A proposed fee increase to fix a 97-year-old dam on a private Illinois lake has left some residents struggling to afford the new rate, with a few warning the costs could force them out of their homes.
The Master Property Owners Association in Wonder Lake, a private lake community in northern Illinois, is considering raising its yearly assessment from $44 to nearly $1,000 per lot. The association oversees approximately 5,500 properties in the McHenry County village, funding the ongoing maintenance of the local lake and its surrounding infrastructure.
Association leaders say the fee increase is necessary to rebuild depleted reserves and address critical infrastructure needs, including dredging and the eventual replacement of the aging dam.
Estimates to replace the structure run as high as $90 million, but the association currently holds just $60,000 in its reserve fund. Most dams have an expected lifespan of 50 to 100 years.
Ann Freeman, speaking for the association, told CBS News that the increase was long overdue, acknowledging that previous rates failed to adequately fund long-term repairs.
“And shame on us, with the MPOA, with charging $44 all these years and not saying, ‘you know, that’s a mistake,’” Freeman said. “We want them to understand that they live on a private lake in a beautiful area of Illinois and they haven’t been paying anything for it.”
Freeman warned that the association was essentially unprepared for a major failure.
“We have rough estimates of $90 million truly to replace the entire thing,” she said.
The proposal faces opposition from residents who live set back from the water and lack direct lake access, as the fee applies per lot rather than per household.
Sue Rose, who lives several blocks from the shoreline and owns two properties, told CBS News the proposal would cost her $2,000 annually.
“And I have two lots, so it’s per lot,” Rose said. “So it would cost me $2,000 for the privilege of being on a lake that I have no access to. I’ll do whatever I can to try and fight this.
“If we have to take it to court, that’s what we are going to do."
Another inland homeowner, Melinda Boyle, told the outlet the fee hike “would cause us probably to move.”
Even some waterfront property owners have expressed hesitation regarding how the costs are distributed across the community. David Crook, who lives directly on the lake, said he could manage the $1,000 fee himself, but expressed concern for neighbors without waterfront views.
“I don’t want to force anything on these people in my subdivision,” Crook said.
The board is scheduled to vote on the fee increase in two weeks.
