CHICAGO–The president of Illinois’ largest taxpayer organization, working with taxpayers in Riverside-Brookfield High School Dist. 208, urged voters in Dist. 208 to vote “No” on the Tuesday, April 5, 2011, property-tax-increase referendum.
“This would be a gigantic property-tax-increase if passed,” said Jim Tobin, President of National Taxpayers United of Illinois (NTUI). “The Dist. 208 flacks are bamboozling voters in the district by telling them the property-tax-increase will be ‘only’ $264, but according to the Chicago Tribune, the actual tax increase would be a back-breaking $889.68 on a $600,000 home.”

“This property-tax-increase would fund an obscene 32% pay raise (2008-2013) for the already-overpaid Dist. 208 teachers,” said Tobin. “That’s over $3,000,000 in salary increases over a 5-year span.”
“There is no need to start a bread line for Dist. 208 teachers and administrators,” said Tobin. “Administrator Martin Scanlon’s salary is a very comfortable $158,468. English teacher George Miller’s salary is $148,411. In this recession, how many residents in Dist. 208 earn $148,411 a year for only nine months of employment?”
“Oh, by the way, you can make book on the fact that school librarian Doreen Fritz pulls in $136,650 a year, and instrumental music instructor Kevin McOlgan makes an annual salary to the tune of $135,068. This will not be music to the ears of Dist. 208 taxpayers.”
“Teacher unions prefer that taxpayers still think public school teachers are ‘underpaid.’ When they find out how much money these ‘public servants’ are raking in, they are not in the mood to raise their own property taxes to increase the already-lavish salaries teachers and administrators are getting for nine months of employment a year.”
Click here to view Riverside-Brookfield HSD 208’s top 100 salaries.
Click here to view a printable Riverside-Brookfield “VOTE NO!” flyer.
Click here to view this news release as a PDF.

By on March 23, 2011   /   News Releases  
2 Comments
  1. John
    2:05 pm on April 1, 2011

    Great write up thank you for exposing the overly paid salaries that the taxpayer will NOT be able to sustain in the future.I for one hope that the general public wakes up to the fact that this school’s costs are unsustainable and votes NO so that I am not forced to relocate to another state.

  2. Anna Vojik
    8:23 pm on April 3, 2011

    I’ve been living in Riverside since 1986 and voted Yes in every referendum that we had in the past. This time is different. I cannot believe that in tough economic times people have audacity to ask for more money. Do not believe that more money will make our education better or cause decrease in our property value. Our property value is down as it is and will go down even further once prospective buyer see how much we pay for property taxes. As it goes for the teachers, higher salary doesn’t make them better teachers. I know of some that are in the $100,000.00 salary bracket and they are mediocre educators. I hope residents or R-B district wake up and smell the coffee.
    Vote NO on Tuesday, April 5.