Glen Ellyn considers library tax rate hike

Glen Ellyn property taxes will most likely increase by at least 1.2 percent after the village board approved estimates during its meeting Monday.

However, what isn't clear is how much of an increase the village will approve on behalf of the Glen Ellyn Public Library.

Library Director Dawn Bussey faced the board for the second time in a month, hoping to convince trustees to approve a tax rate increase that would help establish a permanent capital fund to be used for future facility repairs.

The library previously also had asked the village to issue $3 million in bonds for repairs to the roof, as well as other improvements. The bond measure will require voter approval.

A quick, informal poll of village board members by village President Mark Pfefferman indicated wide support by trustees for the library's tax rate request.

But one trustee said he was concerned that the increase, along with the bond request, had left some things out and were not entirely accurate.

"I'm concerned that the dollar amount estimates are extremely high," Trustee Peter Ladesic said. "The information I want to see is what kind of insurance claims are available to us."

Library board President Larry Stein said an outside consultant came up with the numbers. Much of the damage on the building has been blamed on material used during its construction in 1995. Stein said he could not speak to the board in open session about possible insurance claims the library might be entitled to if it considered future litigation.

Consultants said about $3 million in work is needed on the building, which cost $6.7 million to build.

A workshop next Monday will discuss any further modification needed to the levy before a public hearing is scheduled for the tax increase.

Stein said three public hearings held last week were mostly supportive of the plan to increase the library's tax rate from .2081 to .2515 per $100 of equalized assessed value.

"The bottom line is we have to fix these things," he said. "It's not a question of cutting staff or the fat of excess staff. These are repairs that will cost more to ignore."