The good news is McHenry County property tax bills likely will be delayed a few days. The bad news is they are still coming. And when they come, McHenry County property taxpayers will pay an average 3.3 percent more than last year.
The property tax-cap law limits most taxing bodies in the collar counties to tax increases of 5 percent or the yearly increase in the consumer price index–which for the year totaled 3.3 percent–whichever is less.
Although the overall tax levy in each district can’t be increased by more than the ceiling, an individual property owner’s bill might rise by more or less because of other factors, such as the assessment on his or her property.
Some officials say that fact has been slow to creep into the minds of taxpayers since the tax-cap law took effect in 1992.
“We used to get a lot of calls, `Why isn’t this the same as what it said the cap was in the paper?’ ” said Donna Mayberry, the county’s supervisor of assessments. “But I do think they are understanding a little more every year and the average homeowner is just becoming more knowledgeable about real estate taxes and their investments in general.”
Taxpayers will receive a very short reprieve from all their tax woes because the county treasurer’s office is having trouble with overperforated payment stubs, which fall off when the envelope machine attempts to fold the tax bills.
County staff will hand-stuff the 130,000 property tax bills and get them out a few days after the Friday deadline, County Treasurer Bill LeFew said.
Property owners will have 30 days to pay the bills without facing a penalty.
With more than 175 taxing districts in McHenry County, many overlapping, tax bills will vary widely. But generally, the owner of a home valued at $150,000 can expect to see a tax bill that is $100 to $200 more than a year ago.
But some taxpayers may be particularly irked when they open their bills, including those in Marengo-Union Elementary District 165 and Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Fire District. Those taxing bodies recorded two of the highest percentage increases in their rates.
The increases are the result of tax increases approved by voters in November.
Although the tax cap is intended to hold down the growth of taxes, there are two major exceptions in which taxing districts can go above the limits: when new property is added to the tax rolls, and money is raised to repay bonds.
New growth in McHenry County can often lead to a lower tax rate, which is used to calculate a tax bill. For instance, most Harvard residents will see a lower tax rate because part of the Motorola Inc. property there will be added to the tax rolls.
Although some local government officials like pointing to a lowered tax rate as proof of budgetary restraint, it often doesn’t mean lower taxes for homeowners or that a taxing body is asking for less money. In fact, taxing districts that have seen dramatic increases in their assessed valuation can collect more money even when their tax rate declines.
In McHenry, most of the tax burden will continue to be borne by homeowners. Unlike other collar counties, McHenry County’s tax base is 80 percent residential. Mayberry said it is believed to be the highest such proportion of any of the collar counties.
The situation should improve next year. The percentage on which the cap is based is calculated from the change in the CPI from January to January, with a year lag. The current tax bills are based on the change from 1996 to 1997.
The CPI-based cap for the next tax cycle has already been calculated at 1.7 percent. That will be the lowest rate in the history of the tax cap. Although it won’t hold down all tax increases to that extent, it should have an overall effect taxpayers will like.
This year’s 3.3 percent tax cap is the highest since 1991, the inaugural tax year.
McHenry County tax collectors will attempt to bring in $319.5 million for all the taxing district. Two-thirds of that money, nearly $223 million, will go to school districts.
COUNTY TAX RATES
%%
TAXING BODY 1997 1996
McHenry County .6628 .6685
Nunda Twp.. Cem. .0022 .0023
Richmond Cem. .0115 .0119
McHenry Consv. .1323 .1360
College Dist. 509 .3701 .3786
College Dist. 511 .3944 .3795
College Dist. 512 .2900 .3058
College Dist. 528 .3451 .3423
School Dist. 3 3.1431 3.1594
School Dist. 11 2.7188 2.7721
School Dist. 13 2.7041 2.7475
School Dist. 15 2.7122 2.7042
School Dist. 18 2.1003 2.0954
School Dist. 26 3.0947 3.0592
School Dist. 36 2.6019 2.4192
School Dist. 46 2.7178 2.7002
School Dist. 47 2.9670 2.9186
School Dist. 165 2.2252 2.8217
School Dist. 154 1.7104 1.6882
School Dist. 155 2.1820 2.1615
School Dist. 156 1.6276 1.6191
School Dist. 157 2.1670 2.2068
School Dist. 12 4.6962 4.7067
School Dist. 19 3.8114 3.9586
School Dist. 50 4.1226 4.1804
School Dist. 100 3.9514 3.7771
School Dist. 118 4.3724 4.2479
School Dist. 158 4.5431 4.7133
School Dist. 200 4.6688 4.6390
School Dist. 220 3.3502 3.2062
School Dist. 300 3.8741 3.8130
Alg-LITH Fire Dist. .4613 3265
Barrgtn Ctry Fire .2004 .1984
Cary Fire Dist. .3015 .2994
Cry Lk Rural Fire .2859 .2827
Fox Lake Fire Dist. .3510 .3529
Fox Riv Grv Fire .2936 .2900
Harvard Fire Dist. .2229 .2242
Heb-Ald-Grw Fire .3441 .3561
Huntley Fire Dist. .4581 .4630
Marengo Fire Dist. .1439 .1445
McHenry Fire .2511 .2499
Nunda Rural Fire .5940 .5918
Richmond Fire .3541 .3545
Spring Grove Fire. .3864 .3970
Union Fire Dist. .2897 .2952
Waconda Fire Dist. .4902 .4900
Woodstock Fire .3235 .3212
Wonder Lake Fire .4174 .4180
Algonquin Lib. .2655 .2651
Barrington Lib. .2067 .2060
Cary Library .1966 .1977
Fox Lake Library .1654 .1634
Fox River Lib. .3512 .3486
Huntley Library .2722 .2187
Johnsburg Library .1412 .1404
Marengo Library .1380 .1380
McHenry Library .1346 .1336
Nunda Library .1514 .1560
Nippersink Lib. .1815 .1877
Rural Woodstk Lib. .0818 .0813
Wauconda Lib. .3306 .3317
Harvard Hospital .0000 .0532
Barr. Cntry Park .0353 .0383
Cary Park District .3973 .3941
Crystal Lake Park .3738 .3786
Huntley Park .2093 .2234
Marengo Park .4024 .4117
Marengo Resc. .0980 .0980
Island Lk Sanitary .0454 .0453
LITH Sanitary Dist. .1085 .1142
Cry Lk Srv 19 2.1783 2.4095
Cry Lk Srv 35 1.7002 1.8525
Cry Lk Srv 36 70.6489 121.7418
Cry Lk Srv 37 .9470 .9844
Cry Lk Srv 38 .8895 .9872
Cry Lk Srv 39 2.0525 2.1214
Cry Lk Srv 40 .6582 .6327
Cry Lk Srv 41 11.2711 11.4293
Cry Lk Srv 42 8.4422 24.2385
FRG Serv Area 1 .1406 .1487
FRG Gard Ter. .0200 .0546
Pic Grv Sp Serv. .1023 .2128
Huntley Serv Area .0000 .0000
Isl Lk Srv Area 1 .4867 .5086
Johbg Sp Srv. 1 1.9101 2.1879
Johbg Sp Srv. 2 .3185 .3297
Johbg Sp Srv. 3 .7490 2.9916
Johbg Sp Srv. 4 2.0042 .5903
Johbg Sp Srv. 5 .0000 .0000
Johbg Sp Srv. 6 .0000 .0000
Johbg Sp Srv. 7 .0000 .0000
Lakewood SSA 1 .1141 .1252
Lakewood SSA 2 .0000 .0000
LITH Serv 4A .1468 .0941
LITH Serv 4B .1390 .0949
LITH Serv 8B .0000 .0644
LITH Serv 8C .0228 .0175
LITH Serv 1 .0945 .0000
LITH Serv 2 .1922 .2091
LITH Serv 3 .0161 .1046
LITH Serv 5 .2988 .0481
LITH Serv 6 .4000 .0269
LITH Serv 7 .0000 .0000
Lkmoor Serv 1 .0000 .0000
Wdstk Serv 5 1.1609 1.1487
Wdstk Serv 7 .0000 .0000
Cary TIF .0000 .0000
Crystal Lake TIF .0000 .0000
Woodstock TIF .0000 .0000
Alden Township .2479 .2488
Alden Twp. RB .2772 .2782
Algonquin Twp.. .0624 .0620
Algonquin RB .1379 .1401
Burton Township .0859 .0909
Burton Twp. RB .1419 .1613
Chemung Twp. .0871 .0886
Chemung Twp. RB .2183 .2222
Coral Township .0756 .0776
Coral Twp. RB .2041 .2118
Dorr Township .1056 .1058
Dorr Twp. RB .1883 .1902
Dunham Twp. .1906 .1867
Dunham Twp. RB .2968 .2908
Grafton Township .0832 .0934
Grafton Twp. RB .1033 .1197
Greenwood Twp. .1282 .1276
Greenwd Twp. RB .3095 .3080
Hartland Twp. .2302 .2306
Hartland Twp. RB .2951 .2956
Hebron Township .1801 .1903
Hebron Twp. RB .2897 .3061
Marengo Twp. .2072 .2074
Marengo Twp. RB .2674 .2675
McHenry Twp. .1484 .1478
McHenry Twp. RB .2714 .2704
Nunda Township .1117 .1181
Nunda Twp. RB .2658 .2676
Richmond Twp. .1050 .1054
Rich. Twp. RB .1958 .2002
Riley Township .2194 .2135
Riley Twp. RB .2830 .2798
Seneca Township .1709 .1716
Seneca Twp. RB .2511 .2522
Algonquin .4864 .4981
Barrington Hills .7300 .7906
Bull Valley .3894 .4002
Cary .4404 .4379
Crystal Lake .2555 .2889
Fox River Grove .5305 .5259
Fox Lake .6699 .6818
F.R.V.G. .2846 .3476
Greenwood .0000 .0000
Harvard .8979 .9111
Hebron .6082 .6501
Holiday Hills .2230 .2229
Huntley .6533 .6442
Island Lake .5462 .5460
Johnsburg .3969 .3953
Lake in the Hills .7526 .7663
Lakemoor .4819 .5332
Lakewood 1.3962 1.5172
Marengo .9353 .9410
McCullom Lake .3633 .4033
McHenry .6075 .6013
Oakwood Hills .4764 .4757
Prairie Grove .4725 .5137
Richmond .7067 .7160
Ringwood .2841 .2873
Spring Grove .1694 .1739
Trout Valley .0000 .0000
Union .3920 .4030
Wonder Lake .3889 .3853
Woodstock 1.1548 1.1471 %%
