DuPage County: May 2008 Archives

Every property owner in Illinois pays taxes to a community college district. Often the amount each pays is small in comparison to other taxing bodies, because the districts are geographically larger and the costs are spread among a larger tax base. Community college trustees are elected.

Naperville is served by the College of DuPage, whose board this week decided to get rid of its president, Sunil Chand. He'll stay on for the duration of his contract -- another year with the title of president emeritus -- collecting at least $200,000.

This is a pattern for the COD board. In 2003 it replaced then-president Michael Murphy before his contract was up, a move that cost the district nearly $300,000.

Often, community college district boards are factional entities where infighting and personal battles gets in the way of responsible stewardship of taxpayer money. There would seem to be evidence of this at COD. Chand's ouster reportedly stems from a dispute over the hiring of a public relations firm. It's a shame the differences couldn't be worked out -- or at least some sort of truce reached -- long enough for Chand to fulfill his contract, which would have been much less costly to taxpayers.

What do you think of Chand's ouster? What's going on at COD? How much do you pay attention to how this taxing body spends your money?

The Naperville Sun broke the story about the arrest of Nicholas T. Birkett, 21, the son of DuPage County State's Attorney Joseph Birkett, by Naperville police for possession of cannabis and drug paraphernalia. The younger Birkett faces a lesser charge--he was cited under a Naperville ordinance because he had no previous arrests or convictions, while two other men with him face state charges because they had previously been arrested.

What should be the response of the elder Birkett, a former Republican Party gubernatorial candidate who has been a tireless and ferocious prosecutor of narcotics dealers and drug-related crimes? If found guilty, what would be an appropriate punishment for the younger Birkett? What do you think of the arrest by Naperville police, who previously arrested Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar for DUI? (Claar was not convicted).

You can read the full Sun report here:

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/947738,na14_birkett_s1.article

The first installment of real estate tax bills is due June 1 for many Naperville residents in DuPage and Will counties. Most homeowners pay the bulk of their real estate taxes to local school districts. Other taxing districts on bills are the city, county, township, park district, forest preserve, community college, and more.

How do your taxes this year compare to last? What about your assessment--how has the value of your home changed? A higher assessment can be a big part of the reason for higher taxes, though a taxing district's rate may have increased due to a referendum. How much are you paying, and are you getting your money's worth?