Minooka Grade School Board OKs tax pact with Aux Sable plant
By Kris Stadalsky Correspondent December 4, 2012 8:50AM
Updated: January 6, 2013 9:46AM
Minooka Grade School District has joined Minooka High School and approved a property tax agreement with Aux Sable Liquid Products.
At a recent school board meeting, members unanimously approved the agreement that puts to rest several years of disputed property taxes over the company’s equalized assessed valuation.
Ten different taxing bodies are expected to approve the agreement before the end of the year.
The agreement clarifies the definition of new property and defines how it will be assessed, which has been one of the issues during discussions with the company, Superintendent Al Gegenheimer said.
It also holds the EAV of the plant steady for a period of 10 years.
“It’s in the best interest of the school district and the community,” Gegenheimer said.
The board also tabled discussion of a property tax agreement with LyondelBasell over its EAV.
“We are very close in our discussions and we believe a settlement is near,” Gegenheimer said.
Non-union handbook
District non-union employees now have a written guideline to refer to regarding job roles and benefits.
The district’s new handbook was written with staff input and reviewed by attorneys for the district.
While the district has collective bargaining agreements with teachers and educational support staff, the handbook covers office staff, bus drivers and mechanics.
“We wanted to formalize this process and define what everyone’s role is,” Gegenheimer said.
Graduation set
Families of eighth-grade students who attend Minooka Junior High can mark their calendars for May 30, as graduation day.
The board approved the graduation day early to give parents a chance to plan in advance.
