An 6-month follow up audit of the Schaumburg Township area in Northwestern Cook County revealed that still only 4 of 18 local government agencies graded received a passing grade on basic online transparency guidelines.

The Illinois Policy Institute has released findings from an audit that reveal a majority of northwest suburban units of government fail to meet basic transparency standards on behalf of the taxpayers.

In less than 24 hours, School District 54 greatly expanded its transparency levels by posting its check registry, comprehensive annual financial report, budgets, and statements of affairs for the last 5 fiscal years on its financial information page.

Since the building was actually vacant for less than one year before the purchase on January 4, 2007, this building is not eligible for the 7B tax break.

It is unlikely that the Career Education Corporation 7B redevelopment to meet the requirement being “reasonably expected to ultimately result in an increase in real property tax revenue and employment opportunities within the area”.

Career Education says they cannot relocate their headquarters to the vacant building at 231 N Martingale without a 60% property tax break for 10 years. This claim is weak and unsubstantiated.

Due diligence by the Village is so perfunctory and meager that the Village Board and staff were not aware of what buildings were in their own Commercial Blight Area Resolution!

Shouldn’t we be looking for ways to cut wasteful government spending and reducing the highest sales taxes in U.S. history rather than dreaming up additional ways to sink the local economy with additional tax burdens?

Area residents have only one opportunity, a March 24, 2009 Schaumburg Village Hall public hearing, to stop the $120 Million property tax increase proposed by Mayor Al Larson and the Village trustees.