Wauconda Township

The mission of Wauconda Township is to provide services, information and resources to assist and benefit our residents.

By law, Wauconda Township is charged with three basic functions:

1) General Assistance for the indigent, which provides food, shelter and emergency relief for needy people who are residents of Wauconda Township.

2) Assessment of real property for the basis of local taxation.

3) Maintenance of all roads that are not part of another governmental road system.

Beyond the three mandated services, the Township provides other vital services within the 3 divisions within the Township.

SUPERVISOR’S DIVISION

Supervisor: The Township Supervisor is the Chief Executive Officer of the Township, Chairman of the Township Board of Trustees, Supervisor of General Assistance and is Treasurer of all town funds including General Assistance, Township Cemetery and all Road and Bridge Funds.

Clerk: The Township Clerk is clerk of the Township Board of Trustees, is keeper of all records of the Township, except those for active general assistance cases. The Clerk is the local election authority and is responsible for accepting petitions concerning local elections and/or referendums. The Clerk is also responsible for publishing or posting certain specific notices including notices for the Highway Commissioner.

Senior Services: The Township Senior Services offers a potpourri of services and programs to address the social, recreational and transportation needs of its senior citizens. The transportation program, Telecare, Outreach, Friendly Calls and many others are all part of the service network that is maintained to assist seniors. Our transportation program is of great value to our seniors who need help getting to doctor appointments, shopping and day outings. The senior buses have been made available due to an Intergovernmental Agreement between the Village of Island Lake, Village of Wauconda and Wauconda Township. Don’t forget to make your appointment for this service 48 hours in advance! Visit our website for the Senior Services calendar of upcoming day outings.

Senior Advocate Program: Many seniors rely on family or friends for help, but some seniors do not have that support system and this program is trying to fill that gap. As seniors age, they may become confused and just need someone to take the time to explain things to them. The Senior Advocates role is to offer help to seniors in many different situations such as making them aware of available programs or help in understanding forms they need to file. Such as the Circuit Breaker Program and Medicare. Some Seniors may qualify for these programs based on income and resources. Our Township Advocate also finds help for seniors if they need assistance with yard maintenance, snow shoveling and having the gutters cleaned. Some Seniors may not be able to cook for themselves so we can assist with Meals On Wheels. If you are a senior or if you know of a senior that needs help call the Township Senior Advocate at 847-526-2631.

General Assistance: The General Assistance Program is one of the Township services that is mandated by law. Our coordinator helps many people who qualify in our Township that needs assistance in times of hardship. Some of these services are General Assistance which consists of shelter, medical and food. We also have Emergency Assistance, which provides financial aid to alleviate a life threatening circumstance or to assist in attaining self-sufficiency. The LIHEAP Program assists with utilities and the Salvation Army gives assistance for township residents only. Applications for Metra Train are also available if you qualify. The Township is also a referring agency where if we cannot help we can recommend a venue that can. If you need assistance please call our General Assistance Coordinator at 847-526-2653.

HOLIDAY BASKET PROGRAM: Provides food and gifts to residents that are having a rough time during the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays. This program is funded with private donations from businesses and residents. If you would like to donate a basket or if you are a resident that is in need of a basket please call our General Assistance Coordinator at 847-526-2653.

Cemetery: The Township owns and maintains 5 historical cemeteries in Wauconda Township. They are the historical section of the Wauconda Cemetery, Good Hope Cemetery located near Rt. 120 and Wilson Road, Slocum Cemetery located near the South-West corner of Rt. 176 and Darrell Road, Fisher Cemetery on Fisher Road and the Volo Cemetery located on Fox Lake Road. The Township Board of Trustees appointed three Cemetery Trustees, which are Leslie Ann Rohrer, Ann Peterson and Lyle Matthews. The general public is encouraged to visit these historic cemeteries which tell, in part, the history of Wauconda Township.

Mosquito Control: The Township contracts with Clarke Mosquito to participate in a very advanced mosquito control program. The three services Clarke Mosquito is contracted for but not limited to are 1) General Services such as aerial survey and geographic mapping, a citizen hotline and monthly program updates 2) Surveillance & Monitoring includes Arbovirus Surveillance, mosquitoes will be collected according to species & tested and weather monitoring 3) Larval Control which includes larval site monitoring, prescription larval control and helicopter application. As a resident to help with mosquito control is to eliminate any standing water that may be on your property. If you have any questions or concerns you may call Clarke Mosquito’s Hotline at 800-942-2555.

ASSESSOR’S DIVISION

Wauconda Township is 24 square miles in size and currently consists of 10,860 parcels. The types of parcels are residential, commercial/industrial and farm parcels. Located in these 24 square miles are the Village of Lake Barrington, Village of Port Barrington, Village of Lakemoor, Village of Volo, Village of Island Lake and the Village of Wauconda.

The Township Assessor is responsible for discovering, listing and determining the fair cash value of most properties within the assessment jurisdiction and assessing said at 1/3 of its full market value. The purpose of the assessed valuation is to apportion the tax burden, as created by the taxing bodies (schools, counties, municipalities and townships) over all real estate according to its fair cash value. This is one component used by the county to calculate the property tax bill. The Assessor’s office does not determine the tax rate or the final tax bill. Making sure that all assessments are fair and uniform is a priority of our office. Keeping abreast of assessing protocols, real estate transactions, building permits and onsite inspections provides that every parcel in Wauconda Township receives an assessment that is correct and current. Recorded data is one component used to develop the assessed value for your property and we strive for accuracy. Property owners can review the data on record by contacting the Assessor’s office and reviewing the information on their property record card or by visiting the Lake County web site http://www.co.lake.il.us/assessor.

Residential property owners who occupy their property are entitled to the Homestead Limited Exemption. Residential property owners age 65 or older are entitled to the Senior Homestead Exemption and may also qualify for the Senior Assessment Freeze and/or Senior Tax Deferral Program. Property owners who improve their properties by remodeling or adding amenities such as decks or patios may qualify for a Home Improvement Exemption through the permit process.

The staff of the Assessor’s office has many years of experience and remains committed to providing you with fair and uniform assessments. Assessment education is vital to achieving the most accurate assessments possible. We all continue to receive training through the Illinois Department of Revenue and the Illinois Property Assessments Institute.

HIGHWAY DIVISION

The Township’s Highway Division is responsible for the maintenance of 26 miles of Township roads along with its right of ways. During the winter months snowplowing, salting and keeping the roads safe is this department’s main function. During these months the highway staff will also be maintaining and repairing road equipment to be ready for busy summer months of road, shoulder and right of way work. During the summer months you will see the road crew out in full swing clearing township right of ways, repairing culverts to keep water draining properly, filling pot holes and maintaining township road street lights and roadway signs. As a resident if you notice street lights out or not working properly please call this the Highway Department. During the budget process time the Highway Commissioner and the Highway Superintendent determine which roads and/or subdivisions will be repaved for work to be done during our summer months. The Township road crew is also on call 24 hours a day during storm season to clear any brush or trees off the roads during and after a storm. If you have any concerns regarding Township roads please call the Highway Department at 847-526-8085.

Our Township’s population is growing and the need for services is becoming more prevalent. Please visit our website for the Senior Services calendar, agendas and approved board minutes, etc. You may e-mail any elected official or staff member via our website www.waucondatownship.com.

Wauconda Township
505 W. Bonner Road, Wauconda, IL 60084
Phone: 847-526-2631 Fax: 847-526-0294
Website: www.waucondatownship.com
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETINGS ARE HELD THE
3RD WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH AT 7:00 P.M.