Commissioners agree to workshop after residents raise objections to Wellness Way MSTU; staff to model 10‑year payment option

Lake County commissioners on Feb. 11 agreed to schedule a public workshop and direct staff to model alternatives after multiple residents and commissioners pressed for more detail and relief from a newly active Wellness Way Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU).

Commissioner Parks proposed changing the county ordinance language and the MSTU repayment schedule to reduce the near‑term tax burden on homeowners. “I would propose we change it to make it city because it has to start there,” Parks said, and later proposed moving the payment schedule from a five‑year basis to 10 years as a compromise that would lower the immediate millage rate to 0.442 (from the 0.917 scenario the board had previously discussed).

Why it matters: The Wellness Way MSTU is intended to fund ongoing landscaping, lighting and other long‑term maintenance for three primary roads inside the Wellness Way area. Residents of new subdivisions such as Ridgeview and Wellness Ridge told the board they received little or no notice that the MSTU could produce a future tax line on their bills, and many called the added cost — roughly $400–$500 per home under the five‑year scenario — a surprise.

Who spoke and what they said: Several residents asked the board to revisit the ordinance and the pacing of assessments. Javier Manus of Claremont said his community was surprised by a roughly $500 increase on his tax bill and that “we were not informed” about the MSTU. Roxanne Mallozzi, a Ridgeview homeowner, said the MSTU was “a shocker” when she opened her tax statement. Commissioner Sabatini and others asked staff to quantify impacts on adjacent roads and to provide written data so the county and residents would have a common basis for discussion.

Staff response and next steps: Planning and county staff said the Wellness Way MSTU ordinance was adopted in 2022 and appeared as a 0 mill line on 2023 tax bills. Staff also said some developers had included MSTU disclosures in closing documentation, but the county will review disclosure practices. Commissioners directed staff to present a full, public workshop with maps, phased revenue models (5‑, 10‑ and 15‑year buildout scenarios), and an explanation of which costs the MSTU covers and which are funded by other sources (for example, developer‑funded road construction or gas tax resurfacing). Parks suggested the 10‑year option (0.442 mill) as a compromise to provide immediate relief while keeping the long‑term maintenance plan.

Public and political context: Commissioners and staff emphasized that the MSTU covers maintenance and amenity upkeep — not resurfacing capital — and that the program is intended to support the area’s goal of attracting job centers and higher‑wage employers. Commissioners agreed to return with a public workshop within weeks so residents, developers and elected leaders could review the numbers and notice procedures.

The board did not adopt any ordinance changes at the meeting; it directed staff to prepare the workshop materials and return with detailed build‑out and financial modeling for consideration at a later public meeting.