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McHenry STAFf PHOTO-WAYNE CAYLORO IS. 2 Sections 30 Pages 25' Friday March 16. 1984 Number 64 Volume 108 Property equalization brings many inquiries Brushing '84 winter aside ST Aft PHOTO-WAVNC GAYIORD Spring may be fust around the weekend - Tuesday, March 20 -- but this young lady has her doubts. She brushes the latest snowfall from her car as other vehicles nearby remain almost covered. ZBA approves nursing home expansion By Anthony Oliver the McHenry Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) gave Royal Terrace Nursing Home its first "go-abend" last week in its bid for a 50Hbed expansion on the existing site. Thewt ff the nursing home, at 803 Royal Drive, McHenry, Bertram L. Miner and Lloyd Berhoff, petitioned the ZBA regarding a planned 11,000 square foot expansion which would allow an additional SO beds. The existing special use permit for the extended care facility specifies 312 beds, hence the need for a zoning change. The change requested was to increase the special use permit by SO beds. According to Miner, the building addition would be toward the southeast end of the property, abutting West Campus property and the Crystal Lake blacktop. Miner pointed out to the board that most of the residents of Royal Terrace and the staff members who take care of them, come from McHenry and its surrounding environs. He estimated that between 25 and 30 new staff positions would be open if the addition is built. Responding to a ^piestiojj of the need for the addition, Miner said, "We have 305 in house with seven in the hospital. We are absolutely full. We have been forced to turn away McHenry residents recently." Miner also commented that as part of 235 employees, the facility also provides em­ ployment and training op­ portunities for Pioneer Center clients and high school students in the Health Oc­ cupations class. He also said the new hospital would probably increase the demand for nursing home space. "The hospital is increasing in size to 180 beds from 135. Under the present funding practices of various sources that fund the hospital, residents are being forced out of the hospital. That's the reason we are full, and virtually every other home around is full," Miner said. Miner said the plan was to provide a wing for "high func­ tioning adults" to allow them to get out of the extended, skilled- cat^ aspects Of the home. Ill arguing for ZBA support, Miner pointed out that Royal race was a big contributor to community. He cited in­ volvement in Crime Stoppers, the Chamber of Commerce, city band concerts, Golden Kiwanis and contributions to the Fire Department and Rescue Squad. Board member Harry Semrow, Jr., asked about the possibility of another addition. Miner replied that to go any larger than 365 was to reach a point of giving a quality. "We're at the optimum size now," Miner said. ZBA members expressed concern about the possible renioval of a berm at the Oak- wood Drive-Royal Drive end of the property and the petitioners agreed to leave it intact. It was estimated that the construction will cost $650,000 and take six to eight months to complete. A motion by Semrow to recommend approval of the petition, providing that the berm was left intact and parking met the city code, passed 6-0. Board member Donna Tobeck was absent. The matter now goes to the McHenry City Council for final action. ' by Angela Burden Shaw Free Press News Media The switchboard at McHenry County Courthouse has been busier than ever this week with triple the amount of average daily calls. The heavy phone traffic stems from the McHenry County Board of Review's notification to taxpayers on the statutory equalization of property. The state law requiring each township's level of assessment to be set at 33 1-3 has been put into effect by the board and the required notification has been mailed this week to 84,000 taxpayers. "The notice is new to property owners. They've never seen anything like it before and most of the people are just calling to get information," Supervisor of Assessments Randy Woloski said Wednesday. Of more than 5,000 inquiries during the past two days, the switchboard operator said she has only had one complaint. "It shows that the assessment department staff is doing a great job at explaining the new law to the satisfaction of the callers," said switchboard operator Pauline Cline. The average daily calls to the courthouse total about 1,500. However, the past two days, since the assessments notices are being delivered in the mail, the calls have reached about 4,500 a day. There is only one person handling the switchboard at the courthouse, so only about 70 percent of the calls get through because of busy hues. When nine incoming calls come together, Cline said, a busy signal goes out to the tenth caller. "During extremely busy times perhaps only 50 perceriFof the calls get through," Cline said. Woloski explained the result of equalization should bring a decrease in the state multiplier of almost 2 from the Illinois Department of Revenue. "This year that multiplier should be at 1, which hardly will make any difference to taxes assigned to the newly equalized assessed valuation of property," he said. To help the taxpayer compare the effects of the board of review's notice, Woloski suggested that persons look at the board's 1983 equalization figures listed in the final column of the notice and the first column, where the state's 1982 equalization figure is listed. "The comparison of the state's 1982 and the board's 1983 equalization should give a fairly good idea whether the taxable valuation will be going up or down," the assessment supervisor said. Woloski said that the values listed in the notice may show even further reductions in assessed valuations because of the annual home owner's and senior citizen's exemptions, which amount to additional deductions of $5,000. The equalization of assessed valuation will bring geater uniformity among townships, according to Woloski. "In those townships with lower valuation compared to 1982, it may be indicated those property owners were paying too much in taxes, and if property valuation has in­ creased in other townships because of equalization, it in­ dicates those property owners were not paying their fair share, perhaps for a number of years, compared to taxpayers in neigh­ boring townships," Woloski said. Primary interest grows locally Voters in 29 McHenry Township precincts will go to the polls Tuesday, March 20, to elect party representatives for various offices to face the op­ position in the November election. These will include choices for U.S. Senate, representatives in Congress, delegates to the nominating convention, as well as county officers, county board, judges and precinct committeemen. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Two referenda will also be voted on that day. The biggest interest focuses on establish­ ment of the Johnsburg Public Library District, a proposal which was narrowly defeated on two other occasions. The City Council of McHenry has agreed to allow voters to express themselves on the proposal asking, "Should members of the General Assembly, representing the people of this City, vote in favor of the taxpayer relief act of 1964 ' which closes tax loopholes for big multinational corporations and use of the revenue to per­ manently cut the state utility tax on consumers from 5 percent to 2% percent, saving Illinois families and business $306 million a year." There is a sharp difference of opinion on the merits of this Taxpayer Relief Act. A look inside. So I Hear Look for this popular column in each Wednesday edition Prima r y News Section 2, Pages 6,7 and 9 Regular features Obituaries Page 18 Sports Starts Page 12, Section 2 Classified Reader Ads , ? 44-4800 Display and Classified Display 385-0170 Thomas Quinn, Coalition for Political Honesty executive director, said that in the past six years state utility tax revenues have doubled as gas and electric rates have skyrocketed. Passage of the Act, he said, will cut the state utility tax in half and save Illiinois families anywhere from $50 to $150 a year. The Taxpayers Federation of Illinois views the Act in another way. The organization believes "voters should not be deceived by the appearance of a sim­ plistic solution to rising utility costs." A spokesman also said, "If passed, HB 1736 might well prove a disaster both in terms of the state budget and a positive tax policy aimed at hastening the state's slow recovery from the recession." lively races are evident in the bid to seek party nominations for McHenry County Board members in District 2. * On the GOP side, seven people have filed for four positions. They include incumbents Dean C. Cunat, Thomas Huemann and Edward Buss. Also seeking a spot on the Republican date are David M. Benrud, Paul Fidler, William J. "BUI" Fitzgerald and Robert G. Goben. likewise, the Democrats have a sis-way race for the four W»l|lt Jason Lazar of AAcHenry Junior High School, and Robin Duren of Parkland Junior High find this Words of the Champions book to their liking as they prepare for the AAc Henry spelling Bee. Jason finished first and Robin, second, in the AAarch 5 sectional competition. Students advance to county spelling bee Two McHenry junior high students will be competing with students from throughout the county, Monday, March 19 in an area-wide spelling contest. TJason Lazar of McHenry Junior High and Robin Duren of Parkland School have secured their places in the 1984 McHenry County Spelling Bee by winning first and second place respec­ tively in the Northeast Section contest, held March 5 at Rich­ mond Grade School. First auu secouu place finishers in each of five sec­ tionals will compete for the county title at 7:30 p.m., Mon­ day at Woodstock High School. Hie winner at that level will advance to the Chicago Suburban Finals on April 28. The contest is co-sponsored on the county level by Shaw-Free Press Newspapers, as well as the McHenry County Curriculum Council and the McHenry County Regional Office of Education. The Shaw- Free Press is awarding a Webster's Dictionary to first and second (dace winners on the sectional level; and a home computer to the winner on the county level. Chicagoland winners will win a trip to Washington D.C. from May 28 through June 2, 1984. All participants are given a study book, "The Words of Champions," from which the words used in competition are selected. Robin dropped to second place in the Northeast Section contest with an incorrect spelling of "bunion". Jason spelled the same word correctly, then clinched the local title with a correct spelling of "tangibility". Third place finisher in the local matchup was Dina Burtch of Richmond Grade. She was named an alternate contestant for the upcoming contest. Other students participating in the Northeast Section spelling contest were: Brent Andrick, Valley View; Kim Kunzer, Montini Middle School; Jessica Wirtz, St. John's; Tamara Policky, Johnsburg Junior High; and Mike Boisvert, Spring Grove School. »