Communications: Community Events

Peoria County Courthouse, Room 502. Office Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Tel: (309) 672-6918, Fax: (309) 672-6054

ICC FUNshop Series
Illinois Central College's North Campus
5407 North University St
FREE & open to the public

Each spring and fall, Peoria County Government offers free educational seminars through Illinois Central College's FUNshop community education series. All Peoria County seminars are free and open to interested persons. Seating is limited. You can register for a seminar by calling 999-4545 or visiting ICC's FUNshop website and selecting "special interests".

All sessions are taught at ICC's North Campus on University Street.

For fall 2009, Peoria County is offering the following:

Are You a Green Consumer
by our Recycling Educator
Thursday, September 24
6:00 - 8:00pm

Do you recycle? Do you buy recycled products? Too often, the environmental benefits of recycling are lessened by consumers' failure to purchase recycled products. While it is helpful to recycle aluminum and plastic, we are not reaching our potential as conscientious consumers if we do not purchase products made from recycled aluminum and plastic. In other words, we are not green consumers. Peoria County's Recycling staff will explain how to complete the triangle of reducing, recycling, and reusing by showcasing recycled products. Wear green to this Earth-friendly class and receive a free recycled product.

How Property Taxes Are Determined
by County Clerk Steve Sonnemaker, Treasurer Ed O'Connor, and the Supervisor of Assessments
Thursday, October 22
6:00 - 8:00pm

Each spring, hundreds of thousands of local property owners open their property tax bill. Then they groan. Then they may wonder how their property tax was calculated and where the money goes. Some believe that because the bill is paid to the County Treasurer, county government receives 100% of the payment. Actually, Peoria County only receives about 11%; school districts, libraries, park districts, and other units of government also receive a portion of your tax bill. This class will explain how your property is valued, how your taxes are determined based on that value, and how levies imposed by other taxing districts affect the amount you owe. Tax officials will explain the distribution of your dollars and the appeals process. It pays to take this free class.

The Road We Travel
by our County Engineer and highway staff
Thursday, December 3
6:00 - 8:00pm

Infrastructure is a foundation of our society. We travel for work, school, shopping, entertainment, vacation. We rely on roads to get us safely from point A to point B. But why a slower speed? Why a new bridge? Why another stop light? Find out how these and other relevant decisions are made from the people who make them: county engineers will outline jurisdictional responsibilities, intergovernmental efforts for improvement projects, and funding for infrastructure. They will describe how roadways get from concept to completion and the mechanics of maintaining those roadways. Join us as we explain this complex organism that is the highway system.