On Monday, August 5, 2024, the Village Board of Trustees reviewed the results of the Property Tax Referendum survey. After thorough deliberation and careful consideration of resident feedback, the Board voted to proceed with a proposal for a property tax levy increase referendum to be included on the November ballot. The decision was made with a 5-to-2 vote in favor.
Listening to Residents and Responding to Concerns
The Board and staff place great importance on the input from our residents and took significant care in reviewing the responses from the community survey. The insights gained from the responses were considered alongside our operational needs with the goal of minimizing the financial impact on residents.
As a result, several modifications were made to staff’s original request for $1,348,600:
- Staff Wage Adjustments: A 5% reduction to the requested staff wage adjustments, lowering the proposal $27,000.
- Reallocation of Funds: $21,500 was reallocated from existing part-time wages.
- Administrative Support Pay Adjustment: Pay and benefits for the proposed Administrative Support staff member was reduced by $11,700.
- Public Works Support: The $64,400 proposal to add 2,000 hours of Public Works labor was omitted.
- Public Safety Considerations: The recommendation to add 2 police officers, at a cost of $297,500, was eliminated.
- Fire Department Incentives: The request for $77,000 for paid-on-call and intern incentives in the fire department was removed.
Despite these changes, the proposal maintains three critical elements:
- Replenishment of Budget Shortfall & Inflation Adjustment: $261,000 was allocated to cover the 2024 budget shortfall and the increases in non-compensation operating expenses.
- Staff Wage Adjustments: $503,500 was allocated to adjust staff wages and benefits to enable more competitive compensation.
- Administrative Support: $85,000 was allocated for the addition of an Administrative Support position.
These adjustments aim to balance our community’s needs with fiscal responsibility, reducing the total proposed tax increase to $849,500.
