As Schaumburg board endorses $224 million capital plan, mayor suggests electricity tax

Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly on Tuesday suggested the possibility of establishing a modest electricity tax in the new year to cover the costs of improving the village’s electrical infrastructure.

“All the communities around us have an electricity tax and are looking at doing these things I think we’re behind on,” Dailly said.

He cited the increased demands on the electrical supply as people buy more electric devices — even vehicles. Protecting those resources from severe weather by burying more overhead power lines could be a place to start, he added.

But Dailly emphasized his idea is separate from the $224.3 million, five-year capital improvement village trustees endorsed Tuesday night. The plan addresses infrastructure including roads, water and sewer utilities, village buildings and bikeways.

Two of the bigger building projects being considered for the next five years are a new village hall on the site of the current 50-year-old facility, and a new police station on a different location from the existing 47-year-old building.

Williams Architects of Itasca is working on a $60,000 contract to further refine the village’s options.

Assistant Village Manager Paula Hewson said more design work for both projects is expected in the next budget year, but more details are needed — including identification of funding sources — before specific construction dates are approved.

A new village hall is estimated to cost $55 million and a new police station about $110 million. Both current facilities have been deemed undersized and inadequate for present and future operations.

The plan also includes a proposed pedestrian bridge over Meacham Road. It would connect the planned entertainment district anchored by Andretti Indoor Karting & Games next to the Schaumburg Convention Center and Renaissance Hotel and the Veridian development across Meacham.

The capital plan proposes $2.1 million be spent next year on land acquisition and preliminary design engineering for the bridge. Construction is anticipated a few years beyond that.

The plan’s detailed proposals for next year are expected to become more specific when the annual budget is reviewed and approved by the village board in April, Hewson said.

The plan looks at the needs of the next five years generally, and details the $62.5 million in projects proposed for the next fiscal year, which begins May 1. The village expects $6.2 million in grants to help fund next year’s projects, and $42.1 million over the five years.