Wednesday, May 9, 2012
A quirky article, and some fuzzy feel good photos of baby animals means nobody will yell at me this week.
(Note: the following column contains significant amounts of hyperbole, outright fabrication and silliness, none of which we apologize for.) I found an unusually perfect bird’s nest in a planter on my front porch—the kind you could buy at Michael’s for $5.99. It wasn’t until I saw mud splatters around it that I realized the little mass of twigs was organic. The nest and its three perfect, blue eggs were too close to the house. We were one careless exit away from a twig omelet. The proximity unnerved us. My husband was convinced the protective momma would fly through our front door, dive-bomb the dog and strafe our hardwood floor with sticky white dappled droppings. My daughter was afraid of a Hitchcock-inspired ornithological attack. She …
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Superintendent Dr. Nicholas Wahl warned that Illinois House Bill 3793 could force district to cut services.
Members of the Hinsdale Township High School District 86 Board of Education Monday night attempted to plan for the financial future of the district amid uncertainty created by legislation awaiting action in Springfield. House Bill 3793 would amend the state’s Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL) to prohibit school districts from increasing their tax levy if the total equalized assessed valuation (EAV) of property in the district (excluding new property) decreases from the previous year. District 86 business manager Jeff Eagan told board members that the EAV for the district is projected to decline five percent from last year. Board member Dr. Richard Skoda expressed confidence the district would be okay if House Bill 3793 passes…
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
The district's legal firm will no longer represent the district in residential cases before the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB).
The Hinsdale Township High School District 86 Board of Education voted 6-1 Monday night to stop intervening in residential property tax assessment appeals. The Chicago legal firm of Scariano, Himes and Petrarca has represented the district in cases before the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB) in which residential property owners were seeking a reduction in assessed valuation of greater than $100,000. In July, at the request of Board President Dennis Brennan, the board voted to suspend its intervention in residential assessment disputes for 60 days so that it could study the issue. Last month, the board held a special meeting with Downers Grove Township Assessor Theresa Cockrell to gather information on the topic. “I think most of …
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Downers Grove Township Assessor Theresa Cockrell was invited by the board to offer her insights on the assessment appeals process.
Should Hinsdale Township High School District 86 intervene in property tax assessment cases? If the district does intervene, should it only do so in cases involving commercial or industrial properties and not residential? At which step in the property tax assessment process should the district intervene? These were some of the questions on the minds of District 86 School Board members at a special meeting Monday night with Downers Grove Township Assessor Theresa Cockrell. Cockrell had attended a July board meeting which included discussion of a moratorium on district interventions in residential property tax assessment disputes that come before the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB). The board decided to invite Cockrell back for a …
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Debate on the question generated sparks at Monday’s meeting.
Monday night’s Hinsdale Township High School District 86 Board of Education meeting at Hinsdale Central High School was dominated by the question of whether and to what extent the district should contest reductions in assessed property values. The debate centered on a resolution offered during Board President Dennis Brennan’s report to authorize the Chicago law firm of Scariano, Himes and Petrarca to represent the district’s interests before the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB). The board ultimately voted to authorize intervention for commercail appeals if it's determined to be necessary. The vote, however, didn't come without controversy. The topic had been discussed at recent board meetings with board members Dianne Barrett and…
Paulette Delcourt
9:08 am on Sunday, May 20, 2012
Thanks--beautiful subjects! more ›