Wonder Lake Library Creation Call To Action

We the undersigned residents of the Greater Wonder Lake Area are calling for the support of the Wonder Lake Community Development Council and its efforts to create a WONDER LAKE LIBRARY DISTRICT, separate from both the Woodstock Rural Library District and the McHenry Library District.

Further, we ask the intervention of: State Senator Pam Althoff, Illinois House Representative Jack Franks & Illinois House Representatives Mike Tryon and the McHenry County Board to help facilitate the people of Wonder Lake, IL secede from the existing two library districts.


1) IDENTIFICATION OF PARTIES:
For the purposes of this petition, the Greater Wonder Lake Area is defined as a combination of the homes in the Village of Wonder Lake, IL and the US Census Block Zone identified as Wonder Lake, IL-CDP.  The Village of Wonder Lake is an Illinois municipality. Wonder Lake, IL-CDP are those unincorporated areas near Wonder Lake. The latitude of Wonder Lake IL, is 42.385N. The longitude is -88.347W.

The Wonder Lake Community Development Council (WLCDC) is an Illinois Non Profit corporation acting on behalf of the citizens of the Greater Wonder Lake Area for the specific task of developing resources, infrastructure and programs that in general improve the life and well being of the community.

The McHenry Library District presently serves the homes on the EAST side of Wonder lake.  The people in that zone presently pay a tax of approximately 2.4% of assessed value. 

The Woodstock Rural Library District serves the homes on the WEST side of Wonder Lake. The people in that some presently pay a tax of approximately .75% of assessed value.  However, the people of that zone also have to pay an additional fee of $50 to use the non-book library resources.

ASSESSED VALUE is not the actual resale value of a home but typically (and theoretically) 1/3 of the resale value of the home.
 
2) THE FOCUS:
The focus of this project is a two part transitional process.  The first part is being the creation of local library infrastructure.  The Second part is being the act to secede from the existing two library districts and then act as an independent library district. 

3) THE MORAL AND ETHICAL REASONS FOR ACTION:

• Self Determination- A community of people should have the right to organize local political and governmental bodies to represent their local interest.  If a governmental body from outside that community has failed in their obligation to the local community, that local community should be allowed to correct the failed efforts by others by creating their own systems.
  
• When is enough, enough?- Throughout the history of the relationship of Wonder Lake with the two existing library districts we have contributed millions of dollars to each district. When is it in time duration or financial amount that we have contributed enough to other community's libraries.
• The loss of moral authority by the Woodstock and McHenry Library Districts- Because the Woodstock and McHenry Library Districts have collected monies for so long and have failed to deliver a library into the Wonder Lake community, we question whether these districts continue to have moral authority to continue taxing our community.
• We have the Moral "HIGH GROUND"- As the CDC organizing committee has lined up not one, but two facilities (one on each side of the lake) for library branches to serve the local community; we have demonstrated that even without the availability of tax funds we have done more for the development of local libraries than either district.
• We Call for the End of Gerrymandering- Although the present people in public office carry no responsibility for the creation of the situation,; since the days of the Great Depression Wonder Lake has suffered from active Gerrymandering efforts, to prevent the community from consolidating into a unit and in particular preventing the community from becoming a voting block.   We are split into multiple townships, multiple school districts, multiple library districts; and on the local level (though not created by Gerrymandering) a number of warring subdivision organizations.  It is time for Wonder Lake to grow up as a community, unite as a community and insist that the age of Gerrymandering come to an end. 
• Imagine if you will%u2026.- Imagine how the people of Woodstock and McHenry would react if the Village of Wonder Lake had the authority to tax the people of Woodstock and McHenry, with no infrastructure benefit to their communities.  Obviously, they would be outraged.
  

4) THE FINANCIAL REASONS FOR ACTION:

• Self Direction of Taxes- A community should have the right to retain and exercise the determination of their tax dollars.
• Existing Taxes- Presently the community of Wonder Lake ALREADY pays to the two respective library districts approximately $350,000 per year.
• Stronger Local Focus- As a local organization, the WLCDC feels that a future Wonder Lake Library Board can better partner with the schools, the Village and other organizations to leverage local assets.  This "LEVERAGING" is the reason why we have been able to do more to build library infrastructure in one year then the two districts have done in the last decade.
• Long Term Taxes- As the community fills out the Meadows of West Bay and Thatcher Woods subdivisions will more then double in the number of homes.  These homes will have a significantly higher assessed value than the typical small off lake home that make up the majority of the homes in our community. With that growth alone, it is estimated that in 10 years we will be paying to the two library districts $750,000.00 PER YEAR.  This is with NO changes in the existing tax.  We find it unthinkable that surrounding communities would continue to take advantage of Wonder Lake to this level.
• If Managed Locally- That $750,000 in taxes when leveraged with other assets in the community will very nicely fund a small library system for Wonder Lake. The existing libraries have already publicly stated they have no plans in building a library in Wonder Lake.
  

5) SERVICE BASED REASONS FOR ACTION:

• Localization- our communities ability to use local library facilities will create better opportunity for local utilization of the facilities.  Rather than having to travel up to 20 to 30 minutes by car, no resident of Wonder Lake would be no further then 2.4 miles from one of the two planned facility locations.
• Access for Youth- because of the close proximity, walking or bicycling to and from the library becomes a very practical transport option for youth.
• PACE Bus Transport- Because of the local bus routes loop around the lake,  access to the library becomes practical without having to commit half the day to bus travel.
• Program Focus- Programs run in the library and in partnership with the local Community Technology Center can be tuned to the needs of our specific community rather than being focused on the needs of McHenry and Woodstock
  

6) DOING NO HARM:
Although we are firm in our desire to see the greatest possible benefit to our community for the expended tax dollars, we are also resolved to do no harm to the existing school districts.  The fact that our community has been exploited is no excuse to hurt others.  Therefore, as a part of this process we call for a transitional period of time to allow the other districts to restructure their funding model. 

7) PERSONAL FINANCIAL GAIN:
One opponent of the project has suggested that people involved with the CDC are pushing the library project for personal gain.  This is a 100% falsehood. The CDC is advocating the creation of an independent Wonder Lake Library Board.  That board would have the authority to determine spending practices of the library and NOT the WLCDC. ANY tax funds from the Library that may at some future time end up being paid to one of the people in the CDC or a business they are affiliated with, will be by direct action of that Library Board.
 
8) BEING AN EQUAL PARTNER:
There have already been overtures by people in the other library districts, offering "goodies" like; the loan of books or the gift of resources (computers) that the library has replaced and no longer needs.   Although we do appreciate the spirit in which some have offered these things, the truth is that others are using these offers to cloud the issue to hold control of our taxes.  Wonder Lake is an independent community that should not have to wait for the hand-me-down cast off resources of other community's libraries.  In many ways we look upon these offers as half measures.

The WLCDC sees no point in any possible agreement that doe not include:

• the ability to elect a local library board for Wonder Lake
• The ability to control the use of local library taxes
  

Any agreement that does not include these two key points will continue Wonder Lake being in the role of vassal of McHenry and Woodstock; and always put Wonder Lake at the whim of those communities library board.  Allowing these two key components of local control will give us the status of an equal partner.

Being "equal" will allow our library board to join the local North Suburban Library System so that we can have access to resources from dozens of libraries across Lake and McHenry counties.  This will give us access to 100s of thousands of books and other resources. 

9) SUMMARY:
This is not the first time that a group of citizens have gone to the McHenry and Woodstock library districts to ask for a local facility or to be allowed to separate from the district.  It is clear that both library districts have been unable to fund a local library project for Wonder Lake. We understand this as the needs of the Wonder Lake community are simply NOT a high enough priority to the McHenry and Woodstock communities.  Both Woodstock and McHenry have very nice libraries that they were able to build and support in part by the taxes of the people of Wonder Lake.

It is time for these Library Districts to simply thank the people of Wonder Lake for helping them to fund their libraries over the years.  It is also time for them to let us go and allow us to do what they can not do, and that is to build our own libraries.  Everyone involved with this process knows that the morality of our demand is valid.  If the roles were reversed, the people of McHenry w& Woodstock would be as frustrated as are the people of Wonder Lake.

LET US HAVE OUR RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION!
LET US HAVE OUR RIGHT TO ELECT OUR OWN LIBRARY BOARD!
LET US HAVE CONTROL OVER OUR COMMUNITIES TAX DOLLARS!