Glen Ellyn mulls special tax for fire service in unincoporated area

Those living in unincorporated areas near Glen Ellyn may have to start paying for fire service - through a new tax - or risk losing all access to the volunteer department.

The village will be holding an informational meeting 7 p.m. today for the 2,000 residents who are currently served by the Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire department but don't live in town.

Glen Ellyn is proposing a maximum tax rate of 25 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation for nonresidents. For the owner of a home with a market value of $250,000, that means $200 a year would be charged for fire services. About half that rate will likely be initially applied, leaving the department room to levy more as needed in the coming years.

The initial levy is expected to bring in about $250,000, on top of the fire department's $1 million budget. If approved, it would be instituted for the 2009 tax cycle, which residents would pay in 2010.

Since it's a volunteer department, Glen Ellyn firefighters raise funds every year through voluntary contributions. Residents are asked to donate $100, and businesses are asked for $240. That usually brings in about $400,000 a year.

The village also makes up some of the revenue - about $650,000 - through taxes from Glen Ellyn residents.

However, although 15 percent of fire and ambulance calls come from unincorporated Glen Ellyn, less than 1 percent of donations are from that area, said Curt Barrett, deputy village manager.

The new taxing district, also known as a special service area, would balance out the disparity between village and unincorporated residents, Fire Chief Scott Raffensparger said.

"With rising expenses, we've basically been providing service to this area for nothing for as long as we've been in existence." he said. "A small SSA charge will make it more fair to the village."

If the SSA is not approved, Barrett said fire service from Glen Ellyn would stop in unincorporated areas, starting on Jan. 1, 2010 because the cost would be too high to keep providing services.

Barrett said the village has already talked to DuPage County about the tax; residents would be able to stop it if 51 percent of property owners and registered voters reject the notion.

The county will vote on the issue in the coming months; the village will then hold public hearings and institute the taxing area by fall.

The informational meeting will be held at the civic center, 535 Duane St., Glen Ellyn. Anyone with questions can call village hall at (630) 469-5000 or Raffensparger at (630) 469-5265.