Buffalo Grove trustees leary of property tax hike proposal

Buffalo Grove hasn’t raised its property tax levy in five years. That could change if the village board decides to take up a suggestion from village staff.

Finance Director Chris Black brought up a proposal to raise the tax levy to $17.4 million, an increase of $329,000 — about 1.9% — at Monday’s village board committee-of-the-whole meeting.

Village board members reacted with caution. The issue will be revisited in October.

Black explained the village has seen $38.2 million in new property growth, nearly all of it in Lake County, over the past five years.

Since the village has not increased the tax levy during that time period, “the growth in new property has effectively lowered property taxes on the village portion of the tax bill for existing property owners,” Black said.

“I don’t know if I have seen enough evidence to say we need to increase the tax levy,” Trustee Joanne Johnson said, adding that she would like to revisit the issue around the time the village holds its budget hearings.

“It’s a little early for me as a trustee to commit to an increase in the property tax levy unless we see a definite downturn in the economy that would result in lower revenues for the village or (a) decrease (in) our ability to properly fund our pensions and other services,” Johnson added.

Other trustees seemed hesitant to approve any hike as well.

“I would just like to ask that we once again get as focused as we can and see what it is we might be able to do to keep that as close to a zero dollar increase in the levy,” Trustee Andrew Stein said.

“I don’t think there has been any proof that we need one,” added Trustee Lester Ottenheimer III.

He suggested staff look into other ways to increase revenues without affecting the tax levy.