As assessment officials begin to implement the farmland assessment law, both farm and urban residents need to know why it was passed, how it helps both rural and city dwellers and what the implications are in 1979, said Larry Harris. "Before this law was passed in 1977, the law provided that farmland be assessed at 33-1-3 percent of its fair market value, meaning that taxes wdtald be $50-$90 an acre in many parts of the state," ex plained Harris, manager of the McHenry County Farm Bureau. "With current farm com modity prices at a relatively low level and with the cost of fertilizer, fuel, labor and other inputs necessary to produce crops going up, responsible legislative people agreed with farmers that they could not carry that kind of tax load. "Under the farmland assessment law, taxes on farmland will go up, but the increase will not be nearly as rapid nor extensive as if the 33- 1-3 percent of fair market value law had been permitted to continue." Harris said the farmland assessment law formula to determine the tax has three parts _ and stresses the productivity of that particular parcel being assessed. Data from the U.S. Census of Agriculture is used for the value of agricultural products Sold per acre in that particular county. Illinois Crop Reporting Service data for each county is used to ascertain the gross value of production per acre of principal crops. Three-year moving averages are used in both cases. ^ Third input concerns the actual sale price of agricultural land for agricultural, purposes. Ten percent of \A three-year average sale price per acre of land sold for agriculutural far ming is used in this formula. Sales in this county are used, broken down into the township where the farmland being assessed is located, Harris said. One major part of this law relates to comments by non- farm people so that the law assesses the farm home and land adjacent (yard area) at its market value. McHenry coiftty has a good mapping of the soil types through the Soil and Water Conservation district and the Soil Conservation service. Each parcel is to be considered on its productive value, ando each soil type is to be taken into consideration. Dick McKain, Illinois Farm Bureau specialist in local government, says county supervisors of assessor should be implementing the law now throughout Illinois, and some counties have begun the program. In cases where farmland assessment is higher than it would be if the farmland for mula were applied, farmers are filing protests with the Board of Review. That is what happened in McLean county where 6,000 protests were filed. In McHenry county, Willard Hogge has begun the process of implementing the farmland assessment law. "The law will stabilize taxes to where they were in 1976 though we know they will continue to climb. But in creases of 60 percent one year and 40 percent the following year in many areas of the state made urgent action necessary," McKain said. McKain explained that township assessors are sup posed to take into consideration such factors as ditches through a field, woodland area near a field that would reduce moisture available for a couple of rods of cropland, hedges that would provide similar com petition for moisture, and power lines through a field where the towers would take out some land ,for a couple of rods around the tower. "If a farmer feels he's not being assessed fairly, he should obtain the soil map of his farm, use the University of Illinois Circular 1156 for soil type yield information, and other data the assessors are supposed to use to determine where or not the assessed value is fair. If not, farmers should file protests in order that the law is applied equitably," McKain sum marized. Seek Glasses, Sheets 4-H In Service Activities Making triangular bandages, collecting eyeglasses, teaching CPR and promoting better dental care are just a few of the many health activities the 4- Hers in McHenry county are getting involved with. They will be demonstrating and presenting these along with other topics to the public during the McHenry County fair and the Illinois State fair. Emergency bandages for local rescue squads can be made from old sheets. The 4- Hers are asking for worn sheets (with flowers, stripes, or just plain) which they will use to demonstrate how to make triangular bandages and will then pass the finished bandages on to rescue squads. Another item the 4-Hers are collecting are old eyeglasses. These are passed on to the Lions club who have them reground and sent overseas JLO areas where eyeglasses are nbt as easily available. Anyone who has any old sheets or eyeglasses is urged to drop them off in a box in Building "C" at the McHenry County fair, Aug. 1-5 or call Judy Vyduna at 385-3184. Skinner Will Debate RTA At Chicago Fest "just to keep the show balan ced." Soffit & Fascia State Rep. Cal Skinner, Jr., has been invited to debate as yet unknown RTA and-or CTA spokesmen on WIND radio Monday, Aug. 6. The show will be broadcast live from Chicago Fest and questions will be accepted from both the audience at Navy Pier and those listening to WIND. "I know the odds are going to be against me, because most of those at Chicago Fest will have gotten there by public tran sportation," Skinner said. Gutters! "nevertheless, I think the logic of RTA critics is so good that I'm willing to eneter the lion's den, so to speak." Skinner said he hoped that some RTA opponents would be ready to phone in questions, The World Trade Center towers are 103 feet taller than the Empire State Build ing. Chicago's Sears Tower is 101 feet taller still, making it the world's tallest building. McHenry Kart Park OUTWARD APPEARANCES : ALUMINUM : SIDING (312) 587-5569s ,r» Windows I DAILY & SAT. 1 -5*7- 10 SUNDAY 1 • 10 2004 LINCOLN ROAD • ACROSS FROM OUTDOOR THEATER A. SOMETHING SOMETHING SUMMER MENU at CHAPEL HILL Friday & Saturday Only Prime Rib Ail Jus •••SPECIALTIES*** • ':;.V - . - iff Hill iH ;x: • ; • •• i s ; EVERY TUESDAY THRU SUNDAY Soap & Salad Bar Included with Main Entre & Dessert Join Us For Fish Fry every Friday Branch every Sunday LIVE tTAIN FRIDAY- PETE CARTER of the Piano CHAPEL HILL'S SUNDAY EVENING •MakiEitre •CiM Table •toad Taklt Serving 3:30- 8:30 pm ALL YOU CAN EAT I CHAPEL HILL GOLF CLUB 2500 N Chapel Hill Road McHenry lllinoit r KIDS SS.9S $£.95 FOR INFORMATION (SIS) 38S-0333 CHICAGO (311)4S1-02J7 r ' PAGE 7 -PLA1NDEALER - FRIDAY, JULY 27.1B7» to play in the game should contact tournament ctirecttr Paul Morenz at 385-3252. Refreshments will available at the field the ent weekend. •I ATTEND CHRISTIAN CAMP-Mark Schneider, left, and Greg Boyd will represent Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran church 404 N. Green street. McHenry, at a Young Life Christian camp in Buena Vista Colo., from Aug. 1-9. The Young Life Christian camps offer teenagers opportunities for Christian fellowship and discussion periods which help young people better understand themselves and their relationship to God. Recreational opportunities at the Colorado camp include swimming, horseback riding, mountain hiking and sing-along sessions. The two students will join a bus caravan from Rockford for the trip to and from the Colorado camp. * « 16" Tourney Next Weekend A 16" Softball tournament, featuring some of the finest teams in northern Illinois, will. be held next weekend at the McHenry VFW field on Route 120. The tournament will begin Friday night, with four games scheduled and > continue Saturday and Sunday. It will be a double elimination tourney. Several teams from the McHenry 16" league are en tered: Old Bridge-John's Sport Stop, Hautzinger concrete, Fox Hole, Sunnyside and Peer Inn, among others. Last year, Old Bridge won one McHenry tournament and finished second in another. An added feature of this year's tournament will be an Old Timers' game Sunday before the scheduled cham pionship game. . * Any ex-McHenry - league players (40 and over) wishing i FACTS I & FIGURES At $1,000 a yard, shahr toosh may be the dearest cloth in the world. More j expensive and considered ! even finer than vicuna, it ii J , a brown-gray wool made J from the throats of Indian «. goats. ! « • » Some people in thf J audience probably coughed • and cleared their throad \ when they saw a dress ' designed by Serge Lapage in thijpJanuary 1977 Schiaplrelli collection,,. Called "The Birth of Venus,- .1; the dress was studded witfc . 512 diamonds and priced at $1,500,000. One major bank suggests that family monthly debt repayments not exceed 25 percent of its income. FORMAL WEAR RENTALS for ALL OCCASIONS feell S SttoaR ,...tk &tjMz(p/Lm, 1214 N. Grren St.. McHenry CONTRACTORS Job Held Up Because Of Concrete Delivery : Delay? CALL ACCU CRETE, INC. Saturday Deliverys. Available Phone: 338-4718 Prices effective while quantities last. We reserve the right to limit quantities; »• PRICES EFFECTIVE IIIURS., JULY 26 THRU SUN., JULY 29 HORNSBY'S SEASON IMPROVEMENT SPECIALS Super Value! || Black and $j Decker® trass Salt 187 Reg. 33.27 Nylon grass/weed trimmer. Brand new, with automatic self feeding lln* I Savtll II Weed Eater® II trass TriainM mtmrn sai« i Sovi Now I Far-Oe Vinyl Ceaieat Mix 76 m Sals 187 Reg. 49.46 Weed Eater4, . The ultimate ipon in the war on grass and weeds. 10-lb. vinyl cement mix Amaiing on* part dry cement mix bonds by itself I Special formulation with vinyl polymers t bondi 8 to 10 times stronger j than regular camant mixes. Value Tim#! 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