SPRINGFIELD – In order to bring awareness to the rewarding, well-paid jobs resulting from career and technical education, the Illinois Senate adopted State Senator Patrick Joyce’s (D-Essex) resolution declaring February Career and Technical Education Month.

“Technical, vocational and trade education are an important and often overlooked part of the higher education system,” Joyce said.  “Too many people forget that many technical education degrees lead to careers that are as good as or better than jobs you can get with a bachelor’s degree.”

Senate Resolution 983 explains and praises the many benefits of career and technical education.

PARK FOREST – Senior citizens who have qualified for property tax exemptions in Cook County will only need to reapply one more time, State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) announced.

Public Act 101-0622 removes the requirement that recipients of the Senior Homestead Exemption in Cook County reapply for the exemption every year.

ESSEX – State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) announced that several school districts in the South Suburbs have received the Illinois State Board of Education Property Tax Relief Grant.

“I think this is a great step toward correcting our broken property tax system,” Joyce said. “We all know how big a burden property taxes are on homeowners, which is why I am glad to see several communities receiving some relief from these grants”

The Property Tax Relief Grant gives school districts with high tax rates relative to other school districts with an opportunity to lower the property tax burden on local taxpayers. Allocating more state funding to local schools that have disproportionate high property taxes allows the amount of school funding provided by property taxes to go down. The amount of funding received by the grant will be included in future state funding for those school districts.

Essex – three local parks will receive over $800,000 to make some major improvements and renovations, State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) announced today.

The money comes from a grant that is part of the state’s Open Space Land Acquisition and Development program, administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The program is providing more than $28 million to support 87 park projects across the state.

“Parks are wonderful. They are a great resource for everyone in the community,” Joyce said.

The OSLAD program began in 1987 and has invested $419.4 million in 1,765 local park projects. The program receives dedicated funding from a percentage of the state’s Real Estate Transfer Tax.

Parks receiving the grant include:

• Somonauk Nature Adventure Park – $395,000.00
• Homewood Estates Park – $295,700.00
• Sgt. Means Park Phase 1 – $175,700.00