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Senior citizens may defer part or all of their
property taxes on their personal residence if they qualify for the Senior
Citizen Tax Deferral program. Your application will be filled out by the Lake County Treasurer's Office using the information you provide.
All applications must be submitted by March 1.
- Applicants
must be 65 years old or older as of June 1 of the tax year claimed.
- Total
household income must be $55,000 or less.
- This
is a State loan with a 6% simple interest rate per year.
- Learn
more about this program.
 I am excited to serve on the newly formed Lake County Government
Reform Implementation Committee that is charged with evaluating the
recommendations outlined in the final report from the Lake County
Commission on Government Reform and Accountability.
The County Board
recently accepted the report from the special
bi-partisan Commission, which was created in 2017 to explore
reform measures, including redistricting, the method of electing the chair, and
the size of the county board. The Commission concluded that Lake County
functions well, and Lake County has the opportunity to be a leader in pursuing
independent redistricting. Lake County would be the first county in
Illinois to undertake independent redistricting reform and would join only a
handful of other counties in the U.S. that have addressed this.
The Committee will
meet monthly to evaluate the recommendations in the report and submit its
findings to the County Board for consideration and action. To learn more about
the work of the Lake County Commission on Government Reform and
Accountability, watch this video, and read the
final report and other resources.
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Five Steps to Your Next Job
Get tips to improve your job search process at the five-day interactive workshop, "Five Steps to Your Next Job." The next workshop will meet Feb. 19 to 23 at the Waukegan Public Library. Reserve a seat by calling 847-377-3439 or send an email to elocke@lakecountyil.gov.
Volunteer Your Time
The Waukegan Park District seeks volunteers to help at a basketball tournament planned for adults with disabilities on Feb. 18. Volunteers are needed as officials and scorebook keepers, scoreboard and time keepers and concession attendants. For information, call Kari at 847-360-4762.
Donate Blood
The Gurnee Fire Department will host a blood drive from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 10 at Fire Station 2, 6581 Dada Dr. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 877-543-3768.
The Lake County Treasurer's Office is now finalizing
all prepayments of 2017 real estate taxes and will shortly conclude mailing out
receipts to taxpayers who submitted a prepayment by mail. The rush to prepay real estate taxes last December led to a record year
in Lake County. More than 20,000 taxpayers prepaid their real estate taxes in
2017, compared to 200 to 300 who prepay on average. View other facts and
an important notice for those who
prepaid their 2017 real estate taxes. |
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Individuals
who earned $66,000 or less in 2017 can self-file their federal and state taxes
for free and save an average of $200 in fees by using My Free Taxes. English and Spanish support via telephone
(1-855-MY-TX-HELP) is available, along with email and online chat support from
IRS-certified specialists. Learn more about My Free Taxes. |
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This year, 86 volunteers took part in the annual Point-in-Time Homeless
Count searching across Lake County to help document the need in our communities
and offer assistance to unsheltered people experiencing homelessness. Volunteers
made contact with 20 people experiencing homelessness, compared to 27 last
year. Learn
more about this year’s Point-In-time Homeless Count, and find out how you
can make a difference in ending chronic homelessness. |
To protect the election’s integrity and ensure voters’ privacy, it was
necessary to change a number of voting site locations beginning with the March
20 Primary Election. Impacted voters were notified by mail and sent a revised
Certificate of Registration card, noting the new voting site name and address.
You can always visit the Lake County Clerk’s website at LakeCountyClerk.info or
call 847-377-2400 for current voter registration and election information. View complete list of voting site
changes. |
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Boomer, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office’s
explosive detection canine, and his partner, Deputy Brian Kilpatrick
conduct a lot of training throughout the year to be an exceptional team. A
member of regional explosive detection canines, these canines respond to calls throughout
the region to check for explosives and respond to special or large events to
ensure the areas are safe. Learn more about all the great
work our K-9 Unit does! |
 Now officially the tallest building in Waukegan, construction of
the new courthouse is on track to open this summer. Washington Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. and
County St. has now reopened to through traffic. The road has been closed in
this area to perform work on the bridge.
Here are some fun facts about the project:
- The
legacy of long-time Lake County Board Member Audrey H. Nixon will be remembered
as the new pedestrian bridge connecting the new Lake County Courthouse and the
Lake County Building is named in her honor. A new commemorative display at
the entry of the bridge will be funded through private donations.
- The north face of the building features a facade referred to as
"the wave," a signature design concept that recognizes the
significance of Lake Michigan in Waukegan.
- The 160-foot-tall scaffold that was built on the north side of the
building will allow for the completion of the canopy at the roof level.
Learn more about the project by visiting www.lakecountycourthouseexpansion.com.
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 Forest Preserve News
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 Strategic Plan Update
Promoting
public access and trail connections is the central focus of one of our
strategic directions. Last fall, a new pedestrian bridge was installed over the
Metra Railway in the wee hours of the morning when train traffic was light. The
new bridge now connects 4.5 miles of trails at Middlefork Savanna Forest Preserve (Lake
Forest) to the Lake Forest Academy and Townline Community Park. Crosswalk
improvements at Route 60 and Academy Drive provide safe access. This project is
part of a larger effort to connect Middlefork Savanna and the Middlefork Trail
and Greenway to the Des Plaines
River Trail at
MacArthur Woods Forest Preserve (Mettawa). Several local partners and donors
made this trail connection possible. Learn more
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 Governor Approves Land Exchange
Last fall, Governor Bruce Rauner signed HB 534, an act of
the state Legislature authorizing a historic land exchange between the Illinois
Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Lake County Forest Preserves. The terms of
the act call for 131-acre Black Crown Forest Preserve (Volo), currently owned
and managed by us, to be transferred in full to IDNR and added to the adjacent
Moraine Hills State Park. In exchange, IDNR will fully release its partial
ownership interests in our current land holdings at Oriole
Grove (Lake Bluff) and Prairie Wolf (Lake Forest), giving us 100
percent ownership of the land at both forest preserves. The agreement benefits
residents because the three parcels, Black Crown, Oriole Grove and Prairie
Wolf, will remain as public open space in perpetuity.
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Give the Gift of Golf
Golf season is right around the corner and golf gift cards
are the perfect gift for that golfer in your life. They are good for green
fees, carts, and pro shop items at any of our three forest preserve golf courses.
Buy
online today, by phone at 847-968-3102, or at our General Offices in
Libertyville. |
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