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Presenter tells Round Lake board a 1% Lake County sales tax could have generated roughly $121 million countywide; district’s share about $6.6 million
Summary
PMA Securities’ Tammy Beckwith Shalmo told the Round Lake Area Board of Education that a hypothetical 1% county school facility tax in Lake County would have produced just over $121 million in a recent 12‑month period and that Round Lake’s share based on fall 24/25 enrollment would be about $6.6 million; the presentation covered allowable uses, ballot mechanics and timing for a possible November 2026 referendum.
Tammy Beckwith Shalmo of PMA Securities briefed the Round Lake Area Board of Education on March 30, explaining how a countywide sales tax dedicated to school facilities (commonly called CSFT) works, what it can and cannot pay for, and the timeline and mechanics for placing a question on the ballot.
Beckwith Shalmo said the most recent Illinois Department of Revenue data (Nov. through Oct. 2025) show that “if a 1% sales tax had been in place in Lake County for the benefit of school facility purposes, that would have totaled just over $121,000,000 in that 12‑month period.” She told the board that, based on the district’s fall 2024–25 enrollment of about 6,358 students (roughly 5.4% of Lake County public school enrollment), Round Lake’s portion would have been “just under $6,600,000” in the first year.
The presentation summarized statutory constraints and exclusions: large equipment, motor vehicles, mobile homes, farm equipment, prescription and over‑the‑counter drugs, and unprepared food are generally excluded from the sales tax base. Beckwith Shalmo noted that the law has been amended over time to allow a broader set of capital‑type projects (land acquisition, demolition, infrastructure) while still prohibiting some operating expenditures and purchases such as textbooks and, generally, computers (though wiring/infrastructure can be financed).
She outlined three primary ways districts can use CSFT receipts if the referendum passes: 1) pay‑as‑you‑go capital projects as revenue arrives; 2) accumulate revenue for a larger future project; or 3) pledge the revenue to pay debt service on newly issued bonds or alternate revenue debt certificates. Using conservative modeling (flat annual receipts, 5% interest, using 80% of annual revenue for pledge), she estimated that pledging the district’s annual share over 20 years could generate roughly $64.3 million in bond proceeds.
Board members asked for detail about what items are explicitly excluded and how information would be communicated to residents—particularly seniors who buy medical devices at pharmacies. Beckwith Shalmo said there is a countywide communication effort under discussion and that more granular lists of exclusions could be provided in outreach materials.
She also cited recent retail‑analysis work by consulting firm PGAV that found a high share of Lake County retail purchases are made by non‑Lake County residents; Beckwith Shalmo said that pattern can increase potential CSFT revenue because many shoppers driving into the county would contribute tax receipts without necessarily residing in the county.
Beckwith Shalmo emphasized process and timing: boards representing a majority of county student enrollment must adopt resolutions to request that the regional office of education certify the ballot question; if certified and placed on the ballot, the referendum is decided by a simple majority of county voters who participate. She said a November 2026 ballot is possible but noted statutory deadlines (boards would need to act no later than mid‑August under the timeline presented) and that, if the measure passed in November, collections would not begin until July 1, 2027, with distributions to districts arriving approximately four months later.
The presentation concluded with an encouragement that, if the question goes forward, each district be prepared to explain to voters how it would use the revenue and to participate in county‑level and local outreach efforts.
