

Related: “Commercial development planned off Ridge Road in unincorporated McHenry County”

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Village Board of Trustees meet tonight

Posted in Aunt Blabby, BACOG, Clown Car, County, Dinky, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Dumb and Dumber, ePacket Agendas, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Going green, Heritage and Environs Committee, Hill ‘n Dale Farm, Insurance Committee, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Disconnection, McHenry, Minutes, Open Meetings Act, Pension Funding, Plan Commission, Police Reports, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Traffic, Transparency, Unions, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Clerk, Village Code, Village Director of Administration, Village Engineer, Village President, Village Treasurer, Yabba Dabba Doo, Zoning Board on July 28, 2025| 1 Comment »

The Village Board of Trustees will be conducting their regular monthly meeting this evening beginning at 6:30 PM. Items on their agenda include:

A copy of their agenda can be viewed and downloaded here.

*“Commercial development planned off Ridge Road in unincorporated McHenry County“

Related: “Barrington luxury home proposal draws criticism from plan commissioners, residents, park district,” “Barrington Plan Commission Public Hearing tomorrow night regarding planned 88 single-family residential homes at former PepsiCo site,” “Barrington posts further information on proposed Claremont development,” “Barrington posts Public Hearing notice regarding proposed 88 home development at former PepsiCo site,” “88 custom home development planned for former PepsiCo Research & Development Center property in Barrington”

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