McHenry County Residents Pay Taxes In Cash

Two McHenry residents are fed up with property tax hikes so they decided to deliver their payments by hand in cash, in singles. 

Jeff McGrath of Woodstock showed up to the county treasurer's office this Monday with two bags of money.  McGrath, who owns an automotive business, had one bag with 9,995 singles for his business real estate tax and another bag with 5,757 singles for his residential tax. To put that in perspective 10 thousand dollar bills weighs about 22 pounds.

After that Dan Aylward showed up with a briefcase filled with 5,734 singles and 2 dimes to pay his bill of $5,734.18. He did note that he paid the county more than he owed.

"I gave them the two cents for my opinois," he said with a laugh.

What isn't funny to these guys is the sky rocketing property taxes in McHenry County. McGrath said that his residential tax bill has gone from $2,500 in 1999 to almost $12,000 this past year and has heard no good explanation why. His business taxes has gone from $7,000 to $23,000 dollars over about the same time frame.

"It's out of control," he said. "I can't stay here and continue to do business. I don't see an end in sight here."

County Treasurer Miller asks residents to understand that their hands are tied in this financial climate here in Illinois and that she understands their grief but to please not take it out on her staff of 13 people that have no control over it.