Boone County’s half cent sales tax for the Jail

Boone County Government’s website has a summary of the history of this sales tax.  The following are excerpts from that site which is at:  http://www.boonecountyil.org/sites/default/files/pubsafety%20sales%20tax.pdf

First, the actual ballot resolution

Click on the photocopy to enlarge:

The Boone County Board’s 1999 published statement regarding the referendum issue.

Beginning in FY 2004 (12-1-2003 to 11-30-2004) the county began using the sales tax for items related to jail operations but not related to bond repayment.  Note the FY 2001 numbers were only for part of the year.  See below:

For FY 2011, a very large use of Jail sales tax was actually authorized.  See Ordinance 10-35 below. The county proposed very large operational expenses for the sales tax, gradually reducing it until it was projected to stop in 2018 with the final payment on the jail bonds.

The half cent PSB sales tax is budgeted to be $1,358,000 for the current year and is running slightly greater than that projection.  The highest PSB tax receipts was in 2008 when $1,653,891 was received. See below:

The county is currently refinancing the Jail Bonds to obtain a lower interest rate.  Annual principle repayment on the new bonds will range from $530,000 to $575,000 each year. Annual interest on the bond will be less than $150,000 each year and falling. So something approaching $700,000 will be available for PSB related operating expenses.  See draft version of bond repayment schedule shown below:

The major questions are:

 1. Will the county really abide by Ordinance 10-35 or will it use more than stated sales tax revenue for PSB operating expenses?

2.  Will the county really end the sales tax in 2018, if so how will it make up for the loss of income for PSB operating expenses?

Editor’s note:  It may seem that the county is cash rich because its PSB sales tax can so readily pay for its construction bonds.  The reality is quite different.  The county is quite cash strapped and in past years has curtailed levies for highway and bridges and the health departments so has to increase the county’s real estate levy for its general fund and still abide by tax caps.

Northwest Herald | Board approves Centegra Hospital – Huntley

 

– Centegra Health System officials celebrated with a mix of relief and joy Tuesday after a state panel approved their plans for a $233 million project by a 6-3 vote.

Held at the Bolingbrook Golf Club, the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board hearing reconsidered Centegra's application for a permit to proceed with its 128-bed hospital in Huntley.

Floyd and other officials from surrounding health care providers, including Advocate Good Shepherd in Barrington, expressed disappointment with the board's 6-3 vote in favor of Centegra Hospital - Huntley.

"It is unfortunate that board members chose to reverse their decision from December to deny this project. Nothing has changed related to this application,” said Karen Lambert, president of Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital. “This hospital is not needed. It would duplicate services, and it could reduce the quality of care in the area by pulling patients from other health care providers.”

Read the entire article by clicking on the following:  http://www.nwherald.com/2012/07/24/board-approves-centegra-hospital-huntley/agybb7h/?page=2

CBO: Court ruling cuts cost of health-care law, but leaves 3 million more uninsured - The Washington Post

In its June 28 ruling, the court upheld the bulk of the Affordable Care Act, but struck down its plan to require states to expand their Medicaid programs to cover poor people who earn as much as 138 percent of the federal poverty level. ….

Factoring in other changes, the total cost of the coverage expansion would be $1.168 trillion, the CBO said, compared with an original estimate of $1.252 trillion — a net reduction of $84 billion.

Click on the following for more details;  CBO: Court ruling cuts cost of health-care law, but leaves 3 million more uninsured - The Washington Post

Agenda: Belvidere Township, Tuesday July 24, 2012 meeting

Note:  This meeting may set new salaries for township officials/employees and finalize loan/grant to Timberlane.

If you wish to speak, click on the public comment form at the bottom and have it ready before the meeting starts.

AGENDA

BELVIDERE TOWNSHIP

MEETING OF THE TOWNSHIP BOARD

8200 Fairgrounds Road

July 24, 2012 – 5:00 P.M.

I. Call to Order / Roll Call

II. Pledge of Allegiance

III. Approval of Prior Meeting’s Minutes

IV. Transfers

V. Reports

a. Supervisor’s Report

b. Highway Commissioner’s Report

c. Assessor’s Report

d. Clerk’s Report

e. Trustee’s Report

VI. Unfinished Business

a. RAMP-Revised Contract

b.Orth Road Contract

c.

d.

VII. Legal

a.

b.

VIII.New Business

a. Recognition-Mark Williams-Growth Dimensions

b. Setting of Salaries

c. Public Comment Policies

d.

e.

IX. Treasurer’s Report and Approval of Bills

X. Public Input

XI. Closed Session

XII. Adjournment

* Please note in order to take final action on an item it must be specified on the posted agenda 48 hours in advance of the meeting.

 

Click on the photocopy to enlarge:

Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans

Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans..............

To mark the anniversary of Medicare, the Senior Truth Squad is traveling the Illinois 17th Congressional District
to separate fact from fiction in the national debate on Social Security, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act.

Republican Congressman Bobby Schilling has voted to privatize Medicare and repeal health care reform.
Join us for a rally outside of the Republican headquarters to set the record straight on how these programs benefit
seniors and to call on Congressman Schilling to support retirement security for current and future generations.

Monday, July 30
2:30 – 3:30ppm
Outside of Social Security Administration office
502 E. Jefferson St
Rockford, IL

Press Releases

Illinois Retiree Leader Blasts U.S. Rep. Bobby Schilling for Taking Away Medicare Benefits for Seniors

Illinois Retiree Leader Blasts U.S. Rep. Bobby Schilling for Taking Away Medicare Benefits for Seniors
The following statement was issued today by Barbara Franklin, President of the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans, in response to the U.S. House voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act:
“Rep. Schilling shamefully voted to take away new Medicare benefits that are helping seniors here in Illinois better afford to see a doctor and fill a prescription. In voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Rep. Schilling chose ideology and partisan politics over seniors’ basic needs.
Example: In our state, over 144,000 Medicare beneficiaries have already saved a total of $96,216,548 on their prescriptions. 1,353,031 Illinois seniors have received free, life-saving tests for chronic diseases.
“Retirees worry about their children and grandchildren, and are happy that the law allows young adults under age 26 stay on their parents’ health insurance. Seniors are glad to see working families finally protected from the greed and outrageous business practices of the insurance companies.
“This was the 33rd vote in Congress to repeal this law, a law that in the past two years has been approved by both houses of Congress, signed by the President, and upheld by the Supreme Court. It is time to move on. Political gamesmanship will not help a single retiree, worker, or student live a better, healthier life.”

Posted 14:52PM on July 12 2012 by Emily Stuart

Community concerned over Boone County mulch fire effects - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

The Boone County Board was asked by a resident Wednesday to contact the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency ….

Resident Karen Ciesielczyk said she was concerned about the odor and potentially toxic haze ….She said she contacted the Boone County Department of Health and Boone County Planning and Zoning Department, which directed her to the IEPA.

“The IEPA … suggested that I obtain the support of state legislators in order to generate support for an investigation at the state level,” she said.

Outside Ciesielczyk’s concerns, Boone County State’s Attorney Michelle Courier wrote in a letter obtained by the Rockford Register Star that the mulch piles must be removed within 10 days from July 13 or the office will be forced to file a lawsuit.

Click on the following to read all of the story:  Community concerned over Boone County mulch fire effects - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Boone County voters to see more Democratic nominees on ballot - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

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.

Above story is from:  Boone County voters to see more Democratic nominees on ballot - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star