Dear Neighbors,
I wish you a happy New Year. As I reflect on the end of my
first year serving as your representative on the Lake County Board, I am
grateful to you for this opportunity and for the collaborative and collegial
efforts of my colleagues on the Board and our talented County staff and
directors.
Now more than ever, our local governments are needed to
serve us and represent our values. I look forward to a productive and
successful 2018 serving you.
Thank you!
Paul
A new year brings more than 200 new laws that will go into
effect beginning Jan. 1, 2018. This includes lowering the organ donor registry
age, allowing motorists to pass bicyclists in a no-passing zone, and a new law
that protects consumers who leave negative online reviews. See the complete list. |
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The Lake County Treasurer's Office is continuing to accept
prepayments for the 2017 tax year through Dec. 29, 2017. The Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) has released new guidelines to determine if prepaid real property
taxes are tax deductible for those who pre-pay their property taxes in 2017.
The Lake County Treasurer's Office reminds residents that the County does not
determine a property owner's eligibility for the tax deductible. Before making
a prepayment, it is recommended that property owners consult with an accountant
or another income tax professional. Learn
more about the prepayment program.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2018, the minimum legal sales age to purchase tobacco products will increase to 21 years old in unincorporated Lake County, following an ordinance approved earlier this year by the County Board. Lake County is the first county in Illinois to raise the minimum legal sales age to 21 in unincorporated areas.
The Lake County Health Department provides FREE one-on-one and group counseling with a certified tobacco treatment specialist for adults looking to quit smoking or other their tobacco use. Learn more
Lake County property owners who sustained flood damage from
the July 2017 flood may be eligible to claim an income tax credit worth up to
$750 under a new law recently approved by the Illinois Legislature and signed
by the governor. If eligible, the income tax credit may be applied to the
resident’s 2017 Illinois income taxes. Learn
more
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Donate your holiday tree to the Lake County Forest Preserves and we’ll recycle it into
wood chips for trails and landscaping at forest preserves throughout Lake
County. Bring your tree to a drop-off site now
through Feb. 1. |
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Lake County is on the front lines of addressing the mental
health crisis impacting our country and our communities. Over the past
year, the Lake County Mental Health Coalition has been
working diligently to study this issue at the local level and make
recommendations on how to better serve this vulnerable population in order
to maintain their health and well-being. Watch this video to
learn more. |
Every year, volunteers participate in a Point-In-Time Homeless Count to search for,
interview, and offer help to unsheltered people experiencing
homelessness in Lake County. We need
volunteers to help document the need in our communities and serve as the “boots on the ground” to
connect individuals with the resources they need.
Date: January 24, 2018
Time: 10 p.m. (into
the early morning hours)
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The
19th Judicial Circuit recently honored the Guardians Ad Litem, from both the
private bar and from the Lake County Public Defender’s Office, for safeguarding
children through the adoption process. The Guardians Ad Litem serve as the eyes
and ears of the court and make the recommendation as to whether adoption is in
the best interest of the child. Throughout the month of November, courts and
communities all over the country participated in finalizing thousands of
adoptions of children from foster care as part of Adoption Awareness
Month. Watch this video to learn more.
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Forest Preserve News
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Experience Winter’s Beauty Hiking across the snow. Tracing figure eights on the ice.
Feeling the tug of a fish below the frozen water. Zooming downhill on a
snow-packed surface. These experiences and more await winter outdoor
enthusiasts at your Lake County Forest Preserves, where breathtaking scenery
goes hand-in-hand with exercise and fun. Before heading out, check online for current trail, snow and ice
conditions for sledding, snowmobiling, ice fishing, ice skating, and
cross-country skiing.
Take an Evening Hike on
Solar-Lit Trails With small solar
lights to guide the way, hikers, skiers and snowshoers can get some evening
exercise along the 1.3-mile fitness trail at Old School
Forest Preserve in Libertyville, and along a 1.65-mile
hilly section of the Millennium Trail adjacent to the Winter Sports
Area at Lakewood Forest Preserve in Wauconda. Though regular
preserve hours are 6:30 a.m. to sunset, the illuminated trails and adjacent
parking lots will remain open after sunset until 9 p.m., daily, through Sunday,
March 11, 2018. Learn more
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Lake County History Symposium–Call for Papers On April 29, 2018, the Dunn Museum
(Libertyville) will host the fourth Annual Lake County History Symposium. The
Symposium is open to the public and aims to bring together those interested in
and actively researching the history of Lake County. This year’s theme is
History from Objects. Proposals for presentations and posters are requested.
Submissions are due on or before February 1, 2018. Submit yours today. |
The Lake County Board makes
policy and budget decisions each month that touches many areas, from economic development and human services to law
enforcement and public safety, along with transportation and infrastructure. In
this new video series, we wrap up recent County Board actions. Watch
now. |
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If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at pfrank@lakecountyil.gov or visit
my Facebook page.
I encourage you to forward this update to others who may be interested in Lake County news. Residents who wish to automatically receive my bi-weekly newsletter can email me, or click the “Sign up for my mailing list here” button at the top of the newsletter.
Thank you, Paul Frank
Mr. Frank, County Board member and Forest Preserve Commissioner, serves on:
Lake County Board, 11th District: Lake County Law and Judicial Committee Lake County Health and Community Services Committee Lake County Ad Hoc Diversity and Inclusion Committee Lake County Ad-Hoc Legislative Committee
Lake County Forest Preserves, 11th District: Planning Committee Ethics Committee
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