A council-city manager form of government sets policy for Crystal Lake’s 37,400 residents.
Citizens elect a mayor every four years and six City Council representatives from the community at large who serve four-year terms. The mayor is a voting member of the council with no veto power.
Crystal Lake’s current mayor, Aaron Shepley, has been in office since 1999 and will be up for re-election in April 2003.
The council members are Ellen Brady Mueller, Howie Christensen, Ralph Dawson, Cathy Ferguson, David Goss and Jeffrey Thorsen. While all are serving four-year terms, the council seats are staggered so only a few seats can be challenged in any one election. Three seats will be up for re-election in April and the other three seats will be challenged in April 2003.
When legislation is introduced to the City Council, it is usually written by the city’s legal staff and a professional city manager. Joe Misurelli has been Crystal Lake’s city manager for almost 21 years. Misurelli also is responsible for seeing that adopted legislation is carried out and for the day-to-day operations of the city by overseeing all city departments.
Department heads who report to Misurelli include the finance director, police chief, the fire and rescue chief, the planning director, the director of public works and engineering, the building director, the city attorney and the utilities director.
Proposed ordinances require a majority vote by the council to become policy. If members of the board are absent, a majority vote of those present is necessary for an ordinance to be adopted. Once adopted, a new policy generally goes into effect immediately.
Residents may attend City Council meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 7:30 p.m. in City Hall.
Other city officials elected by Crystal Lake residents include City Clerk James Kelley and City Treasurer Rosemary Kurtz. Both serve four-year terms.
Kelley’s primary responsibility involves keeping an account of what transpires at council meetings. Kurtz’s main responsibility is to execute and sign the annual treasurer’s report, which outlines city spending.
Taxes in Crystal Lake are levied according to the assessed valuation of a piece of property. The city’s taxes are only a portion of the total tax bill that residents receive each year, and Misurelli said about 5 percent of the total tax bill is used for city services.
“Crystal Lake residents only pay around 40 cents per $100 of assessed valuation,” he said. “Crystal Lake city service taxes are among the lowest in the area.”
In addition to the city’s taxes, school, Park District and library taxes appear on the yearly tax bill. Misurelli said that overall, Crystal Lake residents pay $7.75 to $8.00 per $100 of assessed valuation in taxes.
In addition to elected officials, the City of Crystal Lake relies heavily upon volunteers to serve on advisory boards and commissions. The individuals who donate their time and talents are appointed by a majority vote of the City Council upon recommendations from the mayor.
The Planning Commission consists of nine residents who serve three-year terms. This board reviews all proposed land development proposals and is responsible for the overall implementation of the city’s comprehensive land-use plan, a document that outlines how municipal officials would like to see development in and around the city occur. All recommendations from the Planning Commission must be voted on by the City Council.
The Planning Commission meets the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the municipal building.
The seven members of the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals are also charged with the implementation of the comprehensive plan and hear appeals from residents regarding rezoning requests, special-use permits and planned unit developments. Board members meet the first and third Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. in the municipal building.
Other commissions that depend upon volunteers are the city’s Economic Development Committee, the Fire Pension Board, the Fire and Police Commission, the Historic Preservation Commission, the Human Relations Commission, the Library Board, the Police Pension Board and the Senior Citizens Committee.
![Four years into cannabis legalization in Illinois, celebrations of the April 20 informal weed holiday known as 420 are getting bigger and more widespread. Named for the time of day a group of friends met to get high, 420 has become a chance for marijuana users to publicly share a previously illegal drug and the counter-cultural atmosphere surrounding it. The main event in downtown Chicago likely will be the second annual 420 Sesh Fest, at Green Rose Dispensary. The party will include live music, a magic show, carnival games, food trucks, pop ups, and product discounts. It also will feature Grammy-nominated […]](https://www.chicagotribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ctc-l-Illinois-marijuana_175925141.jpg?w=546 "Four years into cannabis legalization in Illinois, celebrations of the April 20 informal weed holiday known as 420 are getting bigger and more widespread. Named for the time of day a group of friends met to get high, 420 has become a chance for marijuana users to publicly share a previously illegal drug and the counter-cultural atmosphere surrounding it. The main event in downtown Chicago likely will be the second annual 420 Sesh Fest, at Green Rose Dispensary. The party will include live music, a magic show, carnival games, food trucks, pop ups, and product discounts. It also will feature Grammy-nominated […]")