Ela Tax Reform: Township Delays Tree Replacement

Trees clear cut from Ela Township Hall property will not be replaced until 2019.

Submitted by Ela Tax Reform Party The Ela Tax Reform Party has discovered that Ela Township officials now have until 2019 to replace the 114 mature trees clear cut at Knox Park to make way for a parking lot for the $3.7 million Ela Township Hall. The clear-cutting was was done in violation of a Lake Zurich village ordinance.    The eventual threat of a $35,100 fine, after several township plans were rejected as inadequate, prompted an inter-governmental agreement by Ela Township designed to compensate Lake Zurich for the loss of the trees by requiring Ela Township to plant replacement trees.  The original agreement, signed between the village and the township, as reported in the Daily Herald , required that those trees be replaced by May …

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Letter to the Editor: Ela Reform Offers Experience

Lake Zurich resident supports Ela Reform.

Recently, an Ela First candidate came to my door to explain their party's views.  I welcomed the discussion despite the fact that I display an Ela Tax Reform Party sign in my front yard.  During her explanation of why I should consider voting for the Ela First Party, she made the statement that none of the candidates from the Ela Tax Reform Party are employed.  I didn't think that sounded correct, so I decided to check on that statement and found it to be totally false. The strength of the Ela Tax Reform Party is that they are all small business owners, experienced government employees, or retired executives.  If you read their biographies on the website (www.elareform.org), it is clear that they have many years of experience with …

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Tax Reform Party Says They'll Do More, Tax Less

Tax Reform Party challenges Ela First.

    Submitted by the Ela Tax Reform Party.  The Ela Tax Reform Party has announced a challenge to the Ela Township board to reduce its excessive reserves and return a significant amount of tax dollars to property owners.  The challenge is based on moves by the incumbent board to adopt some of the ideas of the Tax Reform Party prior to the election. Tax abatement and increasing services to all residents have been part of the Tax Reform Party platform for months.  “Two months ago, the Tax Reform Party announced that, if elected, we would abate up to $2 million in property taxes to residents,“ said Barbara Evans, supervisor candidate with the Tax Reform Party. “People were responding so well to our message of tax abatement that two weeks ago…

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Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Resident Endorses Ela Tax Reform

"Read between the lines Ela Township and vote for new, fresh faces and ideas for our local government."

I find it most interesting to learn the long-term Township Supervisor, Lucy Prouty, led the current board to reduce new 2013 incoming revenues from our property taxes by $500,000 (about 20% less than the usual property taxes levied for Ela Township government operations; not including the Road District).  Do you think ELA FIRST would have made this tax levy reduction if the new ELA TAX REFORM PARTY slate were not sharing the facts with us about how much extra money is still in Ela Township’s bank accounts? There is no need to keep overpaying and letting these long term incumbents take on multi-million dollar projects with no formal feedback from us property tax payers who are footing the bill for their lavish offices, plush compensations …

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Ela Tax Reform Party Says it Will Put Ela Residents First

Tax Reform Party says there is room for improvement.

Submitted by the Ela Tax Reform Party.   The Ela Tax Reform Party is a non-partisan group of residents who want to bring new ideas to Ela Township about how to manage taxpayer dollars.  They are challenging the incumbent elected officials in Ela Township for Supervisor, Assessor, Clerk, Road Commissioner and four Trustee positions.       “We’re a group of business people and financial professionals who began questioning the expenditures of the Township as they spent over $2 million for the new Ela Town Hall and over a million on the Community Center without public input or a known published comprehensive short or long-term plan,” said Barbara Evans, a former Deer Park trustee, business owner and candidate for supervisor with the Ela Tax …

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Ela Reform Says Newsletter Would Use Taxpayer Money to Influence Election

Opposing party asks Ela Township to delay sending spring newsletter.

  At its regular meeting on Thursday March 14, the Ela Township Board will discuss and vote on whether to mail the township newsletter immediately before the April 9 consolidated election.  The four-color, four-page, tabloid-size newsletter is mailed to every home in the township and contains articles written by each township official touting their service to the Township.  Barbara Evans, Wayne Wnek and Nancy Shepherdson, members of the Ela Tax Reform Party, opposing the township officials in the April 9 election, have asked the township board to delay publication until the day after the election.  They contend that sending the newsletter immediately before the election amounts to an unethical use of taxpayer money to influence the …

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Nothing needs to give!

2:25 pm on Monday, March 25, 2013

Resident 225- If you do not find any of the township information useful anyways, then it would be appreciated if you did not leave your meaningless comments on the Patch. Thanks.   more ›

Ela Tax Reform Party Would Adopt Naperville Township Tax Rebate Idea

Plan returns excess tax money to residents.

  The Ela Tax Reform Party today announced their support for the township tax abatement passed by Naperville Township.   Based on an ordinance passed last week, Naperville Township will abate $500,000 in excess property taxes collected. Members of the Ela Tax Reform Party slate pledge to reduce the township’s excess reserve fund and abate up to $2 million in property taxes.  “If there is no plan or need for the funds, an abatement is meaningful to all residents and the fiscally responsible thing to do”, says Supervisor candidate, Barbara Evans. Evans said based on information received from Ela Township, there should be over $5 million in surplus accumulated at the end of this fiscal year which is well over a year’s worth of expenses.  Each…

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New Candidate Joins Ela Tax Reform Party Slate

Tony Lombardo of Lake Zurich replaces Nick Buris on slate.

   On Monday, January 28, Tony Lombardo of Lake Zurich was officially added to the Ela Tax Reform Party slate as one of four candidates for Ela Township Trustee. The appointment was made after trustee candidate Nick Buris withdrew for personal reasons. Lombardo, who has lived in Lake Zurich for 23 years, is an attorney in private practice in Mt. Prospect with a focus on criminal law, real estate and divorce. He has also been a licensed sports official for many years, officiating at the high school level and at college Division 1 football games, including college bowl games.  A member of St. Francis de Sales Church, he is a married father of three and grandfather of two. He was active in youth sports for many years while his children were …

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Ela Township Race Still On After Petition Challenge Defeated

Electoral board rules incumbent party, Ela First, has enough signatures; no evidence of fraud.

  After some seven hours of testimony and deliberations, over two evenings, the Ela Township Electoral Board decided that the Ela First Party should stay on the ballot for the April 9 election. The Ela Tax Reform slate challenged the petition papers saying the Ela First Party did not have enough signatures from eligible voters and claiming a pattern of fraud in obtaining signatures.  “Obviously, we’re happy with the decision and we thought it was the right decision. Now we look forward to a positive campaign in which we can talk about all the wonderful things we were able to do for the community and to be able to continue to do that,” said Ela Township Assessor John Barrington, speaking for Ela First, after the decision at Ela Town Hall, …

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robert

7:37 pm on Tuesday, March 26, 2013

fairly easy to discover go to the states website and just keep clicking and scrolling, or easier, write to John Barrington and ask him what license he does in fact possess and what was the issue date, OR walk into the Ela Township Palace and ask him   more ›