Winnebago County panel moves River Bluff tax increase ballot question forward
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A Winnebago County Board committee on Thursday supported asking voters to decide whether to raise property taxes to support ongoing operations of River Bluff nursing and rehabilitative facility.
The county’s Operations and Administrative Committee voted unanimously to place the measure on the June 28 primary election ballot. The question would be advisory, meaning County Board members would use the vote as a measure of public opinion but would not be bound to the results.
“River Bluff, obviously, serves an important mean for the community. It also is expensive for the county,” said Keith McDonald, chairman of the committee. “If we’re going to continue it we need to raise taxes.”
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McDonald and others who put forward the ballot question are not advocating for a tax raise. Instead, they want to gauge the public’s appetite for paying more to support the facility’s operations. If voters don’t want a tax increase, the board could explore selling or leasing the facility.
“Our taxes are already high enough,” McDonald said. “Does more than half the county support raising taxes to make sure River Bluff is in use for long term?”
The decision of whether to put the matter to voters goes the full County Board next week for a vote.
River Bluff provides skilled nursing care including short-term rehabilitation, Alzheimer’s and dementia services and hospice and other treatment. Many residents on Medicaid or Medicare rely on River Bluff for care, officials have said.
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How it will affect your bill
The county levies a 0.044 property tax rate for River Bluff, generating approximately $1.9 million in revenue.
By law, the maximum rate for River Bluff is 0.10. Raising the rate to the maximum would raise more than $2 million and help close a budget shortfall. River Bluff is expected to operate about $2.37 million in the red this fiscal year, according to the county’s budget.
The tax increase would cost the owner of a $150,000 home roughly $25 more a year on the portion of the tax bill that goes toward River Bluff.
What voters will see
Here’s how the question will be worded for voters on the June 28 primary ballot if County Board members approve the referendum next week.
“Shall the county of Winnebago, Illinois, continue to own and operate River Bluff Nursing Home by increasing the tax levied by the county of Winnebago, Illinois, for the specific purposes of maintaining a county nursing home, from 0.0445% to 0.1% (i.e. The property tax rate increase on a $150,000 home would approximately result in a $25 annual increase on your tax bill.)”
Source: Winnebago County Board Resolution
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas.
