Warrenville tax plan could cut into community grants

Warrenville for years has set aside $200,000 annually to help pay for community events, including farmers markets, art shows and free summertime concerts.

Now some are worried that many of those activities could disappear if the city adopts a proposal to suspend its hotel-motel grant program to help raise money for road repairs and other capital projects.

“The biggest concern is what impact this will have on our quality of life,” said Dorothy Deer, president of Warrenville in Bloom, a group that received a $21,000 grant this year for citywide beatification efforts. “The grants have generated such wonderful projects.”

Suspending the grants is one part of a multifaceted tax plan that the city council is considering to generate enough new revenue to address a projected $1 million deficit in the city's capital improvement program.

The full council this week got its first look at the proposal, which calls for a 3 percent natural gas utility tax, a 2 percent electric utility tax and a 2-cents-per-gallon local gasoline tax. In addition to the three new taxes, Warrenville would increase the rate of its telecommunications tax from 4 percent to 6 percent.

But it's the possible suspension of the hotel-motel tax grant program that has Alderman Leah Goodman most concerned.

“Perhaps tweaks still will be made to save at least some of that program,” Goodman said Wednesday. “I think they (grant recipients) play a valuable part in our community.”

Warrenville's annual Fourth of July and Summer Daze events would continue to receive tourism funding if the tax proposal is adopted later this summer. Still, Deer said she believes smaller events, including Concerts on the Commons, are important.

“To have a free concert every week, how wonderful is that?” Deer said. “This is what makes us special and unique.”

With the application process for next year's grants starting soon, Mayor David Brummel said the council needs to decide on whether to continue the grants. Aldermen also could choose to reduce the amount parceled out.

In the meantime, Brummel said everyone on the council agrees something must be done to address the $1 million deficit in the capital improvement plan. Most of the roughly $1.9 million a year Warrenville spends on capital projects is devoted to roads, sidewalks, storm sewers and streetlights.

“We don't have enough revenue to do what we need to do,” Brummel said.

City Administrator John Coakley said the next step is a July 14 public input meeting, where officials will talk to residents individually and try to answer their questions.

And for the next few months, officials will provide updates and information about the tax proposal during council meetings.

“We want feedback and input on what people think of the proposal,” Coakley said. “We also want to continue to inform and educate everyone about what we're trying to.”