SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2014
WWW.NWHERALD.COM
The only daily newspaper published in McHenry Co.
75 CENTS
SOFTBALL
GIRLS SOCCER: SEASON PREVIEW
Marengo takes down McHenry during indoor play Sports, C1
Johnsburg looking forward after last year’s run to state Sports, C1
Pols divided on ‘millionaire tax’ Franks open to putting proposal on ballot; GOP reps. blast idea By KEVIN P. CRAVER kcraver@shawmedia.com McHenry County’s Republican representatives in Springfield blasted House Speaker Michael Madigan’s proposed “millionaire tax” as a political stunt that would make the ailing
state even more unattractive to job creators. But its sole Democratic representative said he is amenable to the idea of putting the question to voters. In a rare move for the powerful House speaker, Madigan held a news conference Thursday to
Illinois budget clashes heat up
announce his intention to seek an amendment to the Illinois Constitution that would impose a 3 percent income tax surcharge on all income greater than $1 million to help fund public education. Madigan claimed the tax, if approved by Illinois voters,
would generate at least $1 billion a year to be disbursed to school districts solely on a per-pupil basis. Local state Rep. Mike Tryon called the amendment, filed two days after wealthy Winnetka venture capitalist Bruce Rauner won the Republican gubernato-
rial primary, a blatant political move. Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, also hit it hard, alleging it will worsen the state’s second-highest unemployment rate in the nation.
See TAX, page A9
On the Net You can read the text of the proposed constitutional amendment, HJRCA 51, at www.ilga.gov.
Keeping busy on spring break
Lawmakers at odds over taxes By CHACOUR KOOP The Associated Press SPRINGFIELD – The fight over Illinois’ next budget ramped up Friday, as the heads of several state agencies said they’d be forced to lay off staff, close facilities and slash services if spending is cut as projected, and Republicans accused Democrats of putting on a “dog and pony show” to justify another tax increase. The tussle came during a Senate hearing just days before Gov. Pat Quinn is set to unveil his proposed 2015 budget. The Chicago Democrat is expected to say for the first time Wednesday whether he wants to extend Illinois’ temporary income tax increase or approve some other form of revenue to deal with the budget crisis. Democrats estimate Illinois will have a $3 billion budget gap next year – about $1.6 billion of which is because the temporary income tax increase Democrats approved in 2011 is scheduled to be rolled back in January. Senate Democrats say that would lead to cuts in discretionary spending of about 20 percent, and asked agency leaders to spell out for lawmakers Friday what such a decrease would mean. The results were ugly. State schools Superintendent Chris Koch said the potential cuts would mean $967 million less for education,
Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com
ABOVE: Chloe Franklin (left), 6, of McHenry and Aidan Mueller, 4, of McHenry dribble around the gym Tuesday during a McHenry Parks and Recreation soccer camp at Chauncey Duker School in McHenry. BELOW: Coach William Klekovic (left) teaches a soccer camp Tuesday for 3- to 6-year-old kids at Chauncey Duker School.
Park districts, rec departments planning activities for youngsters By JOSEPH BUSTOS jbustos@shawmedia.com With youngsters in the county out of school for the next week, parents will be looking for activities to keep them entertained. Many parks and recreations departments and park districts are holding spring break camps to help keep kids busy during the weeklong vacations. Lake in the Hills, McHenry
See BUDGET, page A9
LOCALLY SPEAKING
McHENRY
CITY OKS WASTEWATER PLANT REPAIR The city of McHenry is putting “another Band-Aid” on its central wastewater treatment plant, which it hopes to decommission in the coming years, Public Works Director Jon Schmitt said. Two transfer switches and the accompanying wire will have to be installed so the emergency generator turns on and the power is switched automatically during an outage. For more, see page B1
Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com
HIGH
LOW
38 16 Complete forecast on A12
HUNTLEY: Centegra Health System approved for $133M in debt to build 128-bed Huntley hospital. Business, E1
Where to find it Advice Business Buzz Classified
B8 E1-2 B10 E3-8
Vol. 29, Issue 81 Comics B9 Local&Region B1-5 Lottery A2 Movies B7
Obituaries Opinion Puzzles Sports
B4 A11 E2, 5 C1-7
and Cary Park District, among others, are planning activities, such as movies, trips to swimming pools and trips to Shedd Aquarium. The Crystal Lake Park District has a handful of field trips planned and some activities that range in cost from $28 to $190, depending on the event and how many days it will run.
See BREAK, page A9