Lombard likely increasing taxes after freeze last year

Property taxes will likely be going up slightly next year in Lombard, after the village board debated whether the tax levy should be increased after it was frozen last year.

According to village staff members, increasing the levy by about $97,000 would amount to an extra $3.11 a year in village taxes for the owner of a $250,000 home.

Final approval will take place next month, but the board voted 4-2 to increase the levy, which would total more than $8.7 million. Money from the increase would be put into reserves for future needs, such as pension obligations or capital projects. Trustees Peter Breen and Laura Fitzpatrick voted no.

Breen said he thought freezing the tax levy last year showed that the village "rejected the culture of automatic tax increases that have both plagued our government and other local governments." He also noted that the village is still "reaping very substantial savings" from an early retirement program that cancels out the need to increase the levy.

"This board's power to tax the people should be exercised with the greatest of care," he said. "We shouldn't increase the taxes unless there is a specific, identifiable need to do so."

Fitzpatrick said she doesn't support the levy because she is worried about taxpayers, whom she believes are still struggling and getting back on their feet after the economic downturn.

"I'm more concerned about them this year than I am about the state of the village, which is exceptionally financially sound," she said.

"When you're putting more money in your reserves at some point you're hoarding the people's money," she added. "There's times when you have money you're not using and the people don't have money. That's something the government should not do."

But Trustees Mike Fugiel and Bill Ware said they're worried about the negative effect not approving the tax levy could have in the future.

Fugiel said last year's tax freeze saved him only $1.22. He said he voted against it and supported the levy again this year, he said, because people living in his district are worried about flooding, tree replacements and capital improvements.

"I'm not really in favor of the compounding effects of the loss (of tax dollars), where we could be using those dollars to expedite some of those projects, and ultimately save some dollars," he said.

Trustee Reid Foltyniewicz said he was happy the village was able to provide relief last year, but he couldn't support a freeze again.

"I believe we'd be irresponsible to vote for it two years in a row," he said. "I was all for it last year, but I think there's a lot of unknowns, and known challenges, that face Lombard and I just don't want to take the chance of disservicing our community by passing the buck to future board members, future presidents to have to worry about."