On the record with ... teacher Betty Trummel
Monday, January 28, 2013
www.NWHerald.com
NORge ski CLUB • sports, B1
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The only daily newspaper published in McHenry Co.
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Hockey • Sports, B1
Neither rain nor sleet kept ski jumpers away
Hawks enjoy franchise’s first 6-0 season start
Developers eye Fox Lake waterfront hotel plan
Money in the Bank
By EMILY K. COLEMAN ecoleman@shawmedia.com
Taxing bodies have flexibility in amount they can keep in reserve Photo Illustration by H. Rick Bamman – hbamman@shawmedia.com
Some area taxing agencies have a reasonable amount of reserve funds on hand for emergencies. The McHenry County Board has a rule to not allow an excessive amount in reserves.
By JOSEPH BUSTOS
Tony Huemann McHenry Township Fire Protection District Fire Chief
jbustos@shawmedia.com For many years, the McHenry Township Fire Protection District has saved its money for some potential capital projects, including an expansion of its headquarters. There is a $17 million reserve, which includes $7.9 million set aside for future building projects. The annual operating budget for the district is $7.5 million. After the reserves had reached more than twice the operating budget, the fire protection district decided to lower its property-tax levy request for the second consecutive year. Money it will receive this year, and received last year, was reduced by $1 million a year. “We’ll reduce it because we’ve
done a good job saving money,” Fire Chief Tony Huemann said. Having money in reserve helps in emergencies or with cash-flow issues, as revenues may not come in at regular rates throughout the year. Reserves keep taxing bodies in a good financial position, and many save money for large capital purchases to avoid taking out loans. In taxing bodies, having reserves allows them to continue to provide services even when revenue drops.
“In an economic downturn, where we don’t have the revenue, we have to provide emergency services whether we have reserves or not,” Huemann said. The $7.9 million is for a planned expansion of Station 1 at 3610 W. Elm St. in McHenry, which is on hold because bids came in higher than expected, and for future land acquisition for a fifth station in the northeast portion of the district, to improve response times, Huemann said. “We don’t buy anything unless we could pay for it in cash,” Huemann said. “We don’t spend because we have it; it’s there for projects and there for planning,” Huemann added.
How much should they have? The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada recommends municipalities have some sort of policy requiring a certain level of unrestricted reserves. It also recommends a minimum two months’ worth of expenses be saved in general fund reserves.
See RESERVES, page A6
FOX LAKE – A month after the Fox Lake village president announced his goal of putting a hotel in the lakefront park, some developers are letting the village know they’re interested, the village president said. Village President Ed Bender’s vision, which he made the centerpiece of his re-election campaign, includes a hotel, restaurant and banquet hall at village-owned Lakefront Park, a location that causes concern for his challenger in the upcoming April election. The village has received official preliminary letters of intent from restaurant and hotel groups, Bender announced at the Fox Lake Village Board meeting Tuesday. The first step will be meetings between the developer and the village president and staff, according to the village’s development process. From there, the developer will submit a formal proposal with concept drawings. Bender proposed having himself, trustees Kevin Burt and Nancy Koske, Village Administrator Nancy Schuerr and Building Commissioner Frank Urbina involved in the talks. Once they have reviewed the proposal, it would go to the Plan Commission, possibly to the Zoning Board of Appeals if variances are requested and then finally to the Village Board.
“Once we give this [waterfront property] up, it’s gone forever. If this is the only way it can be done, OK, and you’d address some of the questions I had about the other available properties. I would like that to be the last resort. … I don’t like the loss of that lakefront property.” – Donny Schmit Trustee
See DEVELOPERS, page A7
Ill. 4th state to grant illegal immigrants access to licenses By MICHELLE JANAYE NEALY and REGINA GARCIA CANO The Associated Press
CHICAGO – As Illinois becomes the fourth and most populous state to give illegal immigrants permission to drive, nagging concerns remain about whether there are enough safeguards to avoid the identity fraud and other pitfalls other states faced. Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn
signed Illinois’ measure into law Sunday in Chicago. Backers, including Quinn, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and some of the state’s top Republicans, tout it as a public-safety measure. They argue that required facial recognition technology is reliable enough to prevent fraud. They hailed it as an important step for immigrant rights in Illinois, which approved its own Dream Act in 2010
to create a privately-funded scholarship program for immigrant students. President Barack Obama plans to discuss his plan to overhaul the immigration system during a trip to Las Vegas on Tuesday. “This was a bipartisan effort to pass an important law,” Quinn said. “When the president speaks on Tuesday, he can say about his home state of Illinois ... we not only passed the Dream Act last
looking forward
year, we passed driver’s licenses for those who are undocumented.” However, the law’s opponents have pointed to hundreds of fraudulent cases in New Mexico, Washington and Utah after those states began giving illegal immigrants permission to drive. Illinois will not require applicants to be fingerprinted, for fear that would discourage immigrants from applying.
SATURDAY
Annual Chili open kicks off The 42nd annual Chili Open Golf Classic will be at 8 a.m. Saturday at Main Beach, 300 Lake Shore Drive, Crystal Lake. Golfers will play a nine-hole, par-32 course on the frozen lake. Each team receives a giveaway, chili and a chance to win prizes. Decorate a sled and compete for prizes. The cost is $115 per foursome. For information, call 815-459-0680. For more, see page A2.
Woodstock Willlie
SATURDAY: Groundhog Day events start at 7 a.m. on the Woodstock Square. Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com
HIGH
LOW
45 43 Complete forecast on A10
The week’s happenings in news, sports and more. Page A2
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temporary driver’s license and require them to get training and insurance. The Illinois secretary of state’s office said the licenses will be available starting in October. Those ready for the change include 45-year-old Victoria Chavez. “I need to get my driver’s license because I have two kids,” the Chicago woman said.
See LICENSES, page A7
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“How many people would apply for this document knowing that fingerprints will be going to [federal authorities]? Probably not all that many,” said Fred Tsao, policy director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, a driving-force behind the measure. Proponents say it will allow an estimated 250,000 people unlawfully residing in the state to apply for a three-year
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