WoodfordTaxFacts.org - The Truth Detector

Here's another local article speaking to our Public Libraries' identity crises.

We get a little concerned with publicly funded entities thinking they have somehow received a mandate to be the information gatekeepers - most especially when they are part of the ALA.

The American Library Association are the ones that want your kids to be able to go to the library and log-on to any site that they wish - forget the morality or safety concerns. They also do not want anyone, ever, to have any oversight over what occurs with their portals. This is not to imply that your own local library is unsafe for your kids - quite the contrary. However, the ALA is the activist wing and political action entity which your library supports, and thus, so do your tax and donation dollars.

The ALS (Alliance Library System) is the more localized wing. Take a look at just a couple of items:

http://www.alliancelibrarysystem.com/article.cfm?id=989

http://www.alliancelibrarysystem.com/article.cfm?id=982

These are your tax dollars at work.

Now, our libraries seem to want to establish their own proprietary "Google". They seem to feel that will keep public libraries viable.

With the number of private initiatives like Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, not to mention NetFlix, the coming "TV on demand" thing, do we really need a library to compete in these areas by offering net access, DVDs, CDs, and video games?

We promised to keep updating real Woodford County residents' tax bills as they come in.

Here's an update:











(Click on the chart to enlarge for visibility)
Use your "back" button to return.

We had the unusual opportunity to catch the Eureka Public Library District Board meeting on Monday night last

It was incredibly interesting. Much of the meeting was centered around thoughts of some sort of expansion, demolition, and/or relocation of the library.

We heard no budgetary numbers attached to these various options. Apparently, the original facility was essentially a gift from a Eureka resident and is "trusteed" by a church. There is also a State of Illinois historic preservation situation involved with a potential move.

Additionally, the board unanimously approved a 5% pay increase for library staff, and it was mentioned that much of the budgetary pressure was coming from I.M.R.F. contributions, which, it was stated, "we have no control over - it's State mandated".

Computer and software updates were also mentioned as needing monetary attention.

Morphing the library to more of a "community center" was discussed.

We may be way off on this - but it is our opinion that Public Libraries are desperately scrambling for relevance and a customer base.

Let's face it - folks aren't reading like they used to and if the libraries are to become "internet access points" why do they even need a complex at all? Are we to fund these things as book and computer warehouses?

Eureka, and many other libraries are in danger of losing their "warm and fuzzy" support from the tax paying folks that regard them with nostalgia as historic, iconic, and cultural reference points - places which they would endow from their estates when they die.

We would humbly submit that the libraries take a little break, take a few deep breaths, and consider what their missions should be in terms of their communities' wishes and history, rather than trying to create demand for something that perhaps isn't wanted or needed.

The public library system should not be a social service agency, nor a jobs program. If it is to be "public" it should serve genuine public needs. If it is to be private and privately endowed, it can make it's own mission, but it must create that without funding from property taxes, federal and state grants, or other public funds.

Take a look at this article from the Christian Science Monitor:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0725/p02s02-ussc.html

The Peoria Journal Star had an article today featuring I.C.C. President John Erwin lamenting the unfairness of the projected State of Illinois funding of Illinois Central College.

While we agree with him that the giant sucking sound from up north is getting intolerable to we "downstate farmers", we also hear in Mr. Erwin's outrage the seeds of a tax referendum which will enable the pouring of more concrete over at ICC.

These seeds are sprouting vigorously in Woodford County. We hear murmurs from Fieldcrest School District, El Paso/Gridley, ICC, and others - not necessarily school taxing authorities.

Some may have merit, but the burden of proof lies with the taxing authority - not the tax payers. Let's nip this in the bud now. It is NOT a revenue problem, it is a spending problem. We refuse to be taxed out of our homes, regardless of where the State of Illinois' funding levels for local taxing bodies fall.

Here is the change in the Consumer Price Index (inflation), year-to-year from 1990-2004.















Now here's the change in Woodford County's EAV (property tax) for those same years.

It's a little hard to read, but notice that the compound annual growth rate is 6.9% while inflation based on the CPI index was just under 3.1%.

Theoretically, the Property Tax Extension Liability Law (PTELL), had it been available and in effect for these years would have bridged the gap between those numbers somewhat.

So who gets what in Woodford County as a result of Property Tax Extensions?

County....................5.4%
Township..................8.2
Municipalities............5.2
Schools..................73.9
Fire.........................4.0
Park...........................6 (point-six)
Libraries...................2.7
Multi-Twp...................<.1

The 2003 baseline was approximately $ 42.73 million. (all date from Ill. Dept. of Revenue)

From the Ill. Dept. of Revenue, here is a breakdown of the Property Tax burden born by type of property (extensions for 2003):

County............Residential.....Farm....Commercial....Industrial...Rail Roads....Minerals

Woodford..............66%...........21%.............11%................1.7%............<.1%...........0
($ 42,728,191)
Statewide...............61%.............3%.............25%................10%............<.3%........<.1%
Cook County..........53%..........<.1%............34%................14%............<.2%............0
Collar Counties......76%..............1%............16%..................7%............<.1%.........<.1%
Rest of State..........60%............13%...........21%..................6%............<.7%.........<.2%

As you can readily see from the above, Woodford County residential property owners pay a higher share than anywhere, other than the "collar" communities, and of course, our farm owners' percentage is the highest of anywhere. Together, they paid 87% of the total extensions.