For those who are not familiar with Illinois governing system or who have recently moved from a city, living in this unincorporated area may be a bit confusing. While our address is ‘Saint Charles’, we do not live in the city boundaries and are not covered by city services (nor do we pay city taxes!). This address designation is determined by the Post Office and is a throwback to the fact that we are in St. Charles Township.
Governance: Our government representatives are the St Charles Township Board and the Kane County Board. We can not be annexed into a city without petitioning for incorporation AND the city agreeing to annex us.
Schools: We reside in Community Unit School District (CUSD) 303 which comprises a geographical boundary including all or parts of W. Chicago, St Charles, Wayne, Campton Hills, Wasco, S Elgin, Elgin, and St Charles Township. The diverse number of communities is an aspect of the individual cities annexing parts of the unincorporated areas of the school district within their boundaries.
Library & Parks: Our neighborhood also resides in the St. Charles Library and Park Districts which both have their own governing boards and taxing authority. Parks in the area are also provided by the Kane County Forest Preserve.
Fire & Law Enforcement: Our Fire is provided by the Fox River Countryside Fire and Rescue District (FRC) and an explanation of their services was provided by them and can be found on our website. We do have fire hydrants throughout the neighborhood which is part of our water & sewer system. Our only law enforcement is through the Kane County Sheriff Department, however if there are issues in surrounding S. Elgin or St. Charles areas this is handled by their respective city police departments.
Roads: We are at a unique location regarding road governance. Roads within our neighborhood are serviced by the township road department. Silver Glen (5) and Randall Roads (34) are both county roads and are controlled and maintained by Kane County government bodies. Route 31 is actually a state highway and is controlled by IDOT.
Water & Sewer: Our water & sewage is owned by our HOA who contracts a maintenance company (Town & Country) to test and maintain the system. While it is a ‘community well’, water is obtained by (2) deep, 900+ foot pumps, treated, and pressurized in a loop system similar to any city water system. It is governed by Illinois EPA standards and is tested daily.
Trash Pickup: Garbage, as in many unincorporated areas, must be contracted privately. As a neighborhood we have contracted with one of the companies to give us reduced pricing based on the number of residents who are enrolled. Cable is limited to Comcast, though a few residents recently have the option of AT&T for at least some services, and satellite is also an option.
Hope this helps explain some and clarify this web of government and services.