“If they [the taxing authorities] cannot reduce our tax burden (the most significant portion of which is school tax), then we should set up our own school district within Sun City to fund our education.”
These were my final comments from The Frugal Forum column of May 23, “Property tax increases again!” When I originally wrote that column, my comment was intended to stimulate some “out of the box” thinking to see if there was any way for us to find a resolution to our ever-escalating school taxes.
That column received considerable feedback from our Sun City readers. Sam Haning wrote in: “Is your suggestion of creating our own school district in Del Web really something that can be accomplished?”
Dan Dell’Aringa asked: “How can you create a school district within a community that does not allow children? Has this been done anywhere else, and if this is feasible, why are you just coming up with this now?”
David Parney stated: “The separate school district idea you mention might be a good start, but I am sure the support of a large majority of residents would be needed to get any attention. Hoping to see further action on this.”
Robert Faust added his support: “What are your plans to establish our own school district within Sun City? It certainly sounds interesting, and you can count me in for any assistance you may need!”
I am sure you also saw the letters in the Hang Your Hat section of the last issue of the Sun Day. I was particularly interested in the letter from Jere Tidwell where he shared the story of what happened at Sun City West in Arizona. In that situation, Sun City West was “de-annex[ed]… from any school district.” I visited the website for Sun City West, Arizona, and it states: “Local school taxes can often be a major part of property taxes, but most of Sun City West was removed years ago from the surrounding school district. As a result, a typical property tax on a $395,000 home is less than $1500 annually.”
So yes, there is a precedent that has been set to relieve an active adult community from school taxes. Could this be done in Illinois? What would it take to achieve a similar result here? It seems we need input and guidance from legal experts who have specific experience in this area.
I have only been here for a little over six years, but in that short period of time, I have been amazed to learn of the breadth and depth of professional expertise among our community members. Do we have any members of our Sun City, Huntley community who have such legal expertise or who can refer us to the appropriate resources so we can determine if Sun City, Huntley can achieve the results of Sun City West, Arizona?
Of course, such an undertaking could cost the community thousands of dollars in legal fees. However, we have the advantage of being a community of 5,000 homes. If we all pitched in with a small one-time special assessment, we could potentially pull it off. I for one would have no problem paying a one-time special assessment of $100 for the potential of saving $3,000 to $4,000 per year forever. What say you, neighbors?
• Don Grady is CPA and Professor of Accounting at National Louis University, Chicago. Send your questions and ideas to: Sun Day, Frugal Forum Column, P.O. Box 7505, Algonquin, IL 60102, or, by email to: thefrugalforum@gmail.com
