ABOUT MORAINE TOWNSHIP
Mission Statement
adopted November 17, 2005
Moraine Township government administers public funds to provide responsive, efficient and compassionate services and support for residents in need.
Our boundaries include all of Highwood, most of Highland Park, and small portions of Deerfield and Lake Forest. The Township officially provides general assistance to individuals; property assessment services in the Assessor's Office; election and record-keeping functions in the Clerk's Office; and operates two cemeteries, Mooney and Daggitt, in Highland Park.
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Boundaries/Maps/Precincts
Moraine Township is primarily a residential lakefront community along the North Shore of metropolitan Chicago, just over the border from Cook County, and about half way between the Wisconsin border and the Chicago Loop. Township borders were established before municipality boundaries, so that in effect, though Lake County's township layout is a relatively rectangular grid, 90 degree boundaries cross irregularly through meandering municipalities. Our only measure of 100% inclusion is the system of voting precincts.
Precincts of Moraine Township: #200-#229
Lake Forest - 200, 201
Highwood - 202 (shared with Highland Park), 205, 206
Deerfield - 221
Highland Park - all other precincts, 202 through 229
[the remaining 4 precincts of City of Highland Park (410, 411, 414, 415) are in West Deerfield Township]
Maps of Moraine Township
To view individual precinct maps, visit the Lake County website
Check out information about all Lake County townships online.
Click HERE for a PDF of all Lake County townships (140kb)
Click HERE for a PDF of Moraine Township in color detail (1.6mb)
Click HERE for a PDF of Moraine Township precincts in black & white (1.9mb)
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History
Not long after the State of Illinois (est 1818) constitution of 1848 gave voters in each county the opportunity to adopt township government, citizens of this rural region established ours as "Deerfield Township." Today, 85 of Illinois' 102 counties have a total of 1,433 townships. For more information about township government and its functions in Illinois, visit the website of Township Officials of Illinois, including an interesting page on history.
Deerfield Township was originally established in 1850. In 1889, it was split into East and West Deerfield Townships; eventually, the "East" was dropped from ours, and in 1998, to eliminate confusion and reference its topography, that name was changed to Moraine Township.
The first Deerfield Township meeting was held April 2, 1850. Officers elected at that meeting included a Supervisor, Town Clerk, Assessor, Collector, Overseer of the Poor, 3 Highway Commissioners, 2 Justices of the Peace and 2 Constables. Minutes of that meeting also show that the Highway Commissioners established five districts within the Township, and later appointed five District Overseers of Highways. Those first Minutes illustrate a need to establish many rules of local governance, including the need to lay out and build roads.
In order to finance township projects, from road building to education to burying the dead and providing for the needy, property assessment systems were implemented. Thus arose the association of township government services with the means to finance them, each resident assessed according to his ability to contribute.
Moraine Township elected officials now number seven persons: a Supervisor, Clerk, Assessor and four Trustees.
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Duties
Over the years, many of the duties performed by townships in increasingly populated regions like ours were assumed by expanding municipalities. Unlike many Illinois townships of a more rural character, we have no further locally unincorporated road responsibilities, for example, but we do operate two cemeteries.
Duties remaining for us today in Moraine Township make it "special purpose" government: apart from the Assessor's and the Clerk's respective functions in property appraisal and voting, we provide a safety net for residents with needs not otherwise met by local government – some as mandated by law (General Assistance) and others in keeping with community tradition. (These are found in more detail on the Supervisor's webpage.)
The present Board of Trustees adopted a Mission Statement (2005) to reflect modern Moraine Township functions; further, a logo featuring helping hands was developed, meant to graphically express a willingness to serve resident needs, and to foster neighborly volunteerism.
Township government is considered the last remaining true grassroots democratic experience. At the Annual Town Meeting, every resident is a qualified elector, and may propose and vote on whatever comes within the purview of the township. By law, every Illinois township holds an Annual Town Meeting on the second Tuesday in April. Further general information is available from Township Officials of Illinois website.
More details on the duties and purpose of Moraine Township government's "helping hands" can be found by visiting our webpages, particularly of the Supervisor and Board of Trustees.
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Census & Voting Data, Budget & Property Valuation Info
Click HERE for detailed information about individual cities in Lake County, including Moraine Township constituent cities of Highland Park, Highwood, Deerfield and Lake Forest.
Click HERE for detailed, up-to-date demographic data like population trends, economics, race, etc. by individual cities in Lake County, as well as links from there to U.S. Census information and more.
Interesting Facts
Moraine Township in square miles: 11.92
Moraine Township in acres: 7,627.46
Assessor's figures for 2007: total value of "equalized assessed valuation/EAV" real property in Moraine Township was $2,736,041,058. There were 13,704 parcels.
Land use: 98.67% incorporated; 46.16% residential; 28.49% classified tax exempt; 8.17% commercial; 0 industrial.
Estimated from the 2000 census:
Total Population: 34,500 (estimate 2006: 34,700)
Population under 5 years old: 7%
Population 5 to 17 years old: 20%
Population 18 to 64 years old: 58%
Population 65 and older: 15%
Overall, estimated 4% below poverty level
Moraine Township Voters:
Number of registered voters (as of February, 2008): 21,960
Percent of Moraine voters exercising this right:
• 84% in 2004 Presidential Election
• 65% in the 2006 "General" (Congressional) election
• 51% in the February 5, 2008 Primary Election
Election record history is available through the County Clerk.
Moraine Township Financials In Brief:
Fiscal year is April 1-March 31
2007 median Township single family home sale price: $575,000
2007 Twp tax rate: .044 (approximately $84 median tax to Township)
Annual Average Township Budget: $1,100,000
• Portion to fund Assessor's Office: approximately 40-45%
• "Town Fund" & General Assistance: remaining 55-60%
For detailed information, contact the Township Office. Budget Hearings are held during regularly scheduled Board meetings, beginning in January each year.
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