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WNIJ and NPR offer special coverage of Election 2016. WNIJ News field reporters and NPR editors nationwide update election news all night.Links to Race ResultsFollow the NPR Live Election BlogLocal County-By-County Election Results

Area Fire Districts See Mixed Results On Tax Issues

Results were mixed Tuesday for area fire-protection districts in their requests to increase property tax assessments on the communities they serve. One district actually increased its taxpayer base.

The Blackhawk Fire Protection District southwest of Rockford received approval for a special tax of not more than .05% of assessed property value to pay for emergency and rescue crews and equipment.

The Lena Fire Protection District in Stephenson County won voter approval for a cap on ambulance service costs at not more than 0.3% of property values. That puts the current limit at $70,000. The district contracts with Leamon's Ambulance Services at a current rate of $50,000 annually.

The Ogle/Lee Fire Protection District, serving portions of both those counties, got voter approval for a special property-tax levy of not more than 0.3% of assessed value to fund an ambulance service.

In the Polo Fire Protection District, voters approved increasing the levy for ambulance services to not more than 0.4% of property values. The district contracts with ATS Medical Services in Loves Park to provide emergency medical technicians around the clock.

In Bureau County, two fire-protection districts were successful in requests to fund ambulance services. Dalzell Fire Protection District voters agreed to increase its property tax levy to not more than .10% of taxable property values. The Tiskilwa Rural Fire Protection District – which also serves a portion of Putnam County won solid approval to provide an ambulance service. Voters agreed to a property tax levy of not more than .40% of taxable value.

Two districts lost their attempts to add emergency services. The Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District in Kane and McHenry Counties rejected a new property-tax levy of 0.1% to fund emergency and rescue crews and equipment, with 53.5% of the voters opposed. And North Park Fire Protection District voters north of Rockford also soundly rejected a tax hike to provide an ambulance service. There were 2,253 votes against the proposal to 1,415 in favor.

The Burlington Fire Protection District in DeKalb and Kane Counties failed in its request for a a new tax levy of .145% of assessed value. Some 56% of voters rejected the plan, which district officials said will mean cuts in positions and services as well as reduced salaries.

Village of Fox Lake residents agreed Tuesday to join the Fox Lake Fire Protection District. The fire district will be able to tax residents directly rather than having fire service money collected by the Fox Lake government, which negotiates contracts with the fire district. The owner of a $200,000 home in Fox Lake would pay an additional $138 in taxes annually.

  • WNIJ's Jason Cregier contributed to this report.