Caribou Lake Property Owners Association seeks tax increase to cover rusty crayfish management

While most property owners would prefer to lower their tax bill, the Caribou Lake Property Owners Association is looking to increase the special assessment that they levy through the Caribou Lake Watershed Subordinate Service District (SSD). The additional funds they would collect would go toward invasive species management.

Tom Rider is the president of the CLPOA. He told WTIP that through the SSD his organization currently collects a $12 annual fee from 138 property owners within the watershed area. He said that the funds that they collect go toward water quality testing. Samples are collected by volunteers, and the roughly $1,6000 that the CLPOA receives through the special assessment goes to cover lab fees. The SSD’s proposal would bring the assessment up from $12 annually to $250 over five years.

With the increase in taxes collected by the SSD, the CLPOA will have an additional roughly $5,000 each year. Rider said that the entirety of the extra money would go toward addressing the rusty crayfish population in Caribou Lake. He explained that the invasive species poses a risk to the lake because they destroy native grasses, which are vital for maintaining good water quality and robust fish populations. Managing the population of rusty crayfish has become an issue of concern for property owners across the county. Rider said, “We’ll never eliminate them, but we hope to reduce them to a point where their negative impacts on the lake are are lessened.”

Rider said that the method that is the most impactful, and that aligns with DNR policy is harvesting the crayfish. He said that past volunteer efforts harvested about 12,000 crayfish during the summer. In 2024, the CLPOA partnered with Crawdaddies, a local fishery that harvests the crayfish and has sold them to area restaurants. Rider said that his organization used savings to pay Crawdaddies to concentrate on Caribou Lake. Between hiring Crawdaddies and ramping up the volunteer catch, Rider said that they were able to harvest about 60,000 rusty crayfish from Caribou Lake during 2024.

To be able to continue working with Crawdaddies and supporting the increased volunteer efforts, Rider said that CLPOA will need more funding. As a result, the SSD has proposed the tax increase for watershed residents. The proposal requires approval from the Cook County Board of Commissioners, who will hold a public hearing on the issue on Feb. 11 at 9 a.m. at the Cook County Courthouse.

Thus far, Rider said that the property owners he has spoken with about the issue have been supportive. He welcomes anyone with feedback or questions to attend the public hearing, but hopes that Caribou Lake watershed residents and the Board of Commissioners will keep the mission behind the increase in mind. He said, “I understand it is a tax, but it’s a tremendous investment, because volunteers are doing all the hard work, and the money that’s collected from the taxpayers is going only to pay hard costs. You know, paying the Crawdaddies, buying fuel, things like that. So you’re getting a lot of leverage with your money, and it’s a small investment to ensure the continued high quality of the waters of Caribou Lake.”

WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Caribou Lake Property Owners Association President Tom Rider about the proposed special assessment change. Audio of that interview can be found below.

Kirsten Wisniewski January 21, 2025