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PUBLIC NOTICE: Election for Park District (Riding Club) Commissioner-Candidate Filing Information

Posted in Animal Welfare, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, Big Red, Clown Car, Commercial Horse Boarding, Cook, Countryside Elementary School, County, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Don't Change Barrington Hills, Elections, Equestrian Commission, Ethics, Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, Goat Rodeo, Horizon Farm, Horse Boarding, Illinois State Board of Elections, Immigration, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Lake, Land Use, Look For The Union Label, Massbach Hounds, McHenry, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Save 5 Acres, SOS Party, Taxes, The Other Half, Unions, Your Barrington Hills on August 7, 2026| Leave a Comment »

PUBLIC NOTICE

Consolidated Election to be held April 6, 2027

To The Residents of The Barrington Hills Park District Cook, Lake and McHenry Counties, Illinois

Elections will be held to fill the following office:  Park District Commissioner

Number of positions: Three (3)  

All positions are for a four-year term

The candidate services provided here will assist prospective candidates locate the information and forms required to run for office.

Information contained within this section is for informational purposes only. Candidates are advised to seek appropriate legal counsel for any campaign issues. 

Candidates must file their certificates of nomination with the Barrington Hills Park District designated representative.

Petition Circulation Period: August 25, 2026 – November 23, 2026. Petitions may NOT be circulated prior to August 25, 2026

The filing of nomination petitions will be accepted at 361 Bateman Road, Barrington Hills IL 60010, in the Riding Center’s Meeting Room, November 16, 2026 through Monday November 23, 2026.  Office Hours will be posted here and on the online calendar.

Petitions may be filed in person by the candidate, a representative, or by mail to: Barrington Hills Park District, 364 Bateman Road, Barrington Hills, IL 60010. Nomination papers received in the mail before the first day of filing period will be returned to the sender as not filed.

Candidate’s Guide

Petition Documents:

Nonpartisan Petition Form (Petitions may NOT be circulated prior to August 25, 2026)
Statement of Candidacy: Nonpartisan
Loyalty Oath (optional):
Statement of Economic Interests: Filed with the Cook County Clerk. See page 22 in the Candidate’s Guide regarding filing the receipt.
Fair Campaign Practices Act (voluntary): Filed with the State Board of Elections.,

Source

 

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This ‘Wicked Cool’ Half-Female, Half-Male Bird Landed in Suburban Chicago — Offering a Rare Glimpse Into One of Nature’s Strangest Phenomena

Posted in Citizens for Conservation, Hill ‘n Dale Farm, WTTW News on August 6, 2026| Leave a Comment »

A composite image of the bobolink nicknamed Black and Tan, showing its male and female sides split down the middle. | Luke Dahlberg / Citizens for Conservation

By Patty Wetli  | WTTW News

Back in early spring, Luke Dahlberg, conservation seed program manager with the nonprofit Citizens for Conservation, was spending his Sunday at the office.

His “office,” to be fair, is the 200-plus acre Hill ‘N Dale nature preserve near Barrington Hills, and Dahlberg wanted to take advantage of the lighting to photograph birds, specifically male bobolinks arriving on their breeding grounds after wintering in the pampas of South America.

“That’s when they’re just singing like crazy, they’re showing themselves,” Dahlberg said. “And usually the female bobolinks will come back a couple weeks afterwards.”

After snapping pictures of every bobolink in sight, Dahlberg went home and began scrolling through his camera roll. One bird stood out.

Male bobolinks, as with many bird species, have far more striking breeding plumage than their female counterparts. Dahlberg described the fellas’ white back and black undersides as looking like a tuxedo worn backwards, with a blonde patch on their heads lending a Dennis Rodman-circa-mid-‘90s vibe.

The bird in question didn’t quite fit the profile.

“It turned its face and it was in non-breeding plumage,” Dahlberg said, which struck him as odd but he chalked it up to a strange molt pattern.

A couple weeks later, Dahlberg pointed out this same unusual bobolink to some visitors from Illinois Audubon Society and that’s when he learned he had stumbled onto something extraordinary.

The bobolink was what’s called a bilateral gynandromorph — half female, half male, split down the middle — as the result of a genetic anomaly.

On its right side, the bird presented as male; on its left, it sported the duller plumage of a bobolink female.

“I had a better chance of photographing a unicorn,” Dahlberg said. “It’s extremely rare in nature.”

So rare that Abigail Derby Lewis, executive director of Citizens for Conservation, reached out to former colleagues at the Field Museum to confirm the ID.

“I’ve never seen one of these gynandromorphs in real life and so I was thrilled. I would definitely say the vast majority of birders will never see a gynandromorph in their life,” said Cameron Rutt, ornithologist and conservation ecologist at the Field. “Your chances of running into one, by yourself, in the wild are vanishingly slim.”

A 100% female bobolink on the left and a 100% male bobolink on the right. | hstiver / iStock; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Of the approximately 11,000 species of birds on the planet, only 45 are mentioned in the scientific literature as exhibiting gynandromorphism, totaling fewer than 100 individuals, according to Rutt.

The bird at Hill ‘N Dale is the first-ever record of a bobolink gynandromorph.

Read on here.

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D300 wants tax hike to fund $355M in school improvements, new training center

Posted in 300, Chicago Tribune, County, Elections, Look For The Union Label, McHenry, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, Taxes, Unions on July 24, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Gloria Casas | For the Naperville Sun

Community School District 300, which encompasses all or parts of West Dundee, Carpentersville, Sleepy Hollow and a half dozen other towns, will seek voter approval of a $355.5 million bond referendum in November election.

The D300 school board this week voted 7-0 to place the question on the Nov. 3 ballot. Bonds sold would fund more than 20 projects, including classroom additions to overcrowded schools, repairs to aging buildings, safety updates, entrance security improvements, and a new career and technical education center for hands-on training.

If the measure is approved, the owner of a $400,000 home would see a property tax bill increase of about $8.41 per month, or $101 per year, a news release on the initiative said.

“The referendum question follows a multiyear master facility plan process that examined the condition and capacity of all 27 district schools,” the release said.

“On average, District 300 schools are a half-century old, and roofs, windows, electrical, plumbing, and heating and cooling systems need repairs and updates. Many schools are already overcrowded, and an additional 4,000 students are expected over the next 10 years.”

Article continues here.

 

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Barrington Hills man accused of more threats to local officials, including judge, cops, probation officer

Posted in County, McHenry, Resident Spotlights, Shaw Local, VBHPD on June 6, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Joel A. Koskinen (Photo Provided by McHenry County Sheriff’s Office)

By Amanda Marrazzo | Shaw Local

A man awaiting trial on charges that he threatened to shoot Barrington Hills police officers is now accused of threatening to harm a McHenry County  judge and probation officer.

Joel A. Koskinen, 36, of Barrington Hills, is charged with threatening public officials, a Class 3 felony, and harassment through electronic communications involving threats to kill, Class 4 felony, according to the McHenry County jail and a judge who was brought in from outside the county, 23rd Judicial Circuit County Judge Philip Montgomery. The circuit hears cases in DeKalb and Kendall counties.

Montgomery, who appeared via Zoom, was assigned Friday to hear the case due to the apparent conflict of interest. The judge said Barrett Mays was appointed as special assistant public defender.

Because Montgomery and Mays learned just Friday that they are going to handle the case, Montgomery postponed Koskinen’s detention hearing, to determine if he will be held while awaiting trial, to Tuesday morning. The judge said Mays also needed time to meet with Koskinen, who is in the county jail.

On Tuesday, the state will argue Koskinen should remain in jail pretrial, and prosecutors are also seeking to have his pretrial release from the earlier case revoked.

Report continues here.

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Plan Commission Special Public Meeting May 28: Lot Consolidation #1

Posted in County, Land Use, McHenry, Plan Commission on May 8, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Before the Plan Commission
Village of Barrington Hills
Plat of Subdivision – Lot Consolidation

Notice is hereby given that a Public Meeting will be held on Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. by the Plan Commission of the Village of Barrington Hills at the Barrington Hills Village Hall, 112 Algonquin Road, Barrington Hills, IL, concerning an Application filed by the owner of 60 Spring Creek Road, Barrington Hills, IL to request approval of a final plat of subdivision consolidating property commonly known as 56 Ridge Road and 60 Spring Creek Road in Barrington Hills, IL to create a single lot. Affected properties are identified by PIN 20-29-400-006, 20-29-400-007, and 20-29-400-017.

A copy of the application and proposed plat for lot consolidation is available for examination in the office of the Village Clerk at the Village Hall, by appointment, during hours of operation. Any interested party will be given an opportunity to provide comment. Written comments on the application for lot consolidation, which will be provided to the members of the Plan Commission, will be accepted in the Office of the Village Clerk through 3:00 PM, May 27, 2026.

By: Village Clerk
Village of Barrington Hills
Clerk@vbhil.gov
112 Algonquin Road
Barrington Hills, IL 60010

Source

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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) meeting 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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