East Dundee raising water rates 10% to fund replacement of lead lines

East Dundee will raise water fees by 10% to fund capital improvement projects, including replacement of residential lead service lines.

The 2027 budget earmarks $2.1 million to switch out some of the 370 lead lines that need to be replaced. So far, the village has replaced 40 lines and is in the process of finalizing the list to be done in the coming year, Public Works Director Phil Cotter said.

Initially, staff had asked for a 20% increase, but that was rejected by the East Dundee Village Board as being too high.

With the 10% hike, the rate will go from $10.42 per 1,000 gallons to $11.46 and generate about $115,000 a year in new revenue. A homeowner will pay $8.34 more per bimonthly billing period if they use 8,000 gallons, officials said.

“We were able to thread the needle on that,” Trustee Matt Oclon said, referring to the lower amount.

Village officials also discussed selling bonds to pay for infrastructure improvements but decided to hold off. The village has applied for loans and grants from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, according to East Dundee Financial and Administrative Services Director Brandiss West.

The proposed 2027 budget was presented at a recent public hearing and is expected to be approved by the board on Nov. 16. The spending plan calls for $25.63 million in expenditures, $19.49 million in revenue, and the use of budget reserve money to close the gap. No cuts to services will be made.

West said the village will still have surplus money available for emergency situations.

“We’ve been pretty consistent with our revenues,” she said. “We’re doing pretty good at staying within our (budget).”

Under the new budget, which goes into effect Jan. 1, nonunion employees are to receive a 3% cost of living adjustment and a 2% merit increase.

The village plans to hire a community service officer and an assistant public works director and is searching for a new village administrator. It’s also putting aside $13,000 for the next phase of a documentary detailing East Dundee’s history, West said.

The East Dundee Police Department’s budget includes $14,000 to enroll in Kane County’s Office of Emergency Management program for emergency training. “It will help us be better prepared for any major occurrence,” West said.

There also will be a projected 20% increase in QuadCom fees beginning May 1, which coincides with the village of Carpentersville withdrawing from the 911 emergency dispatch center it co-founded.

Among the $2.1 million earmarked for capital projects is $1.1 million for the annual street improvement program; $50,000 for new gateway and downtown signs; $72,800 for preliminary engineering for a sidewalk from Roslyn Road to Carpentersville Middle School; $50,000 for consultants to write grants; $50,000 for Fox River shoreline improvements; and $208,000 for events, including Motor Mondays, Wind Down Wednesday, Thirsty Thursdays, Concerts in the Park, Oktoberfest, Dickens in Dundee and St. Patrick’s Day parades.

The village has also set aside $8,500 for a Halloween event. This year’s inaugural “Echoes of the Forgotten Passengers” was a success and drew a larger crowd than anticipated, officials said.

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The (Elgin) Courier-News.