From today's News-Gazette:
The Urbana park board is expected to ask voters to increase the district's property tax rate by 25 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
Park board members will decide tonight whether to place the question on the Feb. 5 primary ballot. The board meets at 7:30 p.m. at the Anita Purves Nature Center, 1505 N. Broadway Ave., U.
As proposed, the ballot question would ask to increase the district's tax rate from the current 70 cents to nearly 95 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
The tax hike would generate an estimated $1.4 million in additional yearly funding for the district.
For the owner of a $150,000 home, the higher tax rate would translate into a $112.50 increase in property taxes, including the standard homestead exemption.
Yikes - that's a huge increase, whether you look at it by percentage or in actual dollars.
Hold on to your wallet Gordy! They are coming at us from all sides now!
So far, we've heard from both cities, Unit 4, and now Urbana park district. Which taxing body has the guts to say that they'll hold the line and line up for a major increase?
This is absolutely fricking ridiculous and must be stopped.
Just to illustrate how ridiculous the Urbana Park District rate is, with the increase on my house (val. $125k), the tax bill would be $328. By comparison, the City of Urbana part of the bill is only $418 (with that we get police, fire, streets, etc).
I just don't see the value to the taxpayers in this.
Does anyone have a rate comparison for the Champaign parks?
Anon--I'm thinking that this money could be spent by taxpayers on food, utilities and gas.
Speaking of all sides, Savoy is asking for a sales tax increase.
"Does anyone have a rate comparison for the Champaign parks?"
From the data on the Champaign County tax rates page, it looks like the 2006 Park District rate was $.6415 per $100 EAV. That would be about $267 on JJ's house.
Just wait until RFK Jr. tells all His buddies about the 25 grand Urbana Park Dist. paid Him to come and spread his environmental message!!! the kooks will be lining up for some of that pie!!! and Urbana will serve it up to them at taxpayers expense.
"Just wait until RFK Jr. tells all His buddies about the 25 grand Urbana Park Dist. paid Him to come and spread his environmental message!!! the kooks will be lining up for some of that pie!!! and Urbana will serve it up to them at taxpayers expense."
that worries me, because in 100 years, Urbana will vhold another Chataqua
"that worries me, because in 100 years, Urbana will vhold another Chataqua"
Heh.
Nicely played.
BUT remember we had a real nice crowd for that CHATAQUA (sp) thingy....hahhhahhaha...FUERST says huge crowds of 45 were there!
I attended tonight's Urbana Park District board meeting. What an eye opening experience!
While discussing the Truth-In-Taxation (black box newspaper ad) part of the issue and whether there should be 2% or 3% "wiggle room", one Commissioner, Bruce Larson, actually said "Once you're gonna go for it, you might as well get something adequate, what's the point of shaving it down?" He later added, "Who are you trying to satisify?"
Well Bruce, the difference between 2% and 3% wiggle room is about $45,000 of taxpayer money. That's more than a majority of individuals in Urbana earn in a year. It may not be much to you, but it is to everyone else. Try to satisify anyone who lives on a budget. Try to satisify the people who, if this referendum is successful, need to decide between prescription drug bills or tax bills.
Overall there was a lot of back patting and congratulations for the work on the 100th anniversary events. No actual discussion about raising a huge amount of tax dollars - none at all.
The referendum was passed 5-0 without discussion and will be on the February ballot, 25 cents per $100.
When will the taxpayer well run dry????
Dang, I need a Tylenol.
Overall there was a lot of back patting and congratulations for the work on the 100th anniversary events.
If you check my blog on this site, the attendance was somewhat of an Edsel. The full page ad in the News-Gazette thanking all the donors to the event listed more donors than many of the "events" attracted.
Living across the street from the "hill" in Crystal Lake Park, I needed to walk only 350 feet to attend.
Michael Fuerst
Your comments were mentioned at the meeting many times. Is the park district's estimate of 12,000 total attendance accurate (I think I know your answer).