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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.
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Learn more about this program.
 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.
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 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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 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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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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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. |
 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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 If you have any questions or concerns, please call me at 847-721-1563 (cell) or email me at mcunningham@lakecountyil.gov.
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,
Mary Ross Cunningham
Ms. Cunningham, County Board member and Forest Preserve Commissioner, serves on:
Lake County Board, 9th District:
Diversity and Inclusion Committee, (Ad-Hoc), Chair
Lake County Law and Judicial Committee, Chair
Lake County Health and Community Services
Lake County Rules Committee, vice chair
Lake County Government Reform Implementation Committee
Lake County Forest Preserves, 9th District:
Operations Committee, Vice Chair
Diversity and Cultural Awareness Committee
Gospelfest Committee, chair
Other appointed positions:
National Association of Counties (NACo), Board Representative
Lake County Community Health Center
Governing Council, secretary
Lake County Board of Health
Personnel Committee, Chair
Community Action Partnership
of Lake County, Board Member
Lake County Domestic Violence Council
Lake County Sexual Assault Coordination Committee
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