Glen Ellyn residents talk tax hike

Glen Ellyn Public Library officials moved closer to receiving the $3 million they say they need to repair and modernize the facility, but not before residents voiced complaints about another tax increase.

Audience members at a public hearing Monday told library board President Larry Stein that this was not the time to increase their taxes, as residents are struggling with unemployment and lower home values.

"We can't take another hit," said Glen Ellyn resident Laverne Street. "There's a lot of people who can't afford more payments."

The bonds are expected to be issued within the next couple of months and would be repaid over an 11-year period.

The village also talked about its tax levy, which included a 1.2 percent increase for the village and about a 16 percent increase for the library. The library's portion would establish a maintenance fund.

Resident Janiece Waters said the library should have fixed its problems sooner.

"I understand the situation, but it didn't come about in the 15th year," she said. "It should have been addressed earlier. The timing is ill-advised."

But resident Bob McClow agreed with the library and said the investment would be well-worth it.

"I think it's ludicrous to throw away a $10 million building because we don't want to spend $3 million to fix it," he said.

The library will use the money to make repairs that Stein says have been needed since the library was built in 1995.

"We wish we didn't have to do this right now," Stein said at the meeting. "But this is a real problem."

During the last couple of years, Stein said, the library has spent roughly $300,000 to make repairs. The money usually comes from a general cash fund, as the library board has never established a maintenance fund for the building. They hope to rectify that with the levy.

"We have been very fortunate," Stein said. "It was a budgetary concern for many years. It has constrained us."

The library has held several public meetings and Stein said the majority of the attendees agreed that it needs the repairs. He has said that problems that exist were a result of an effort of the original library board to keep costs down.

Litigation against the original builders is no longer an option, Stein said, because the library board decided it would end up being too costly.

Not all trustees agreed with the village's decision to move forward. Trustee Pete Ladesic said the original building had already been funded by taxpayers.

"I don't feel it's right to go to the well again to pay for others' mistakes," he said.