Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Amount approved is less than was presented at previous public hearing.
In the end, it came down to three short words, "Mayor Votes Yes." With those words, Channahon Village Board President Joe Cook broke a tie, which approved the 2011-2012 tax levy. "We make tough decisions here and it's not always popular, but it's what's in the best interest of the village," he said after the meeting Monday night. "In the almost nine years I've been president, we've never raised a single tax." The tax rate approved Monday night was .5950. The current rate is .5239. The rate discussed at the public hearing on Dec. 5 was .6771. The decision to discuss and eventually approve a lower rate than the one presented at the public hearing was based on a previous committment to the taxpayers to keep the rate under .60. In dollar …
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Village of Channahon
24555 S Navajo Dr, Channahon, IL
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Mistake in process will result in 5 percent tax for residents from January to June 2012.
Channahon Trustee Judie Nash made a motion Monday night to repeal the telecommunication tax. But, Channahon attorney Dave Silverman said that a vote on the issue could not take place unless it was listed as such on the agenda. The agenda for Dec. 19 listed it as a discussion item only. But, even if the board agreed to repeal the tax, they could not save residents from having to pay a 5 percent tax from January to June 2012. Even in admitting his mistake, Channahon Acting Village Manager Joe Pena said he would still recommend the tax. "It's still my opinion and recommendation that we need a telecommunications tax," he said. Back in September, trustees approved giving notice to the Illinois State Department of Revenue that they intended to …
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Village of Channahon
24555 S Navajo Dr, Channahon, IL
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/locations/6041261
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Last year on Nov. 9, Channahon-Minooka Patch launched in this community. Today, we reflect on the news we have reported in the past year.
A little more than one year ago, on a cold, dreary, windy day, I met with a professional videographer to shoot a welcome video for the launch of Channahon-Minooka Patch's website. Reflecting back on that experience, the first thing that comes to mind is that one of the sites where we filmed is now gone. Maurella's Restaurant, which was on Mondamin in Minooka, was kind enough to let me and a camera woman into the restaurant to stay warm and dry while we filmed. It seemed only appropriate to celebrate our anniversary with a tribute to the news of this last year and a video of the things we have seen come and go. Kevin Trudo, who sings the news for us every week, agreed to put my lyrics to music and I asked to sing along for this special …
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Joe Cook admitted he didn't pay taxes on money he earned from 2004 to 2008 during a Tuesday morning appearance in U.S. Federal Court.
A somber and soft-spoken Channahon Village President Joe Cook appeared Tuesday morning in U.S. Federal Court, entering a plea of guilty on charges of willfully failing to file income tax returns. Cook pleaded guilty to counts 1 and 5, while federal officials dropped counts 2 through 4 as well as count 6. "By this Plea Agreement, defendant agrees to enter a voluntary plea of guilty to the following counts of the information:Count One, which charges defendant with willfully failing to file a personal federal income tax return (Form 1040) for the calendar year 2005, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7203; and Count Five, which charges defendant with willfully failing to file a corporate federal income tax return (Form 1120…
Monday, October 3, 2011
Channahon Village President Joe Cook calls accusations 'a bold-faced lie.'
At the regular Village Board meeting Monday night, Channahon Village President Joe Cook addressed charges on a village credit card that were highlighted in a Chicago Tribune article last week. He explained that the "steak dinner" referenced in the Tribune's report was actually a meet-and-greet for potential police chief candidates when the village was looking to fill the vacant position now held by Channahon Police Chief Joe Pena. Cook told those in attendance Monday that his card is used as the default credit card for the village, so any village function, like the meet-and-greet that was held at Louie's Chophouse, would be paid for on his card. Regarding the multiple limo trips to the airport, he said again, those trips were for all those…
The county's suit, announced Monday, is the latest in a series of legal action taken by entities including the Regional Transportation Authority and the nearby village of Lemont.
Editor's Note: On October 11, we added the video of the announcement from Cook County to the story. Channahon is facing a new round of civil charges and legal action stemming from a sales tax loophole that has some Chicago businesses routing their sales through satellite offices in the village. Following in the footsteps of the city of Chicago and the Regional Transportation Authority, Cook County has filed its own 12-count civil complaint alleging the village of Channahon and the city of Kankakee have been using a complex scheme to collect sales tax on purchases in which the bulk of the sale occurred outside of the communities and in Cook County. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who held a press conference Monday along with …
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
In a rare occurrence Monday night, Channahon Village Board members split on vote.
- GOVERNMENT
- Dawn Aulet
-
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
In the end, it all came down to one vote. And, that one vote, delivered by Channahon Village President Joe Cook, was aye. "Being that we have to get it done to inform, I say yes," he said after voting yes. At question was whether the village should move forward and inform the Department of Revenue that its intends to implement a telecommunications tax. The maximum a municipality can assess is 6 percent. Minooka assesses 5 percent while neighboring Shorewood assesses 3.5 percent. The village began talking about a telecommunications tax a couple of months ago in an effort to add new revenues to the village. The village has had to enter its reserves to pay for operating costs and officials do not want to continue to do that. That was one of…
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Village of Channahon
24555 S Navajo Dr, Channahon, IL
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Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Channahon meeting was standing room only, but only three residents addressed the board.
It was standing room only at the Channahon Village Board meeting Tuesday night as residents turned out to learn more about a proposed telecommunications tax. No one asked about the pending litigation facing the town or Village President Joe Cook. The committee of the whole meeting, which preceded the regular board meeting, opened with the board adjourning into closed session to address pending litigation. It was unclear whether or not board members addressed a lawsuit the Regional Transportation Authority filed against the village or the federal filing against Cook, who is accused of not filing federal income taxes between 2006 and 2008. Cook said after the meeting Tuesday that he was unable to comment on the federal filing. But, he said …
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Federal officials say Channahon's village president did not file taxes between 2006 and 2008.
Federal officials filed charges Monday against Channahon Village President Joe Cook, alleging he did not file federal income tax returns between 2005 and 2008. The charges, which are misdemeanors, claim Cook made $250,000 from two public jobs, including village president and a private consulting business, Channahon-based Phase One. “According to the charges, Cook earned gross income from at least three sources—Channahon, Will County and Phase One—totaling approximately $69,672 in 2005, $82,542 in 2006, $60,304 in 2007, and $39,066 in 2008, but did not file federal individual tax returns. He also allegedly failed to file federal corporate tax returns for Phase One, which Cook incorporated in December 2006,” according to a press release …
41.435774
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Village of Channahon
24555 S Navajo Dr, Channahon, IL
/articles/channahon-village-president-joe-cook-charged-with-not-filing-federal-tax-returns
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Mike
9:11 am on Tuesday, December 20, 2011
There is a one meeting delay in posting minutes, as the minutes from the previous meeting have to be approved at the next meeting before they are released. So, minutes from the first meeting of December would have just been approved last night. more ›