All Boone County Board seats will be contested this November.
With three Democratic candidates running for three separate districts, every seat on the Boone County Board is up for grabs. The Boone County Board consists of three districts with four board members representing each district. Read below to see how each race stacks up.
District 1: Democrat Bill Pysson announced that he will be challenging Republican incumbents Bob Walberg, Brad Fidder and Kenneth Grzybowski II and newcomer Dennis Ellingson.
District 2: After a hotly contested primary, voters selected former state Rep. Ron Wait, Cathy Ward, Paul Larson and Karl Johnson for the Republican ticket. Democrat Francis Egan will also be running for the seat.
District 3: Former Belvidere City Council alderman and Democrat Craig Schultz has decided to run for the Boone County Board. He will be challenging Republican incumbents Mike Schultz, Kenneth Freeman, Patrick Mattison and newcomer Marion Thornberry.
The Boone County coroner position is also being challenged. Republican Rebecca Wigget will face Democrat Kevin Wes Swezey in the election.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Boone County voters to see more Democratic nominees on ballot - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Belvidere School Board backs a higher sales tax -
By Jennifer Wheeler
The board gave its approval tonight the “county school facility tax," which would provide another source of revenue to pay off an anticipated $179 million in bond and interest payments owed after fixing and constructing new schools.
The county school facility tax would increase the 6.75 percent sales tax to 7.75 percent. Vehicles, medicine and groceries are exempt.
Tax revenue generated would be used to pay off these bonds by 2025. Without it, the school district must rely on property taxes to pay the debt.
….Without the sales tax, residents who own homes valued at $100,000 are expected to see a property tax increase to $358 in 2013 to $697 in 2019
Of the $2.7 million generated, $2.2 million would go to Belvidere School District
Click on the following to read the entire story: http://www.rrstar.com/updates/x736424446/Belvidere-School-Board-backs-a-higher-sales-tax
Sullivan’s closing brings disappointment for customers
Written by Bob Balgemann
Store manager John Bevan said the decision was made July 6 and that the last day of operation had not yet been set. He said the company was unable to obtain land for a new store and decided to close the one on State Street in downtown Belvidere.
First step taken toward finishing Irene Road interchange | Belvidere Daily Republican
Written by Bob Balgemann
One step is for preliminary engineering at an initial cost of $81,000. The other step, costing $33,800, is for services of a right of way consultant. The city and county will be splitting that expense, with the county dollars coming out of its highway fund.
Once that portion of the engineering is done the city and county could find themselves with a much larger expense: buying land needed to finish the remaining three lanes of the project. A high-ranking Illinois Department of Transportation official told the committee that if the city and county provided the land, the state would finish the interchange…..
Irene Road interchange “is a gamble. I can’t tell you it will bring development. But I can tell you it won’t come without it.”
….
Stuart M. Kemp, offered a “worst-case scenario” to the committee, in which the city and county spend a lot of up-front money and then find out they are unable to successfully negotiate the purchase of the needed property.
Read the entire story by clicking on the following: First step taken toward finishing Irene Road interchange | Belvidere Daily Republican
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Romney Faces Mounting Attacks on Bain and Taxes - NYTimes.com
Mr. Emanuel suggested that the undisclosed returns could hold only bad news about Mr. Romney’s finances, and might even have played a role in Senator John McCain’s decision to reject Mr. Romney as a running mate in 2008 and turn instead to Sarah Palin. Mr. Romney gave Mr. McCain’s team 23 years of returns.
“The Romney campaign isn’t stupid,” Mr. Emanuel said. “They have decided that it’s better to get attacked on a lack of transparency, lack of accountability to the American people, versus telling you what’s in those taxes.”
County panel rejects industrial zoning in agricultural area | Belvidere Daily Republican
BelRock Services LLC was seeking the rezoning to allow parking of its blacktopping trucks and equipment.
It wasn’t the use that drew the concern but allowing industrial zoning in a primarily agricultural area.
Interim Planning Director Kathy Miller said the comprehensive plan called for mixed use – commercial and residential – on the 4.4-acre parcel in question. “I-2 is not consistent with the comprehensive plan,” she said.
She added that the kind of development recommended in the comp plan was better for the I-90, Irene Road area. “We’re working very hard to complete that interchange,” she said.
Click on the following for more details: County panel rejects industrial zoning in agricultural area | Belvidere Daily Republican
Saturday, July 14, 2012
St. James Catholic Church's construction project in question - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star
By Jennifer Wheeler
Posted Jul 13, 2012 @ 10:28 PM
— It remains unclear how, even whether, St. James Catholic Church will be able to complete its renovations to add seating, restrooms and parking.
Belvidere City Council voted 6-3 Monday to reject a request to extend the church’s special-use permit one year. This will force architects to stay on schedule and complete the 15-month project by September 2013.
St. James Catholic Church's construction project in question - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star