Schools
Appeals to Merge in D97 and D39 Tax Lawsuits
Procedural move in appellate court will have little impact on the status of the case, attorneys on both sides agree.
Taxpayers United of America can seek one appeal against Wilmette District 39 and instead of two, according to an order issued last week by the First District Illinois Appellate Court.
TUA filed an last month after Cook County Circuit Court judges both , which in effect sought to overturn the results of the successful referendums in April.
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The move will have very little impact on the issues at hand, said Andrew Spiegel, TUA’s attorney and Rob Swain, District 97’s attorney.
“The appellate court realizes that both cases involve the same issues, so it decided to lump the two together and decide it once,” Swain said. “They just won’t have to jump through all of the hoops twice.”
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Officials with Elementary District 39 declined comment saying they had not yet seen the order.
Infiled against each in April, TUA noted that the language on the April 5 election ballot intentionally misled voters about the impact of the referendum on their property taxes and that the district failed to use the equalizer in determining the real cost to the taxpayers.
A motion in the lower court to both cases was dismissed in May. It could be months before the Appellate Court issues its ruling.
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