Mount Pleasant, Sturtevant Presidents Both Behind in Property Taxes

The deadline to pay property taxes in both Mount Pleasant and Sturtevant has passed, and Patch has learned that the presidents in both villages are behind.

Officially, property taxes for 2012 were due by Jan. 31, but residents can pay their taxes in installments until July 31 without interest or penalties. After July 31, a combined 1-1/2 percent per month interest and penalty is added to the tax bill dating back to Feb. 1.


Patch used online county records to look up the 2012 property tax records of the elected officials in both Mount Pleasant and Sturtevant. 

Mount Pleasant Village President Mark Gleason owes a total of $5,950.69 for 2012 but had not made a payment as of Thursday.

Sturtevant Village President Steve Jansen owes a total of $5,595.72 and has made a payment of $1,488.37, leaving a balance of $4,107.35.

The rest of the Village Board members in both communities have paid their 2012 property taxes in full.

Calls to Gleason have not been returned, but Jansen acknowledged he is a little behind.

"I've been current every other year, and I need to do a better job of setting an example for the rest of the village," he said.

One reason Jansen is behind, he explained, is that a criminal case against him strained his finances. He was charged in February 2012 with stalking his ex-girlfriend and retained defense attorney Pat Cafferty to represent him while the case wound through the courts.

Jansen plead guilty in May to two lesser charges of misdemeanor disorderly conduct and one misdemeanor count of using a computerized communication system. He was sentenced in July to 18 months probation and fined $1,000.

"My legal situation put me in a bit of a financial bind, but I'm getting ready to make another payment, and I'll just keep plugging away," he said.

Racine County Treasurer Jane Nikolai said residents can request a payment plan at any time but should be careful to do so by Sept. 1 or risk triggering a foreclosure action.

"Property owners can contact us for a payment plan at any point," she said. "But if there still isn't any payments made or an agreement in place by Sept. 1, then the county puts a legal lien on the property."

The lien is essentially the start of foreclosure proceedings, Nikolai added, but the county generally moves to foreclosure after two years of a homeowner not paying property taxes.