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McHenry Friday October 14. 1983 Number 20 Volume 109 Drop in property assessment spurs concern at 708 board The homecoming court at West Campus includes (from I to r), Erich Gaza and Val Gilbert, Dave Graef and Danielle Johnson, Steve Carby and Michelle Dunne, Brian Wright and Alice Lenz. Ringwood Day at historical society historic farms of Barnard Mill "I have some good news and some bad news," reported Dennis Smith, director of die M c H e n r y C o u n t y Comprehensive Mental Health Service System (706 board) regarding their financial situation. He advised the Planning and Management board that the McHenry County Board had approved the tentative 708 budget as recommended after informally urging some reductions in the mental health proposals. "But the bad news is the assessed valuation (on which the tax levies are based) is down, from $1,316 billion to $1,257 billion according to the * county supervisor of assessments." Smith said the factors responsible for this downturn in the formerly increasing value of real estate assessments is due to a decrease in home sale values from the peak year oi 1979 and several measures passed by the state and signed by the governor, including a $500 increase in the homestead exemption and an increase in the over age 65 exemption for homeowner taxpayers. Smith projected the effect of this on future budgets as no or little effect for 1964, $251,006 in 1965 and $300,000 in 1986 against proposed budgets ranging from $1.7 million to $1.8 million. Smith warned the Planning and Management board that this would give them a new picture on their funding. Since their share of the taxes will not increase, they will have to use more care in managing their resources. In the future they will not be able to do all the things which they wanted to do. And they may need to seek other funding. Because of the limit to the money available for the care of the "nigh risk" population discharged from mental health centers, these funds may be diverted from the programs intended for prevention of mental health problems. "This is where we should be doing more, but instead we will have to do less," Smith lamented. And he warned, new programs will take money from existing programs. "There are only so many state and federal dollars (designated for mental health programs.)" "Therefore," continued Smith," we will have to be more innovative and creative in our ideas to expand in the areas needed. Also, we will have to look at the existing programs in different ways. We have already fine-combed them creatively and fiscally. Now we will have to check their effectiveness (do they perform the functions for which they were designed?)". L a r r y G l o w a c k i , representative from the Family Services and Mental Health Center, conceded, "We have been looking forward (expecting) to this and will have to live with it." Smith added in a more positive note, "We won't stop. But we will have to look at the existing system." Glowacki agreed, "The priorities will change along with the appropriate rationale. Jeanette Shapiro, 708 board member, observed, "Industries have had to contend with the reduction in revenue and adjust to it. We should look into productivity." Smith agreed and pointed out, "Family Services (already) does have productivity standards." Glowacki asserted, "All the blood has been squeezed from the turnip. There isn't any more. Any decreases now will be in service." Smith said that word from the state Department of Mental Health indicates that money is being set aside to make available 500 new beds at the Elgin Mental Health Center. In the planning stage is the closing of MHC's at Manteno ana Galesburg with possible conversion to prison facilities. Elgin's capacity with its many obsolete buildings had been greatly reduced, but apparently planning is in progress to modernize some of its building ' to accommodate the population from the other two MHC's who have not been discharged into the community, Smith noted; A-special invitation is being extended by the community of Ringwood and the McHenry County Historical Society to join w$i them oil Sunday, Oct 16^t the county museum in Union to hiohlî hi Hmgwnnd hiatnrv. From 1:SW*!» toe county museum will be the location for a trip down Ringwood memory lane. Ringwood, in McHenry Township, was settled in 1837 by Vermonters and was given its name from the ring of woods that surrounded the village, though quiet and unincorporated today, it once boasted a dance hall, large general store, nursery, Bowman Dairy Plant, bank, reed mill, blacksmith riiop and community band. The McHenry County - Historical Museum has records from some of those early stores and businesses, a Ringwood band uniform, early area photographs and the medical paraphernalia of Ringwood doctor, William A. Hepburn, who between 1899 ana 1961 delivered more than 1,200 babies. Addecl to these exhibits will be quilts being brought in for the afternoon and a display on Federal, state and local fire officials are looking into the questionable origin of a fire that caused substantial damage to a Johnsburg tavern. Six fire companies were called to Nelms Johnsburg Tavern, 3622 N. Chapel Hill Road, McHenry, where a fire had broken out in the basement of the structure. In addition to the three McHenry Township Fire Department companies, men and equipment from Spring Grove, Richmond and Wonder Lake Fire Deparments also responded. McHenry Township Fire Chief Glenn Peterson said the fire was reported at 3:10 a.m. by a passerby, who noticed the building was filled with smoke. Peterson said the fire started in the basement of the structure and declined to give further details because of the pending investigation. family will present entitled, "Good Old Golden School Days" followed by two presentations. The first will be. on the history of the Bowman Dairy Plant by Lyle "Red" Hopper of Deerfield, Wis. Central to this McHenry County village, the Bowman Plant was once the scene for traffic jams of farmers with their wagons loaded with milk and even a milk strike when milk was dumped from the wagons into the street. Eventually the dairy plant became the Morton Chemical Plant with a history of its own and the subject of a second talk, this one by Dan Schmitt of Johnsburg on the "History of the Morton Chemical Plant". Visitors are invited to bring their own Ringwood memorabilia for a show-and- tell. Residents of Ringwood and McHenry Township will be admitted free to the museum that day. The museum will remain open on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons through October. City profits from sales tax Chamber backs ambulance tax fa? Anthony Oliver The single to the city's general fund eoffw.*, the sales tax, is pacing well ahead of last year, according to the gross receipts for the last six months. Sales tax receipts for calendar year 1963 show an 8.4 percent increase in revenues over the same period in calendar year 1982. In dollars and cents, the 8.4 percent gain amounts to $38,753.64. For the first three months of calendar year 1983, it looked like the city's sales tax revenue was going to fall far behind 1962. The January sales tax receipts, which were received in April, lagged behind 1982's receipts by $3,419.03. Likewise, the February and March revenues fell behind by a combined total of more than $12,500. But, there was a massive turnaround in April of 1983. The sales tax received in this month amounted to $105,559.40-fully $27,832.83 more than the same month in 1982. May and June receipts for this year were recorded at totals of $15,520.31 and $11,465.25 over their respective counterparts from 1982. Without exception, sales tax revenues at the six-month mark of the calendar year have been steadily climbing since 1978. One year, 1979, seems to have jumped out of its place in the orderly progression of revenues. In that year, die six month total was $462,461.42. This represented an increased of more than $50,000 over the same total for 1978. likewise, the year-end total for 1979 of $974,221.06 was overshadowed only by the year 1982, when the sales tax revenues broke the million dollar mark. City officials have projected the gross sales tax receipts for importance of this source of revenue to the general fund, consider that last year the sales tax generated nearly a million dollars for the city. The next highest contributors to the General fund were the Estate income tax ($214,932) and the property tax ($184,419). In addition to the General fund, money collected via the property tax is also used in the public benefit, band, debt service, civil* defense, audit, insurance, retirement, police pension and library funds. GROSS SALES TAX REVENUES MONTH 1982 1983 DIFF. January 67,695.16 64,276.13 -3,419.03 February 85,778.64 75,118.10 -10,660.54 March 66,806.27 64,821.09 -1,985.18 April 77,726.57 105,559.40 +27,832.83 May 74,571.19 90,091.50 +15,520.31 June 86,920.08 98,385.33 +11,465.25 Total 459,497.91 498,251.55 r +38,753.64 The McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors voted unanimously Tuesday night to endorse the upcoming ambulance tax referendum. The McHenry Township Fire Protection District is seeking passage of a referendum on Nov. 8 which would establish a special ambulance tax. If the measure is approved by the voters, the tax monies received would be used to support the operations of both the McHenry Area and Johnsburg Rescue Squads. Chamber board president, Trey Covalt, noted the presentation made to the board Oy members of the fire department and rescue squad and said, "We decided to endorse the referendum." , , Coy alt admitted board members were concerned about endorsing any measure concerning taxes. "We felt that in the long run it would help our members," Covalt said. He noted that the business community is hit pretty hard by fund raising efforts of the two rescue squads. At present, both squads are supported by community donations and receive no guaranteed tax support. "We realize the importance of A look inside... - Lions Candy Day .... f Page 10 . MCC finances. . ..../. ... Page 31 McHenry poster child Page 14 Regular features • Business.. i' ; Page 5 Church Page 15 Deaths . . ., Page9 School . . . . v . ,V. . . . . Page 6 Society Pages 12-13 the rescue squad and the fine job they've been doing," Covalt said. Fire and Rescue officials pointed to the need for the special ambulance tax, noting that this was the fairest way to raise the money needed to operate the squads. And it is a sizeable amount of money. Last year, it took more than $52,000 to operate the McHenry Area Rescue Squad. This total included replacement and purchase of needed equipment, maintenance of vehicles and medical equipment, building maintenance, education, insurance, fuel, telephone and general and medical supplies. The fuel bill for 1982 was just over $2,500. Insurance was nearly $10,000 and education cost $3;500. It costs about $500 for an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) to upgrade his or her training to that pf paramedic. Just to become an EMT $125, according to Landholt, associate director Emergency Medical Services. State law will not permit money raised through a fire protection tax to be used for ambulance services. The law also sets a maximum levy amount of $.30 per $100 assessed valuation. Rescue and fire members have estimated the amount needed to be about $.085 per $100 assessed valuation. Students on the homecoming court at East Campus are (from I to r), Cary Lanphier and Mike Milinac, Delia STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAVIOM) Saunders and Todd Hughes, Kathy Stelmack and Jeff Greany, Sarah Lamboum and Vic Romandine. 1 Section 24 Poget 25'