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Highwood resident outlines free tax-prep, senior transit and community fair during council public comment
Summary
At the Feb. 4 City of Highwood council meeting, a Moraine Township volunteer described free IRS-certified tax-preparation services, a senior/disabled transit van and an upcoming community fair; council took no formal action.
Anne Sassy, speaking during the public-comment portion of the City of Highwood City Council meeting on Feb. 4, described multiple local assistance programs available to low-income and older residents.
Sassy said volunteers from Moraine Township provide free basic income-tax preparation through an IRS-certified program. She told the council the program uses about 25 volunteers, is open Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and that last year volunteers prepared “well over 300 returns” that produced about $325,000 in refunds. She said the program serves households with an upper guideline of about $67,000, with “a little flexibility” depending on household circumstances and urged the council and residents to help promote the service.
Sassy also described a township-operated transit van for seniors and residents with disabilities that runs weekdays from about 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the service travelling up to 15 miles outside the township border. She said the fare is $4 one way, $2 for income-qualified riders and that “if you have no money, we have taken people for free.” The program, she said, is used for medical trips including dialysis and rehab as well as errands such as grocery shopping and appointments.
Finally, Sassy promoted an upcoming community fair hosted by the Latino Advisory Committee, saying it will include tables for workforce development, legal aid, social services, childcare and health resources. She said the committee held a similar event last April and that organizers hope to expand outreach this year.
The council did not take formal action on any of these items during the meeting. Council members briefly discussed outreach ideas such as distributing information at local businesses and community locations.
Details reported here are taken from public comments delivered at the Feb. 4 council meeting; program eligibility rules, schedules and fares were stated by the speaker and were not supplemented by staff at the meeting.
