By Andrea Earnest | Bugle Staff
The Downers Grove Village Council held first readings for three referenda questions that the village hopes will gage residents’ feelings about possible changes to the current stormwater utility fee.
According to board documents, the village is seeking input to determine if it should continue to fund its stormwater infrastructure with a utility fee, or switch to a funding mechanism that uses property taxes or some combination of both. The village plans to budget $3.9 million for stormwater costs in 2017.
The first question asks if the village of Downers Grove should continue to fund all stormwater costs using a utility fee. The second question asks if stormwater costs should be funded using property taxes instead of the stormwater utility. The last question asks if the village should fund stormwater costs using a combination of stormwater utility fees and property taxes.
The council has discussed the possibility of referenda for several months. At the council’s June 21 meeting, commissioners settled on how the questions would be worded and decided to move forward.
Currently, the village uses a stormwater utility fee, which charges property owners a monthly fee based on the amount of impervious area, to cover stormwater management expenses. Those expenses include new stormwater storage, street sweeping, storm sewer replacement and several other expenses. In 2017, a typical home in Downers Grove would pay $126 in fees.
The last day for the council to pass a resolution regarding these questions is Aug. 22, and certifying referenda questions for the November general election must be done by Sept. 1.