2-1-1 helpline now up and running in McHenry County
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* Michal Rozsival
WWW.NWHERALD.COM
The only daily newspaper published in McHenry Co.
FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2013
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Rivalry with Red Wings different after tonight
Broadcasters worry about ‘Zero-TV’ homes
Valtteri Filppula
Ill. tax cap bill up for House vote Legislation would curb automatic hikes when property values decline By KEVIN P. CRAVER kcraver@shawmedia.com A bill aimed at limiting property-tax increases when overall property values decline could get a House vote as early as today. House Bill 89, filed by state Rep. Jack Franks, forbids governments under the tax
cap from collecting an automatic increase if their total assessed value declines, except by voter referendum. It got moved up for a final reading Thursday, after Franks implored legislative leaders to bring it forward for a vote – the House has set an April 19 deadline for third and final readings of House
Social services staff too lean, says Ill. official
bills for the spring session ending May 31. House Bill 89 cleared the House Revenue and Finance Committee last month on a 10-0 vote. “Many of our taxing bodies act like victims when we talk about getting rid of automatic increases when home values go down, but in reality, it’s
the homeowners who are the victims of the system,” said Franks, D-Marengo. The tax cap, or the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, limits the annual increase that taxing bodies can receive to either the rate of inflation or 5 percent, whichever is less. State lawmakers imposed the cap on the col-
lar counties in 1991 to rein in double-digit property taxes as home values started to soar, and five years later allowed voters in other counties to enact tax caps by referendum. But when home values decrease – a scenario lawmakers never considered – the
What it means House Bill 89, sponsored by state Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, seeks to forbid taxing bodies subject to the tax cap from collecting an inflationary increase in years when their total assessed value decreases.
See BILL, page A7
CRYSTAL LAKE COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1951
FOOD AND FRIENDSHIP
By REGINA GARCIA CANO The Associated Press
Michelle Saddler Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services
By the numbers n Average of 42 minutes spent per year helping each family n Number of caseworkers has shrunk nearly 20 percent in the past seven years n The number of people seeking assistance has jumped by 47 percent n 1,870 case managers were handling 1.75 million cases n Officials are pushing for 600 additional caseworkers
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Human Services staff is so lean that caseworkers spend an average of only 42 minutes a year per family, the agency’s chief said Thursday. Human Services Secretary Michelle Saddler told lawmakers the agency needs money to hire additional workers in order for the agency to keep their “noses above water.” The number of caseworkers has shrunk nearly 20 percent in the past seven years, according to agency numbers, while the number of people seeking assistance jumped by 47 percent. Saddler is pushing for 600 additional caseworkers, including 100 new employees proposed by Gov. Pat Quinn in his budget plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The new staff members are needed to adequately serve millions of Illinois residents who are eligible for food, medical and financial assistance, child care services and other programs. As of December, the agency’s 1,870 case managers were handling 1.75 million cases. That’s nearly 560,000, or 47 percent, more than in 2006, before the recession hit and the department had 2,315 caseworkers. “DHS needs a more realistic staffing,” Saddler said. “Some caseworkers are handling up to 2,600 cases.” The 42-minute calculation
Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com
Hazel Kriegel and Mary Koenig, graduates of Crystal Lake Community High School in the early 1950s, share a laugh Thursday during a celebration of 100 monthly meetings at IHOP in McHenry. The group, which started with six people, has been meeting on the second Thursday of every month for more than eight years.
High school classmates celebrate 8 years, 100 lunches On the web To view a photo gallery from the 100th meeting of the Crystal Lake High School alums, visit NWHerald.com.
By JIM DALLKE jdallke@shawmedia.com
M
cHENRY – On the second Thursday of every month, the McHenry IHOP becomes more than a restaurant. Since 2005, members of the Crystal Lake Community High
School Class of 1951 gather for lunch, but if you ask them, they aren’t there for the pot roast and omelets. Thursday was the group’s 100th consecutive meeting. It started in 2005 after founding member Jim Wells’ wife passed away. Wells, feeling a void in his life, wanted to gather friends
together to reminisce about the old times and keep in touch with friends from long ago. Six people showed up to the first meeting in January 2005. Over the years, the group has found more members from the Class of 1951. They found people
See CLASSMATES, page A7
See STAFFING, page A7
LOCALLY SPEAKING
Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com
LOW
44 29 Complete forecast on A8
HOME REPOSSESSIONS DECLINING The number of repossessed homes in McHenry County fell dramatically in March, the latest evidence the foreclosure crisis is abating amid an improving housing market. Several factors contributed to the decline in completed foreclosures: Steady job growth and ultra-low mortgage rates are helping the once-battered housing market recover. For more, see page F1.
Cary-Grove’s Zach Marszal
HIGH
McHENRY COUNTY
CARY: Cary-Grove’s baseball team pulls out win against Woodstock North on a rain-soaked night on the field. Sports, C1 Vol. 28, Issue 100
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