Hello Neighbors
Welcome to February, already. With the new year moving so quickly, it's time to plan for voting, filing income taxes and other events that appear to be far in the future. You may have heard the same advice that I have: file early to prevent others from using your Social Security number to claim your refund. Free tax help is available (below).
While the Primary Election is on Tuesday March 20, you have a number of options including Early Voting and Vote by Mail. These and other options for students, snowbirds and military are explained at the County Clerk's site. That link and information about voting sites, changes to voting sites, addresses and photos are available for you convience (below). Please vote. It's a right worth cherishing and exercising!
The Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT) does more than build and maintain roads. LCDOT provides a safe, efficient and innovative transportation system to enhance mobility, economic development and quality of life in Lake County. A very visible component of this system is the approximately 300 centerline miles (864 lane miles) of arterial highways. LCDOT has more than 60 miles of bike paths and bike lanes as part of the Lake County system that continues to consider non-motorized travel a high priority. In addition, they take a multi-modal approach to transportation planning(rail, air, public, private) that is so essential to executing on good transportation policies. A recent example focused on regional paratrasnit needs and gaps. I attended the Round Lake open house and was impressed by the comprehensive nature of the study. (Video and detals below.)
One of the most rewarding aspects of my role on the County Board and Forest Preserves Board is responding to your concerns, questions and issues. Please contact me via email or phone.
Regards,
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.
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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. |
A Paratransit Market Study is underway in Lake County to
evaluate transportation options for seniors, people with disabilities, and the
general public. The public was recently invited to learn more about the study
at the second round of community meetings held in January 2018. Meeting
attendees had the opportunity to provide input on the analysis of existing
conditions and draft recommendations for service implementation. If you weren’t
able to attend one of the meetings, please provide your feedback by taking the
online survey.
Learn More: Watch VIDEO, Visit Project WEBSITE,
Take SURVEY.
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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. |
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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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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Free Tax Help at Fremont Public Library Volunteer tax
preparers will be available, by appointment only, to
assist community members with their income tax return. Help will be provided Thursday afternoons and Friday mornings Feb. 1 to April 13 at Fremont Public Library. This service is free
and available to anyone. Book an appointment at the library's reference or readers services desk or by calling 847-918-3225.
Enjoy Coffee with the Mundelein Mayor Join Mundelein village officials for coffee and conversation from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3 at the Taste of Paris
Restaurant, 161 N. Seymour Ave.
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