Park Ridge voters to decide on $350 property tax hike for median homeowner
Voters in Maine Township High School District 207 will consider Nov. 6 whether to approve a $195 million bond referendum to update its three high schools in northern Cook County.
Voters in Maine Township High School District 207 in Cook County will be asked to consider a $195 million bond referendum to fund infrastructure improvements.
The district school board voted Aug. 6 to place the referendum on the Nov. 6 general election ballot, with one board member voting against.
The bonds will be paid over a 20-year period and taxpayers are expected to pay about $300 million with interest included. This would translate to a property tax increase of $350 a year for a homeowner with a property value of $384,000, the median Park Ridge homeowner, according to the district. The median Des Plaines homeowner will see a property tax bill increase of $223.
A “yes” vote on the referendum signals support for the issuance of bonds for building upgrades in District 207. A “no” vote signals opposition to the issuance of bonds.
District 207 covers all of Park Ridge, unincorporated Maine Township, and parts of Des Plaines, Niles, Morton Grove, Glenview, Norridge and Harwood Heights. It is made up of Maine East, Maine West, and Maine South high schools.
The planned infrastructure improvements total an estimated $240.7 million, with the remaining $45.7 million coming from district reserves. All three schools will receive secure main entrances and renovations and updates throughout.
The average 2017 property tax bill for Cook County’s north suburbs – where District 207 is located – is $7,330, a $213 increase from 2016, according to the Cook County Clerk.
Over the last 10 years, the number of administrators per student, administrator and teacher pay in District 207 has consistently outpaced the state average.
Any homeowner in District 207 can estimate the possible impact of the bond referendum on their property tax bill. The district’s referendum site instructs homeowners to multiply the amount of taxes paid to District 207 on their 2016 bill by 12.96 percent.