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| NewsThursday, August 30, 2007 12:15 PM CDT |
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Property taxes may rise in Deer Creek-Mackinaw district
STANFORD -- Residents in the Deer Creek-Mackinaw School District could see their property taxes rise due to a measure passed nine years ago. The district does not fall under the state's Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL), although voters in Tazewell County approved the measure in 1998. But since the district extends into Woodford County, both county governments need to approve the measure before it can take effect. Woodford County officials are considering that action. PTELL prohibits taxing bodies from raising the property tax rate no more than 5 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. Currently, the district's tax rate is $4.64 per $100 of assessed valuation. Despite the Tazewell County passage of the legislation, the district has not been required to follow the statute since state law requires that all counties within the district must approve of the legislation. But, if Woodford County voters approve the legislation, PTELL would automatically go into effect. Superintendent Steve Yarnall has told the school board that the legislation could force the way the district currently does business. He is opposed to the measure. High humidity -- While Central Illinois has had to struggle with high temperatures and humidity this summer, Tazewell County employees also faced the same problem at work. Humidity levels inside the county building in Pekin were recorded at 65 percent before nearly $48,000 worth of repairs on the building, which is just four years old. The county paid $23,000 for the work and settled with PSA Dewberry, the architect and engineer on the project, to pay another $25,000 to finish the work. The building's air distribution center was revamped and a dehumidification system has been added. Since the work was completed, humidity levels have dropped to 52 percent. Officials say they were concerned that if left undone, the higher humidity levels could have damaged portions of the building as well as computer and sophisticated electronic equipment. Officials say they will continue to monitor humidity levels until they are certain the problem has been corrected. Fifth-graders step up -- Teachers and administrators at Olympia elementary schools say they have asked several fifth-grade students to assume roles they may not have anticipated. Since the sixth-grade classes have moved to the junior high, more opportunities have opened for fifth graders, such as crossing guard duty, bus buddies, student council representatives, DARE volunteers and the raising and lowering of the flags. Laura Baner, a fifth-grade teacher at Olympia South, reports the transition has gone smoothly. "We are excited about working with our students and we are confident that they will be good role models," she said. E-mail this story | Print this story | Search archives | RSS Show comments |  Hide comments | Hide comments on all stories |
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