Fight High Taxes in Round Lake (Naperville, Buffalo Grove: real estate, city hall, condo) - Chicago Suburbs - Illinois (IL) - City-Data Forum

madeit07 · 02-04-2009, 08:14 PM

Hi Everyone,

I just moved to Round Lake. It is a beautiful area but the taxes are killing us as a Community. Paying $10K/year in taxes is not right, it shouldn't be legal.
In Michigan, where I came from, we paid $2,200/year in taxes.
There are area's in the burbs - such as Deerfield, who pay $5,000/year - which is obviously 50 percent less and they live in a much more prominent area. OR, Another example is Buffalo Grove, IL where the taxes are $7,500, 33 percent less.

For our community to grow correctly, we need to lower taxes.

My question is:
-Who is responsible for making the decision to have our taxes set so high?
-How can we ask our local government to lower our taxes?
-What needs to happen to lower our taxes to $2,000-a maximum of $5,000/year?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

mstengle · 02-04-2009, 08:26 PM

Yes-also in tax sticker shock originally from Michigan - now in Vernon Hills. Taxes are $4000 for a condo! I called the Lake County Tax Assessors office- and they suggested to bring in purchase agreement and blue tax card that I will receive in August - and they will adjust down - Possibly. Nice area and all but wtf????!!!!

Steve-o · 02-04-2009, 08:50 PM

HA! Come to DuPage County if you think up there is bad! I have a buddy in Naperville who pays $8,500 a year for a small lot (old home, too).

tcs1366 · 02-04-2009, 09:22 PM

madeit07 --- welcome to Illinois.

it's pretty much high real estate taxes no matter how you look at it.

10k here in DuPage for me. The taxes will be the reason we end up leaving....

jlawrence01 · 02-04-2009, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madeit07

Hi Everyone,

I just moved to Round Lake. It is a beautiful area but the taxes are killing us as a Community. Paying $10K/year in taxes is not right, it shouldn't be legal.
In Michigan, where I came from, we paid $2,200/year in taxes.
There are area's in the burbs - such as Deerfield, who pay $5,000/year - which is obviously 50 percent less and they live in a much more prominent area. OR, Another example is Buffalo Grove, IL where the taxes are $7,500, 33 percent less.

And when you were in Michigan, you were paying substantially more in state income tax AND local income taxes.

Did you do your homework before buying a home in a high tax neighborhood?

madeit07 · 02-05-2009, 06:37 AM

jlawrence01 - Thanks for asking the obvious question if I did my home work - the obvious answer is - yes I did.

mstengle - good job for going to the tax assesors office - i called ours and they said the same thing. I hope that when I go in there I:
A) Get my taxes lowered
B) Find out how to start fighting these high taxes. Just like tcs1366 said - "the reason they will end up leaving" - this is not a good thing that working class people would want to move out of here.

I wonder if - because we have so many immigrants - that they may get out of paying taxes and that is why those with ligitimate jobs are getting taxed higher? Could this be the rationale as to why we pay such high property taxes? What about taxes when you are shopping? 8-10%? And what about the cost of driving on the road? I-Pass? It doesn't seem to end?

Chummy Waters · 02-05-2009, 02:26 PM

It varies from town to town as well. You picked a doozy. Sorry.

jlawrence01 · 02-05-2009, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madeit07

jlawrence01 - Thanks for asking the obvious question if I did my home work - the obvious answer is - yes I did.

I wonder if - because we have so many immigrants - that they may get out of paying taxes and that is why those with ligitimate jobs are getting taxed higher? Could this be the rationale as to why we pay such high property taxes? What about taxes when you are shopping? 8-10%? And what about the cost of driving on the road? I-Pass? It doesn't seem to end?

My research told me that Lake County, especially the far north including Round Lake as well as Libertyville and Wauconda had the highest tax rates, as well as certain communities in McHenry Co.

Just wait until your next assessment when they increase your assessed value by 3% which seems to be an annual occurance.

If you want to fight taxes, you have to vote out incumbents who run the counties for their own benefits. You also have to agree to give up some services.

madeit07 · 02-05-2009, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

My research told me that Lake County, especially the far north including Round Lake as well as Libertyville and Wauconda had the highest tax rates, as well as certain communities in McHenry Co.

Just wait until your next assessment when they increase your assessed value by 3% which seems to be an annual occurance.

If you want to fight taxes, you have to vote out incumbents who run the counties for their own benefits. You also have to agree to give up some services.

Can you help me understand who the incumbents are? Forgive me for not being knowledgable in this area but who are the incumbents/how can I find out who they are and when can I vote them out or run for the position myself?

jlawrence01 · 02-05-2009, 05:11 PM

Go down to City Hall, find out who the mayor is, when the council meets each month. Go meet with the police department, fire chief, etc.

Most towns have community advisory boards and they are looking for volunteers. Some of the panels include a pension committee, police review and the like.

Or you can sit and b**** on the internet and complain to your heart's content ... which gets rather boring.