Compromise on Mt. Prospect tax levy has its critics

When the Mount Prospect village board votes in two weeks on the tax levy, two trustees are likely to vote no - but for different reasons.

On Dec. 16, the village board will vote on a $17 million levy to be collected in 2015, an increase of 2.48 percent. That is a compromise between the 4.42 percent originally proposed by Finance Director David Erb and the 1 percent preferred by Trustee Paul Hoefert.

At this week's village board meeting, Trustee John Korn and Hoefert said during the public hearing to discuss the levy that they would vote against it - Korn because he favors the 4.42 percent and Hoefert because he wants the 1 percent.

Korn's position is that the village could wind up asking for more money in future years if it goes with a lower figure, arguing that the village staff might not have felt a need to ask for a 4.42 percent increase if the village had not had a one-time 0 percent increase in 2010.

It remains to be seen if others will vote "No."

Trustee Richard Rogers said he preferred the 2.48 percent compromise, saying of the 1 percent, "Why take a little bit today and then get really zonked next year?"

Trustee John Matuszak, though, said he supports a 1 percent figure.

"My understanding is that with a 1 percent increase, we would be not cutting any services. We would meet all the financial obligations of the village. We will still maintain adequate reserves.

"If we can keep taxes as low as possible, we have an obligation to do that."

Erb was able to whittle down the increase by reducing the portion of the levy devoted to police pensions, adjusting sales tax revenue estimates and utilizing reserves. The pension levy will still be more than is statutorily required.

If the 2.48 percent increase is approved, Erb said the average impact to a resident owning a home with a market value of $350,000 will be an additional $27 on the village's share of the tax bill.

But because of the assessment process, the impact can vary. Resident Jerry Boldt said that when the village had a 0 percent increase in 2010, his bill to the village still went up by $96. He was critical of Korn's desire to hold fast to a 4.42 percent tax increase, suggesting his "barbershop business must be doing exceptionally well."

Korn responded that he will be more than glad to show Boldt his books, noting that he is paying $26,000 a year in rent, and has weeks when he shows no profit. "Yet he seems to think that he's on a fixed income and I'm not. I wish I was on a fixed income because I have had weeks in a row where I take home zero dollars."