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District 220 Board of Education meets tomorrow

Posted in 220, Agendas, Barrington Education Association, Big Brother, Board of Education, Deception, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Ethics, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Look For The Union Label, Overhead, Pension Funding, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, South Barrington, Taxes, Traffic, Transparency, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on April 6, 2026| Leave a Comment »

 

The District 220 Board of Education meets Tuesday evening at 6:00 PM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Items on their agenda include:

  • FOIA Requests*
  • Personnel Report
  • Resolution abating the working cash fund of the District
  • Consideration to Approve a Resolution Authorizing the Honorable Dismissal Due to Reduction in Force of Part-Time or Full-Time Educational Support Personnel
  • Consideration to Approve a Resolution Authorizing the Honorable Dismissal Due to Reduction in Force of Group 2-4 Certified Staff
  • Consideration to Approve Non-BSEO Classified Staff Compensation and Benefits for the 2026-2027 School Year
  • Consideration to Approve Administrative Compensation and Benefits for the 2026-2027 School Year
  • Consideration to Approve the Adoption of Multi-Year, Performance-Based Contracts for Chad May, BMS-Station Campus Principal; Chelsea Hedges, Assistant Superintendent of HR & Talent Acquisition; Eric Steckling, Director of Communications; Heather Schumacher, Hough Elementary School Principal; Josh Carpenter, Assistant Superintendent of Schools; Melissa Byrne, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning; Micah Korb, Countryside Elementary School Principal; Michelle Acosta, Early Learning Center Principal; Sarah Rabe, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction & Student Performance; Steve McWilliams, Barrington High School Principal; Peg Lasiewicki, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services & Support; Travis Lobbins, BMS-Prairie Campus Principal
  • Consideration to Adopt Resolution directing the Regional Superintendent of Schools for The County of Lake, Illinois, to certify to the County Clerk of said County the question of imposing a retailers’ occupation tax and a service occupation tax to be used exclusively for school facility purposes, school resource officers, and mental health professionals, for submission to the electors of said County at the general election to be held on the 3rd day of November, 2026 – Resolution – Lake County School Facilities Sales Tax

A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live streamed on the district YouTube channel.

*Interesting to see NBC Chicago requests.

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Editorial: Maria Pappas’ property tax numbers don’t lie. Governance in Illinois has been a stark failure for 30 years.

Posted in Chicago Tribune, Cook, County, OP/Ed, Overhead, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, The Chicago Way on March 31, 2026| 2 Comments »

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi speaks about the results of the triennial reassessment and proposed property tax relief legislation on Jan. 29, 2025, at the County Building. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

Cook County’s property tax system is a Rubik’s Cube for even those relatively steeped in assessments and equalization factors value to decipher. So pity the ordinary property owners who have to pay the taxman two times every year.

All they know is that the tax cost of owning a home — you know, that thing we call the American Dream — keeps growing at rates that seem unsustainable. And, naturally, they want to know who to blame.

One Cook County officeholder, Assessor Fritz Kaegi, already has felt the public’s anger, losing his Democratic primary reelection race to challenger Patrick Hynes. Kaegi in many respects simply was the messenger who got removed for being in a post directly related to property taxes when many Chicago homeowners got the bad news late last year that their taxes had soared due to the pandemic’s deflating effect on commercial property values.

So leave it to the always-canny Cook County treasurer, Maria Pappas, to issue a comprehensive report less than two weeks after voters made their displeasure known at the polls — saying to residents, in effect, “No, it’s not your imagination. Property taxes really are that bad.”

Pappas, who as treasurer has the unpleasant task of delivering that bad property-tax news straight to people’s mailboxes and thus could be vulnerable to suffering Kaegi’s fate come November when she’s up for reelection, was able both to confirm what angry residents suspected while also tacitly saying: I’m on your side.

Additionally, Pappas has a seasoned, competent staff, and they were able to frame the property-tax awfulness in ways the average Joe and Jane can understand. Over the past three decades, went their analysis, total property tax levies in Cook County rose at roughly twice the pace of inflation and considerably more than than average wages. From 1995 until 2024, Cook County tax levies rose nearly 182% to $19.2 billion from $6.8 billion, according to the study. Inflation over that period was 91%.

Those simple findings, in and of themselves, are as damning of our state and local governments as anything we can think of. They represent nothing less than abject failure of governance.

Editorial continues here.

Related: “Cook County property taxes doubled the rate of inflation in past 30 years, Treasurer Maria Pappas study finds”

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Cook County property taxes doubled the rate of inflation in past 30 years, Treasurer Maria Pappas study finds

Posted in 220, 300, BOHICA, Chicago Tribune, Cook, Cost of Living, County, Look For The Union Label, Overhead, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, Taxes, Unions on March 30, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Rick Pearson | Chicago Tribune

Property taxes imposed by government bodies within Cook County’s borders have grown at twice the rate of inflation over the past three decades, outpacing wage growth and driving an affordability crisis, a study by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ office has found.

Pappas’ report, released Monday morning, condemns political leaders — many of them Democrats like herself — for exploiting loopholes in a state law designed to limit real estate tax increases. It calls on Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and the Democratic-led General Assembly to enact significant reforms and find ways for local taxing agencies to cut spending.

“Illinois in 2025 had the dubious distinction of having the highest residential property tax rate in the nation. Chicago has the highest commercial rate in the U.S.,” Pappas said in a statement accompanying the study. “It’s time for the governor, state lawmakers and local government leaders to come up with a reform plan that works for taxpayers.”

Pappas’ report, titled “How State Laws Failed to Stop Decades of Skyrocketing Property Taxes: A Case for Reform,” arrives as the Illinois Department of Revenue is completing its own study of the state’s property tax system, due at the end of July. But Pappas said in her report that it was time for politicians to act “rather than produce another report that gets put on a shelf to gather cobwebs.”

Her study also comes in an election year when high property taxes are sure to be a major campaign issue in Pritzker’s race for a third term versus Republican Darren Bailey, as well as other statewide and scores of state legislative races. But large-scale remedies, such as finding alternative sources of revenue like a general tax increase to offset property tax cuts, are less likely when lawmakers and Pritzker are seeking reelection — though political pressures are lessened after the November general election in a lame-duck session.

Pappas’ study found that taxing bodies within Cook County levied $19.2 billion in property taxes in 2024, up nearly 182% from the $6.8 billion in real estate taxes imposed in 1995. During that time, inflation rose by 91% and average wages increased by 161%, the report said.

“The annual increases in taxes are relentless, taking more and more money out of people’s pockets,” said Pappas, who has been treasurer since 1998 and who is seeking reelection in November while declaring her interest in a Chicago mayoral bid in 2027. “I see it every day in my office, with people wondering how they are going to pay their tax bills or even whether they can stay in their homes.”

Article continues here.

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Village Board of Trustees meet tonight

Posted in Aunt Blabby, Board of Health, Building Department, Clown Car, Conflict of interest, Deception, Dumb and Dumber, ePacket Agendas, Ethics, Financial Reports, Heritage and Environs Committee, Insurance Committee, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Legal Expenses, Lennie, Minutes, One Barrington Hills, Overhead, Plan Commission, Police Pension Board, Politics, Property Taxes, Riding Club Commission, Roads & Bridges Committee, Save 5 Acres, Simple Minds, VBHPD, Village Attorney, Village Board, Village Clerk, Village Code, Village Director of Administration, Village Engineer, Village President, Village Treasurer, Zoning Board on March 30, 2026| Leave a Comment »

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

  • [Vote] Resolution Authorizing the Issuance of Notice of Award for the 2026 Road Program Project by the Village of Barrington Hills, Illinois Resolution 26 –
  • [Vote] Ordinance Approving a Final Plat of Subdivision For the Acorn Corner Subdivision – 11 & 12 Rock Ridge Road Ordinance 26 –
  • [Vote] Resolution of the Village of Barrington Hills in Support of Municipal Housing Authority Resolution 26 –
  • Register Now: Land We Love Run 5k/10k Celebrating America250 on June 28 2026

A copy of their agenda, including info on listening to the meeting, can be viewed and downloaded here.

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In Cook County, 75% of police, fire property taxes go to pensions

Posted in Cook, County, Illinois Policy Institute, Jewel-Osco, Overhead, Pension Funding, Politics, Property Taxes, Taxes, Unions on March 23, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Outside Chicago, only a fourth of municipal property taxes collected this year for police and fire are going to services.

By LyLena Estabine | Illinois Policy Institute

The vast majority of the police and fire levies in last year’s Cook County property tax bills funded pensions, not protection.

The 2024 police and fire levies for cities outside Chicago total $599 million. Just over $450 million of that is for pensions, according to the Illinois Department of Revenue.

First-installment bills are due April 1. Many in the county may still be recovering from the delayed property tax bills that were due Dec. 15. Some of those bills grew by record-setting amounts.

Since 1996, the amount Cook County municipalities outside Chicago have levied to keep up with police and fire pensions has grown by 416%, while the amount levied for services hasn’t even doubled.

The amount going to fund protection increased by about $2 million in 2024 levies over 2023. The amount for pensions rose $27 million.

Police and firemen deserve generous pensions given the risk in their work. But when those benefits become too generous — as they are in Illinois — they undermine retirement security and reduce the amount of money available for service.

Article continues here.

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Roads & Bridges Committee meets this afternoon

Posted in Aunt Blabby, Deception, ePacket Agendas, Ethics, One Barrington Hills, Open Meetings Act, Overhead, Property Taxes, Road construction, Roads & Bridges Committee, Robert’s Rules of Order, Simple Minds, Taxes, Transparency, Village Director of Administration, Village Engineer, Village Government, WTF on March 19, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Village Roads & Bridges Committee meets this afternoon at 4 PM. Topics on their agenda include:

  • [Vote] Road Program 2026 Recommendation (Left blank)
  • River/Algonquin Road Curve

A copy of the full posted agenda can be viewed and downloaded here.

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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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Barrington Hills Park District (Riding Cult) meets tonight

Posted in Agendas, Algonquin Rd, Animal Welfare, Barrington Hills Park District, Barrington Hills Polo Club, BraveHearts, Commercial Horse Boarding, Cost of Living, Countryside Elementary School, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Fox River Valley Hunt, FPDCC, FRVPC, HARPS, Horizon Farm, Immigration, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Land Use, Lighting Ordinance, Massbach Hounds, Overhead, Politics, Privacy, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Riding Center Advisory Committee, Riding Club Commission, Riding Club of Barrington Hills, Taxes, The Other Half, Transparency, Unions on March 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Barrington Hills Park District Board/Riding Cult of Barrington Hills will hold their monthly meeting this evening in person and via Zoom at 6:00 PM. Some topics on their agenda include:

  • Horse Statues
  • Park Board Advocacy Protocol

A copy of their agenda can be viewed here. Instructions for accessing the meeting remotely can be found here.

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Editorial: Conservatives aren’t the only ones saying Democrats have a public-sector union problem

Posted in Chicago Tribune, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Overhead, Pension Funding, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on February 25, 2026| 1 Comment »

Mayor Brandon Johnson answers questions during a press conference on the fifth floor of City Hall on Feb. 3, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

For years now, conservative voices have railed against the outsize influence of public-sector unions on the running of American cities, with Chicago serving as one of the leading examples. Now, more left-of-center voices are sounding the alarm and saying the stakes for Democrats in charge of America’s largest cities couldn’t be higher.

The highest-profile recent example came Sunday when CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, who hosts a thoughtful Sunday show on issues of the day, aired a segment on blue cities. Pegged off New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s recent $126 billion budget, Zakaria made a stark pronouncement: “Blue cities are out of control. Promising more, spending more, delivering less and pushing off the fiscal problems to some future date.”

Sound like any city you know?

Zakaria isn’t a journalist who routinely trots out Heritage Foundation talking points. He’s a frequent and effective critic of Donald Trump.

He’s not alone. The New York Times on Monday published an op-ed by Nicholas Bagley, law professor at the University of Michigan, and Harvard visiting fellow Robert Gordon headlined, “Mamdani Will Need to Change How He Governs.” The two identify the generous pension benefits city workers receive as a key reason city taxpayers can’t afford their own municipal governments. “The question is whether one segment of workers should retire with greater security than others, at the expense of services the public depends on,” they wrote.

A rhetorical question. No reasonable person (other than maybe the members of these unions) could be in favor of that.

In other words, Democrats, the call now is coming from inside the house.

This page has been making these same arguments for years, so we quote from these sources (and there are others in the center-left lane we could cite) merely to say the alarm bells are ringing ever more shrilly for Democratic politicians like Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and, yes, Gov. JB Pritzker. Both continue to saddle taxpayers of the future with paying for the exorbitant promises of today.

Editorial continues here.

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Barrington Area Council of Governments meets tonight

Posted in BACOG, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Ethics, Open Meetings Act, Overhead, Politics, Property Taxes, Taxes on February 24, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Barrington Area Council of Governments (BACOG) Executive Board is scheduled to meet this evening beginning at 6:00 PM at the Village of Barrington, 200 South Hough St. Their meetings include:

  • 6:00 – Legislative
  • 7:00 – Executive Board

Meeting agendas are not posted by BACOG, but their website does state, “Copies of approved minutes for BACOG committee and executive board meetings are available upon request. Please submit requests by email to bacog@bacog.org.

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