Mundelein approves first property-tax increase in three years

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Updated: January 23, 2012 8:11AM

Mundelein village trustees voted 4-3 Monday night to approve an increase in the village’s property tax levy, the first levy increase in three years.

The board adopted the village’s 2011 tax levy of slightly more than $12.4 million, which represents an increase of 8.5 percent over last year’s extension. A portion of the total levy will be abated so the net levy increase will be closer to 3.5 percent, according to Ed Sullivan, chairman of the Village Board’s Finance Committee.

With the levy increase, it’s estimated the typical owner of a $250,000 home will pay about $35 a year more in property taxes on the village portion of the tax bill. The new levy will be used to calculate village taxes payable in 2012.

Sullivan opposed increasing the levy the previous two years, but said the village has already made substantial cuts in capital expenditures, staffing and commodities over the past two years. Given those budget cuts and declining state revenues, he felt it was necessary to raise the levy this year.

The board had voted against raising the levy the past two years.

Voting for the levy increase were trustees Sullivan, Ray Semple and Robin Meier, with Mayor Ken Kessler casting the tie-breaking vote. Voting against the levy were trustees Terri Voss, Steve Lentz and Jim Nutschnig.

Nutschnig said he opposed raising the levy because he felt there were still other areas of the budget that could be cut.

Meanwhile, Voss questioned if the levy increase was large enough, given the fact the levy hadn’t been raised the past two years and the village’s need for road and infrastructure improvements.

Lentz said the levy increase did not do enough to improve the village’s long-term financial situation, saying the village will be facing a significant deficit again next year and will have to draw deeper into village reserves.

“If we’re going to raise taxes, the residents want us to have a plan to return to fiscal health,” he said. “We just keep kicking it down the road.”

Sullivan said he does believe the village has a plan to reduce the deficit and has used village reserves the last two years to avoid raising taxes on homeowners. However, he said at some point “in order to reduce or eliminate the deficit you need more revenue.”