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| Lake County News
from David Stolman
County Board Chairman |
| October 2011 |
County Board Chairman
District 20 Representative |
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Neighbors,
As always, it's a pleasure and honor representing you on the County and Forest Preserve Boards. Please contact me anytime for any reason - I love hearing from you!
Send email to:
dstolman@lakecountyil.gov
or call me at 847-377-2300.
I encourage you to forward this update to others who may be interested in Lake County news.
Thank you,
David Stolman
Lake County Board Chairman
Representing Buffalo Grove, Long Grove and Prairie View |
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Lake County Welcomes FedEx Ground to Grayslake
 This week, FedEx Ground officially opened its new 214,000 square-foot facility located on R.t. 83 north of Peterson Road in Grayslake. The workforce includes more than 200 full-time and part-time employees and could grow to almost 500 when the facility is operating at full capacity. Several local government agencies, including the Village of Grayslake, Lake County, the local school districts and fire protection district all worked together to enable FedEx to develop this site. The collaboration among the various partners was coordinated by Lake County Partners, Lake County's economic development agency.
Watch Videos:
- Lake County Board members, and other local officials comment on what this new business means to Lake County- Watch Quick-Clip (2 minute video)
- Lake County, local, and state officials along with FedEx representatives gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony - Watch video (15 minutes)
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Vernon Township Residents- watch for your assessment in the mail - coming soon. |
| While I don't have a role in determining your assessment, I am here to act as your advocate and help you learn about the appeal process. I will be sending more information about the appeal process soon.
Watch County Update: Property Assessments
 Assessment notices are mailed this time of year. When property owners receive this notice, it's important that they carefully review and understand this information. In this edition of County Update, County Board Chairman David Stolman sits down with Chief County Assessment Officer Marty Paulson to answer some frequently asked questions about your assessment notice. Watch Video (24 minutes)
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How Do You Go Green, Lake County?
The Lake County Board is committed to promoting a sustainable environment - one of our top goals in our strategic plan. In an effort to increase public awareness and encourage residents to "go green," we are featuring YOUR stories in the LCTV series "How Do You Go Green, Lake County?" In this new video, learn how some of your neighbors are supporting local, organic farmers. Watch Video: (2 1/2 minutes) and send us your ideas at communications@lakecountyil.gov!
Learn more by visiting the Sustainable Lake County website.
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Lake County Board of Review Implements New Preliminary Review Process
Over the last several years, due to the historic changes in the housing market, the Lake County Board of Review - the panel responsible for reviewing and making determinations on property assessment appeals - has seen a drastic increase in the volume of appeals from taxpayers. Recent appeal filings from three townships show an increase between 100% and 400%.
To more efficiently manage this high volume of appeals, expedite the process, and produce faster results for taxpayers, the Board of Review (BOR) will issue a preliminary decision and attempt to settle the case without going to a formal hearing. The BOR evaluates evidence submitted from the taxpayer (or their representative), and the township assessors. In those cases where the evidence supports a clear determination, the BOR member can make a preliminary decision and present it to the taxpayer who can choose to accept it, or decide to pursue a formal hearing.
Chief County Assessment Officer Marty Paulson recommended the change to the Board of Review after seeing the success of a similar program in Winnebago County, Illinois.
"This change will result in a time savings for taxpayers because in most instances they will not have to come to Waukegan for a hearing. We will be able to resolve their appeals much faster," Paulson said. "Over the last few years, the volume of appeals has increased by four fold. As a result, the BOR started doing limited preliminary reviews - about 30% of the cases - and taxpayers were satisfied with the results."
In addition to providing a convenience to taxpayers, the new process reduces the number of in-person hearings, allowing the BOR to more efficiently manage the increased number of appeals, and conduct hearings within a timely manner. This change will benefit township assessors as well, allowing them to use their staff time more effectively in preparing the evidence for cases. Furthermore, it is critical that the Board of Review process is not delayed so that final assessments are reported to the treasurer in time to distribute tax bills.
For more information about the Board of Review, and the appeal process, visit www.lakecountyil.gov/assessor.
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Talkin' Transportation: Roundabouts in Lake County
 In this episode of Talkin' Transportation, Marty Buehler, the Director of the Lake County Division of Transportation talks about newly constructed roundabouts in Lake County. Lake County motorists can try out this new feature in our road network in Lincolnshire and Old Mill Creek. In this video, learn more about the safety of roundabouts, and how roundabouts ease traffic congestion and even help with air quality!
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Pace, Metra and CTA
Pace, Metra and CTA have a number of transit options to help commuters get around. RTA travel service provides transit trip information to help you make a seamless commute. The TMA of Lake Cook also supports the Shuttle Bug service, which provides convenient connections using Pace Bus, and Metra service on 14 Shuttle Bug routes at 7 Metra stations to many companies in Cook and Lake Counties. So, visit the web sites below for a better commute to work today!
www.pacebus.com
Customer Relations 847-364-7223 (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM)
Pace Suburban Bus provides route, schedule and fare information on suburban bus service. Information is also available for all of the Shuttle Bug routes that provide connecting service between Metra stations and area employers. Web Watch can provide commuters real time travel information on buses visit, http://gis.pacebus.com/webwatch/. Visit www.pacerideshare.com for vanpool or carpool options.
www.metrarail.com
Passenger Service 312-322-6777 (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM)
Metra is one of the nation's premier commuter rail systems. Their web site provides information on fares, schedules, stations, connecting services, tickets and customer service.
www.transitchicago.com
Customer Service 888-968-7282 (7:00 AM to 8:00 PM)
The Chicago Transit Authority provides bus and 'L' service in Chicago and nearby suburbs. Their web site provides routes, schedules, fares and connections as well as information on Chicago Card/Plus.
www.rtachicago.com
Customer Service 312-913-3110 (8:00 AM to 4:30 PM)
The Regional Transportation Agency (RTA) provides a commuter trip planner to provide commuters with information on which buses or trains to take.
The TMA of Lake-Cook is a business association whose mission is to improve employees' commute and work for a better quality of life in Lake and Cook County in northeastern Illinois. TMA works pro-actively with elected officials, communities and transportation agencies to provide a voice for the business community for better transportation planning, highway improvements and transit service. TMA also manages the successful Shuttle Bug program in cooperation with Pace and Metra. For further information on the TMA see website at www.tmalakecook.org. |
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