Carpentersville weighs higher levy

What looks like bad news for taxpayers is, at the same time, a village trying to keep its income steady or at least, stem its losses.

At Carpentersville's Audit and Finance committee meeting Wednesday night, the village manager and finance director presented recommendations for next year's levy.

Last year, the village asked for and received about $10.2 million in the levy. This year, the board must decide if it wants to ask for the same amount and end up with $1.1 million less in the budget because of decreasing assessed values, or ask for a little more.

The village manager, Mark Rooney, is suggesting the board request almost $10.9 million to keep the budget losses at just more than $400,000.

Both options will mean a tax rate increase for residents.

“Are we going to reduce revenues or increase taxes? I have a feeling we're going to have to raise our tax rates, but we're not going to raise any more money,” said Ed Ritter, Carpentersville village president.

Rooney's recommendation would mean a 15 percent increase in the tax rate over last year, though that will likely not increase individual taxpayers' bills by much.

The Audit and Finance committee did not make a formal recommendation to the board, but Paul Lanspa and David High, the only two members who would not be voting on the levy as trustees, both endorsed Rooney's recommendation.

“I don't want to pay any more, but it's not egregious,” Lanspa conceded.

The board will decide on the levy at its Dec. 7 meeting where the public can comment.

To access the PowerPoint presentation with information about the village's revenues and the various levy options to be discussed by the board, residents can go to the village website at vil.carpentersville.il.us. On the home page, there is a link called “Village Board Presentation: 2011/2012 Budget.”