Elect Steve Balich

Will Countyn Treasurer saves taxpayers big money

Joliet, IL – Will County Steve Weber announced that his office saved $9,076 by removing one return envelope from the property tax notices as well as not mailing property tax bills to tax-exempt organizations that pay no tax under Illinois law.
16,000 Tax-Exempt Bills

Public spaces in Illinois, such as parks, municipal land, and forest preserve areas, are not taxed. Despite this fact, Will County generates and mails almost 16,000 of these “zero tax” bills every year. Treasurer Weber ended the practice this year, seeing it as wasteful and inefficient.

“It makes no sense to mail a bill with a zero balance,” Weber said, “My staff manually removed 15,993 of these ‘zero’ bills this year, which saved $5,600 in postage alone.”

“We will provide copies of those bills upon request of the taxing districts, but so far, we have received few requests,” Weber added.
One Return Envelope

Will County property owners also may notice one less thing in their tax bill this year: only one return envelope. The decision by Weber was intentional.

“We discovered last year that people use the second envelope less than half of the time,” Weber said, “By not including that one envelope; we use less paper and save $3,500 in printing costs.”

Weber said his office does not have additional envelopes to mail citizens who may request one.
About the Will County Treasurer’s Office

The Will County Treasurer’s Office receives tax revenue and other public money, safely keeps those funds, and disburses that money pursuant to law. The office also provides guidance for the management of long-term debt and investments with the assistance of the Will County Board’s Finance Committee and the County’s Director of Finance.

As County Treasurer, Steve Weber (R-Mokena) is dedicated to providing reliable banking services for county agencies, secure investment of your tax dollars, and trustworthy accounting services that provide transparency for county residents. The office has a professional staff of 21 employees.

Taxes, taxes, and more taxes

I have noticed a quiet apprehension concerning our property taxes until they arrived in the mail. I have had numerous calls about value going down and taxes NOT. I explain that in Will County 74% of the property tax bill is school districts. Last year several concerned taxpayers went to the schools and other taxing bodies asking local elected boards not to raise the Levy (property tax). Sadly, City of Lockport and Homer Township were the only taxing bodies not raising your taxes.

Taxing bodies don’t want you to know how they get a yearly increase at your expense. These local elected boards produce nothing, they only take from us, tell us all the wonderful things they are doing, and expect us to vote for them over and over. All new business and homes are seen as a windfall called New Growth. Capturing the New Growth is accomplished by raising the Levy to the Max every year. This means the board increases the Dollar amount they need to spend in order to get more cash immediately to pay for their increased budgets. Taxes never go down in this system! Not raising the Levy and spending wisely is the only way to stop the tax spiral.

The State of Illinois is talking about dumping billions in unsustainable TRS pensions that were never funded correctly on local school districts which will cause a huge increase in property tax. The State claims that the problem was created by local school boards giving excessive raises, and bumps to employees beginning 2 years before they retire increasing their pension. Remember the 2% income tax increase went entirely to pay State Pensions.

Can you retire between 55 and 62 with 70 to 80% of your pay for life?

TAXES TAXES TAXES

Unfunded Pension Liabilities,
Just one more reason to go to your school board meeting.

We wanted to give you some real numbers to help everyone understand what does the unfunded pension liability problem look like, and what impact will it have on the indvidual tax payer. Below are the amounts of the unfunded pensions for the Tinley Park School Districts Annually!! Quinn, Cullerton and Madigan are talking about passing these unfunded amounts back to the school districts. These amounts are crippling because these amount will be tacked onto operating budgets.

District 228 – 8.5 Million Annually
(Bremen High School District)

District 230 – $5-$14 Million Annually
(Sandburg, Victor and Andrew High School District)

District 146 – $1.6 Million Annually
Grade School District

District 140 – 5 Million Annually
Grade School District

We currently don’t have information on our school districts but we are working on it.

School Board Meetings

Thu May 10
7:00pm – 8:00pm

Lockport School District 92 Meeting – 708 N. State St., Lockport, IL This recurring event is part of a series.

Mon May 21 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Lockport HS District 205 Meetings – 1323 East Seventh Street Lockport, ILThis recurring event has been changed and is no longer part of a series.

Tue May 29 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Homer 33c Board Meeting – 15733 S. Bell Road, Homer Glen, IL

As we are emailed other school district meeting dates we will add them to the calendar.
Click here to see our calednar with the upcoming meeting dates.time and addresses.

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Copyright © 2012 Homer/Lockport Tea Party, All rights reserved.

We are the Homer/Lockport Tea Party fighting for Fiscal Responsibility, Smaller Government and Personal Freedom.

Our mailing address is:
Homer/Lockport Tea Party
PO Box 792
Lockport, IL 60441

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Thank You for your support

Dear Friends,
Thank you so much for your support during the March 20 primary election. If you had not taken your belief in me to the polls, I would not have won.
God bless you.
Now that I am a Republican candidate for a seat in Will County Board District 7, I have made some important decisions: I will not seek a second term as Homer Township Clerk or run for Homer Township Supervisor in 2013.
If I am elected to the Will County Board, I will devote 110 percent of my time to the job. Serving my constituents and the residents of Will County will be my primary concern. I will work for the people, not against them. And I’ll keep fighting our outrageous property tax bills. I’ll continue to go with you to the school districts, municipalities and other taxing bodies to demand lower taxes. I’ll push to keep county fees and regulations reasonable.
Let’s celebrate! I’d like to invite you to my June 6 fundraiser at the Woodbine Golf Course, 14240 W. 151st St., Homer Glen. For more information, go to electbalich.com or call 815-557-7196.240 W
Steve Balich Candidate for Will County Board district 7 815 557-7196

Sam Adams Day Dinner First ever teaparty dinner in the U.S.

Sam Adams Dinner http://samadamsdinner.eventbrite.com/
Today’s Tax Day Tea Party rallies across the country bring us back to why the tea party movement came about. Three years ago saw the threat to our country and we came together because we believe in smaller government, lower taxes, and the free market system. We united behind our beliefs and our love of country, and the principals of the tea party movement were founded. Over the past three years we have educated ourselves about the constitution, politics and campaigns. We have poured our hearts into working the election cycles. We have waited for the 2012 primary to come and we voted with our hearts for the candidates we felt represented our values best. But now that the primary is over and we know who our nominees are for the November election we must come together for the general election.
Beyond the election there are forces working against our country, the main stream media is gaining ground in demonizing the tea party movement. Credo a progressive think tank funded by George Soros has mounted a full out assault on the tea party, the title on their website reads “Take down of the tea party”. Let alone what Obama has done to our country over the past 3 ½ years. The Washington Post recently published an article about the tea party movement being fractured and how it will be essentially giving the democrats the victory in November. The Washington Post attributes this to the tea party’s history of attacking candidates on the Republican side. With that being said we know there are candidates on the Republican side that we are disappointed with that will be on the ballot this November. However we have to remember how politics works, and by giving control of the house back to democrats will only give more power to Obama if he is re-elected. We must have a strategy to save the republic. We must work to defeat Barak Obama, maintain control of the house and God willing take control of the Senate. Should we gain control of the senate and maintain the house of representative we are in better position to put pressure on the “Rhinos” to vote with the tea party agenda.
Where does the path to victory begin? It starts with the Sam Adams dinner, the dinner is the first step for all of us come together so that we can unify and more importantly work together to bring about a victory in November. We can all agree that the country can not withstand four more years of the Obama administration; this is our moment to band together to restore liberty and change the course of our country. Please join us May 24th for the 1st Annual Sam Adams dinner.
Steve Balich, Samantha Neitzke & Vivienne Porter
Homer/Lockport Tea Party Coordinators

http://samadamsdinner.eventbrite.com/

Homer Township Services

Homer Township provides numerous services while also partnering with volunteer community organizations like: The Homer Athletic Club, The Homer Soccer Club, The Homer Stallions Organization, The Homer Founders Club, The Homer Junior Women’s Club, and The Will County Sheriff’s TRIAD. The Township is successful in providing “much” with little or no money because of our volunteers. We also partner with Homer Glen or Lockport when it is cost effective. We are among the smallest portion on your tax bill and have been able to operate without increasing the Levy for the last 3 years due to the fiscally responsible Township Board (Supervisor Meyers, Clerk Balich, Assessor Szynkowski, Road Commissioner De Vivo, Trustees Bozen, Neitzke, Sowa, & Kruczek). We have a budget that is in the Black because we spend wisely and stay within our budget. Township government has been around the longest and has been proven to be the most cost effective form of government.

Arguments made by some elected officials that Townships are a duplication of government and a waste of taxpayer money are not thought out, and a reaction to other taxing bodies’ spending money they don’t have. Dismantling Township Government will cost Taxpayers much more money, while providing inferior services. The State is how many Billion in the hole. Moving local programs to the County would not improve response time or quality. Part time employees would be replaced by full time employees at what cost. Township roads were the first done and safest roads last winter in the big blizzard. All work has to be done no matter who is in charge. Just think of a Highway Commissioner being replaced by a director and 3 shift foremen. Imagine a director or foreman for each of the various services Homer Township provides its citizens.

The claim that dissolving Townships will result in tax savings is ridiculous. Karen Szynkowski the Homer Township Assessor only places the assessed value on the property; she does not set the Levy, individual taxing bodies do. She does not set the tax rates, the Will County Clerk’s Office does. She does not collect taxes, the Will County Treasurer’s Office does. She simply places an assessed value on property. All assessments are finalized before any levies or tax rates are determined. She can’t set the assessment based upon the rate. Lowering all assessments in Homer Township will not decrease taxes.

Karen wants it understood: If all assessments were cut in half and taxing bodies did not spend one penny more or less than the prior year, everyone’s tax bill would remain the same. The rate would simply be doubled by the Will County Clerk’s Office so the revenue collected would be the same. In order for the property taxes to decrease, individual taxing bodies (City, Fire, School, etc.) must request fewer funds and lower their Levy. If the taxing bodies request the same or increased funds, taxes will not go down regardless of what happens to the assessments.
Services provided by Homer Township:

· Resurface all roads prior to base or sub-base failure.

· Repaint road surface markings annually

· Maintain vehicle weight limitations

· Inspect and clear debris from all major drainage areas and systems prior to any anticipated or forecasted substantial rain event.

· Monitor 527 street lights and dispatch vendors

· Plow snow and distribute ice control on more than one hundred and forty (140) miles of roads

· Maintain the surface and shoulders of all roads

· Maintain all drainage ditches and driveway culverts.

· Maintain and replace when needed, approximately 100 miles of sidewalks

· Mow right-of way grass in open areas.

· Maintain right-of-way vegetation for line-of-sight safety at all intersections.

· Street sweep all curbed subdivision twice each summer season.

· Maintain storm sewers, drains and basins.

· Trim the over eight thousand (8,000) trees when they interfere with pedestrian walkways, or safe vehicle operation and/or visibility.

· Remove debris from roads such as gravel and dead animals.

· Install and maintain the more than two thousand (2,000) regulatory and street signs.

· Issues permits to monitor all sub-contractor activity in the road rights-of-way.

· Improve intersections with turn lanes and traffic controls

· Add turn lanes at major use areas such as parks and public buildings.

· Re-engineer and widen roads during resurfacing.

· Assist local food pantry

· Administer General Assistance for those in need

· Administer assistance for those in emergency situations

· Manage 240 acres of Open Space

· Manage 5 parks some with trails

· Manage 2 sports complexes

· Manage 1 dog park

· Manage 1 historical farm site has a trail

· Manage a 30 unit senior housing complex on 5 acres

· Maintain the Old Town Hall, Founders Crossing Activity Center and the Homer Healing Garden

· Administer Early Voting and voter registration

· Maintain Township records

· Assess all prosperities

· Administer rental, leases, and use of Township properties

· Offer prescription discount drug cards

· Administer TRIAD programs: yellow dot, file for life, fund Pace bus service, and cell phones programmed to call 911

· Senior transportation assistance with Pace Dial-A-Ride and RTA

· Manage a FOIA Department

· Oversee committees: Parks and Recreation, Events, Seniors, Military, Children’s Halloween party, Homer Community Festival, Homer Harvest days, Parade

· Oversee Open Space operations, and various easement properties.

· Oversee the Township Planning Commission

· Support the Annual 911 ceremony, 5k runs, Annual State MAAD rally, and other community efforts.

· Co-Partner with Homer Glen with Harvest Days, Parade, and Community Celebration

· Mosquito Abatement

· Support youth with special needs

· Provide free Notary service

· Temporary handicap placards

· Senior meetings, luncheons, and trips

· Work with Lockport Heights Sanitary District with the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

· Supplement Will County service organizations such as: Senior Services, and will County Center for Community Concerns.

· Provide and manage meeting spaces for most Community Organizations and residents.

· Facilitate coordination between religious and charitable organizations of the Township to provide emergency and food assistance to those in need.

· Maintain onsite electronic recycling station.

Steve Balich Homer Township Clerk

Approved by the Homer Township Board March 12, 2012

Thank You to everyone that supports me

I want to thank everyone that voted for me and especially thank all those that helped me. I won a tough election due to the efforts of so many people. Take one person out of the mix and I could have lost. Thank you so much for your support. I will continue to fight taxes and regulations. God Bless you and your family