Don't know - will have to do some digging.
“Wonder who owned the lumberyard?”
(no link - sorry for the lack of formatting)
Death and taxes - one and the same?
SouthtownStar (Chicago, IL) - Sunday, December 7, 2008
By Becky Schlikerman staff writer
Farid “Fred” Ellian is considering moving his 8-year-old auto shop out of Country Club Hills and into Chicago. He said the property taxes in Country Club Hills are making it difficult for his auto-repair business to stay afloat. Taxes “kill you,” Ellian said. The property taxes for Ellian’s Lightning Auto Repair business totalled almost $45,000 for 2007, which are paid this year. That’s up from almost $39,000 for 2006. When he saw that increase, Ellian was taken aback. “It’s like somebody stabbed you,” he said. “It takes the wind out of you.” Residents of Country Club Hills have been rallying against the 44 percent increase in the portion of their tax bill that goes to the city of Country Club Hills. But small businesses are also feeling the pinch.
Forest Lumber Company isn’t seeing as much profit because the company has had to adjust to pay the taxes, said Sharon Reimer, one of the owners. It’s especially worse for the building material store because the cater to customers who have been hit hard by the sluggish industry, said Larry Reimer, another owner. “It’s a slow market and because we’re in Country Club Hills, we’re getting hit even worse,” Larry Reimer said. For Sharon Reimer, Larry’s mother, her business’ almost $49,000 tax bill isn’t as shocking as the cut the city is taking. This year, the city’s portion of her store’s tax bill was more than $18,000 that’s up from about $12,500 last year. Usually the school districts take the biggest cut, but not in Country Club Hills. “Why do they get more than schools?”
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nancially wrong to move right now,” Reimer said. But he hopes the city limits how much more it raises taxes. If not, businesses like his won’t be there, he said. “You can’t keep taxing people because there won’t be any,” Sharon Reimer said.
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