Mount Prospect creates tax for Elk Grove Township fire protection
Mount Prospect trustees Tuesday passed an ordinance establishing a new tax to fund fire protection and emergency medical services for businesses and residents formerly served by the Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District.
The special service area would raise $1 million, which will be collected starting next year from some property owners in unincorporated Elk Grove Township. It will replace the tax they had been paying to the fire protection district, which ended its operations last year.
Mount Prospect Finance Director Amit Thakkar said the ordinance will be submitted to Cook County for approval. The new taxing area will not impact village residents, he added.
The village board also approved an agreement with the Gullo Parties real estate group to ensure against double taxation, in the event that its properties south of I-90 are annexed by Elk Grove Village.
Under the agreement, the village will refund the Gullo Parties the amount levied against parcels that are annexed while they are in the taxing area. The village also agrees not to object if Gullo files to have an annexed property removed from the taxing area and to not raise the tax by more than 5%.
Trustee Augie Filippone, the only village board member to vote against the Gullo agreement, said he had issues making accommodations for a specific property owner.
“The storyline kind of writes itself: (Gullo) gets a sweetheart deal,” he said.
Village Manager Michael Cassady said the aim of the agreement is to prevent possible litigation over the special service area.
The Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District stopped providing fire and emergency medical services Oct. 1. Since then, Mount Prospect, Elk Grove and Des Plaines have been serving businesses and residents in unincorporated areas of the township, including more than 5,200 people living primarily in mobile home communities.
The area includes properties on East Higgins Road in Elk Grove Village, Elmhurst Road in Des Plaines, East Oakton Street and East Algonquin Road in Arlington Heights and South Busse Road in Mount Prospect.