Barrington budget for 2020 with money for 'projects that are going to benefit the community'
Barrington will have a $36 million budget for next year that includes funding for a short road to a Metra station parking lot, new police squad cars and a water main upgrade.
Three projects, including second-phase engineering for a proposed Northwest Highway underpass at the Canadian National Railway tracks near Lake Zurich Road, will be paid with grants received by the village.
"2019 was a big year for the village and 2020 is going to bring forward a number of projects that are going to benefit the community," Trustee Jason Lohmeyer said after he and his village board colleagues approved next year's budget.
About $9.6 million has been set aside for infrastructure work and equipment purchases in 2020. Along with the engineering for the planned Northwest Highway underpass, the to-do list includes a Flint Creek restoration project and Hart Road water main reconstruction.
Money also has been budgeted for construction of an entrance from Northwest Highway into the north commuter parking lot for the downtown train station and the purchases of three police squad cars and a fire department ambulance.
A combined $4.2 million in revenue from grants will go toward the Northwest Highway underpass engineering, Flint Creek restoration and the entrance to the train station lot.
In his budget presentation, Director of Financial Services Jason Hayden noted the number of village employees has decreased, but current operations and services will be maintained in 2020. This year's retirements of several department directors led to a village staff restructuring, he said.
Barrington is projected to have 105 workers for next year, below 110 in 2018. There were 125 village employees in 2013 and 152 in 2008.
"This is kind of our effort to prepare ourselves for future economic turbulence and kind of control our operating expenditures," Hayden said.
Barrington's property tax levy increase for 2020 is projected at 2.2% for those who paid this year, provided their assessed valuation "remains relatively stable," according to Hayden's presentation.
Still, he added, the tax levy will be down by roughly 12% when compared to 2016 due to debt retirement.
An owner of a $600,000 market value home on the Cook County side of Barrington is projected to pay $897 in property tax to the village next year and $1,080 in Lake County. The typical Barrington homeowner should pay an average $13,427 in property taxes, village figures show.
Similar to other towns, about 62% of the property taxes paid by village residents go to Barrington Area Unit District 220. The village's slice of the tax bill is about 7%.