Tax Hike Votes Start Monday

Tax increase votes from three Highland Park governmental agencies are on the horizon this month while a large segment of families with school age children in the community are on some form of assistance.

The Highland Park City Council will vote whether to increase its share of the real estate tax levy 7.31 percent at 7:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall while the Township High School District 113 Board of Education votes on a 2.97 percent hike Dec. 9 and the Park District of Highland Park Board of Commissioners makes its decision on a 6.6 percent bump Dec. 17.

Moraine Township has frozen its levy for next year and District 112 projects a small tax decrease. Based on information for all five entities, the owner of a $500,000 home will pay approximately $174 more in 2014 than expended this year.

As these votes are being contemplated, approximately 25 percent of children attending North Shore School District 112 schools qualify for free or reduced lunches, according to District Communications Director Andi Rosen.

At Highland Park High School 15 percent of the students qualify, according to Communications Director Melinda Vajdic. Though some students in both districts are from Highwood, many are from the Highland Park.

“We are aware of this and have been watching it since 2007 when it started to rise,” Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering said of the increasing number of local families on some sort of assistance.

Rotering and a majority of the City Council feel the increase is necessary to keep ongoing pension obligations from the state under control. The City plans to pay what is due next year and 2015. Councilman David Naftzger disagrees particularly because of people in need.

“Property tax hikes fly in the face of the City's goal to support affordable housing,” Naftzger said. “Higher property taxes take money directly out of homeowners’ pockets. Renters are not immune from these forces, as property tax hikes ripple through in the form of higher rents.”

Rotering sees other ways to help those in the community who need it while continuing to collect money from those who are able while remaining fiscally responsible to long term obligations.

“We are working with (Moraine) Township and family services and networking (with others) to provide resources to our most vulnerable people,” Rotering said. “We have increased the supply of food available and there is (property) tax relief for seniors.”

At the Park District, the bulk of the property tax increase will go toward making facilities compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to Park Board President Scott Meyers. Like the City, he looks to other ways to help lower income citizens while making the parks easier to use for people who are physically challenged.

“We have the SMILE (scholarships mean involvement in leisure for everyone) program as a way to help people who are in need,” Meyers said. “We represent all of Highland Park. The programs are there for all.”

SMILE has been around since 1992 raising money to assure anyone with a need for financial assistance can participate in Park District programs, according to Communications Director Margaret Behlow.

Township High School District 113 is in a similar situation with expenses tied to contracts which exceed the maximum amount the District can raise taxes requiring cuts in a number of areas, according to Board President Marjie Sandlow. Like the City and Park District, the high school has a number of programs to help low income families beyond the lunch program.

“We help with lunches even for those who do not meet federal standards, those who are low income but not low enough,” Sandlow said. “District 113 provides free books and fees to children of families in need. We have scholarship programs for things like ACT so students can participate in all areas of the schools.”

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