Emerald ash borer, flood relief project slated for Bartlett budget
Spending in Bartlett is on the rise as the village replaces thousands of trees infested by the emerald ash borer.
The proposed 2014-15 budget is expected to climb to almost $57.5 million, representing a more than 2 percent increase over the last fiscal year.
The emerald ash borer - a destructive beetle native to Asia - continues to wreak havoc on trees across the suburbs. In Bartlett, the tiny bug has hit the village with big costs - expected to reach a total of $1.3 million over four years.
The village's response to the pest is one of the major projects driving the spending growth, officials say.
Bartlett is heading into the second year of cutting down infected trees and replacing them with more diverse varieties. In the 2015 and 2016 fiscal years, the village plans to plant 2,000 trees.
"We've got a lot ahead of us," village Administrator Valerie Salmons said.
The budget also calls for sinking about $5 million into a long-awaited project designed to alleviate flooding on the village's north side. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is awarding a $3.8 million grant to reimburse the village for 75 percent of the project's cost.
Construction should begin in the fall in an area where homes sustained extensive flood damage in September 2008.
As for the revenue side, fees for village services account for a quarter of Bartlett's earnings.
Residents will see no fee hikes for water and sewer services, officials say. In the fall, the village also expects to reduce the property tax levy in a move reflected on the bills taxpayers receive in 2015.
The village's revenues have stabilized after the economic downturn. Officials anticipate sales tax dollars increasing 3 percent to about $2.1 million.
"We see some signs of recovery, but we're not quite there yet," Salmons said.
The village board will resume talks on the budget with an eye toward the public works and administrative departments March 18. Trustees will approve the blueprint by May 1.