Berwyn tax increase

[Ted]

  http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/berwyn/homepage/x1772961143

City Council to propose 5 percent property tax increase

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By Kristen Zambo, kzambo@mysuburbanlife.com
Berwyn Life
Mon Nov 24, 2008, 11:27 PM CST
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Berwyn, IL -

   With the economy grinding through a recession and Berwyn officials already having thinned city staff through layoffs and a hiring freeze, residents may face a tax increase next year. City Council members agreed Monday night to propose a 5 percent property tax increase, and host a public hearing on the issue next month. Some said it may spell the difference between a balanced budget and one bleeding red ink.

John Wysocki, the city's finance director, said he is drafting the 2009 budget – and is trying to "make it as bare-bones" as possible. But with trouble maintaining a balanced budget this year, and projected shortfalls in revenues and increases in expenses next year, some city officials said more taxes may be the only way to keep up.

"It's been a nightmare trying to figure out this budget this year," Wysocki said. "We've got to either figure out something to cut from this budget..."

"Or a 6 percent property tax increase," Alderman Thomas Day, 5th Ward, interjected.

City Council members plan to host a public hearing Dec. 23 on the proposed 5 percent property tax increase.

Mayor Michael O'Connor said that as a home-rule community, Berwyn council members aren't required to host a public hearing on raising property taxes unless they seek more than a 5 percent increase. But he suggested the hearing to gain input from property owners.

Alderman Mark Weiner, 3rd Ward, said the increase would spell another $200 to $250 added to property tax bills for the owners of a home valued at $200,000.

Wysocki said "with a 5 percent property tax increase, the budget is roughly balanced."

Alderman Santiago "Jim" Ramos, 2nd Ward, asked if they really were considering raising property taxes after they raised the rate 5 percent on this year's tax bills.

"Unfortunately the economy at this point sucks," O'Connor said.

The 2009 budget being drafted includes a 4 percent salary increase for union workers in the Public Works Department, which is called for in 2009 according to their existing contract, Wysocki said. And it includes money to hire three more police officers. O'Connor said the police force is short three officers, which they have not hired this year to save costs.

He told aldermen that the department has 12 officers out on worker's compensation after they were injured, some suffering on-the-job injuries, and some becoming injured while off duty. This shortage also results in greater expense through overtime costs, O'Connor added.

Council members also are debating whether to impose a litter tax on restaurants, increase vehicle sticker prices and increasing the gasoline tax.

"What it comes down to is does the council have the stomach to raise taxes or not? We have to make a decision by the end of December," O'Connor said. "If we don't raise it, we're gonna have to make service cuts somewhere."

[OakParkSpartan]

Did they approve the 3.5% salary increase for non-union workers last night?

They rehired all the PW workers they laid off.

They don't seem to understand that they need to reduce spending.

[Ted]

Did they approve the 3.5% salary increase for non-union workers last night?

They rehired all the PW workers they laid off.

They don't seem to understand that they need to reduce spending.

  Brian, you read my mind.  I was thinking the same thing. I would have hoped that there would have been some serious discussion of cost cutting  before a tax increase had been proposed.

[Nazerac]

I am mostly concerned with the staffing of the police force.   In this economy, we will not be able to escape additional crimes and taxation anyway.  If the 5% increase ($15-20) a month for most houses ensures that our police force is adequatly staffed and prepared is worth it.  I also think that an increase in city sticker fees would be a good idea.  I think that we should even revamp the whole sticker prices, including a day/night permits, car/truck permit and sell visitor passes for overnight guests.

Cars:  $55.00 for day permit
        $75.00 for night permit

Trucks (over a certain weight):  $75.00   for day permit
                                             $100.00 for night permit

The night/day permits will push people to clean up their garages and start using them as garages, not ad hoc storage.  Trucks use more resources, and need to pay their fair share.


I think that all of the above should be in conjunction with some serious cost cuttings.   

[watcher]

I am mostly concerned with the staffing of the police force.   In this economy, we will not be able to escape additional crimes and taxation anyway.  If the 5% increase ($15-20) a month for most houses ensures that our police force is adequatly staffed and prepared is worth it.  I also think that an increase in city sticker fees would be a good idea.  I think that we should even revamp the whole sticker prices, including a day/night permits, car/truck permit and sell visitor passes for overnight guests.

Cars:  $55.00 for day permit
        $75.00 for night permit

Trucks (over a certain weight):  $75.00   for day permit
                                             $100.00 for night permit

The night/day permits will push people to clean up their garages and start using them as garages, not ad hoc storage.  Trucks use more resources, and need to pay their fair share.


I think that all of the above should be in conjunction with some serious cost cuttings.   

$25 a year for a 24/7 parking place?!?!? There might be a good place to start reconciling revenues. $500 for a 24/7 sticker would be an incentive to get cars
in the garages where they belong and would still be a bargain for 24/7 parking.

[Nazerac]

I am mostly concerned with the staffing of the police force.   In this economy, we will not be able to escape additional crimes and taxation anyway.  If the 5% increase ($15-20) a month for most houses ensures that our police force is adequatly staffed and prepared is worth it.  I also think that an increase in city sticker fees would be a good idea.  I think that we should even revamp the whole sticker prices, including a day/night permits, car/truck permit and sell visitor passes for overnight guests.

Cars:  $55.00 for day permit
        $75.00 for night permit

Trucks (over a certain weight):  $75.00   for day permit
                                             $100.00 for night permit

The night/day permits will push people to clean up their garages and start using them as garages, not ad hoc storage.  Trucks use more resources, and need to pay their fair share.


I think that all of the above should be in conjunction with some serious cost cuttings.   

$25 a year for a 24/7 parking place?!?!? There might be a good place to start reconciling revenues. $500 for a 24/7 sticker would be an incentive to get cars
in the garages where they belong and would still be a bargain for 24/7 parking.

Or $50 and $150.  You want it to be inexpensive enough for some people to buy (and increase revenues), and a bit too expensive for some people who would choose the put their cars in their garages.   If you get 5,000 people to choose street parking for at least one of their cars, that's an extra $500,000  !!!  Of course, the people affected the most will be renters.

[Ted]

FYI, an increase in the parking sticker fee was proposed and it was voted down by the city council.

  Also, in reading the Berwyn Life today, it looks like Berwyn Township is asking for a 5% increase for the mental heatlh district.  Hearing will be on December 8 at 5:30 PM at the township hall on East avenue and 26th street.

[Nazerac]

They have changed their mind in the past ... ask the Buonauros

[Hogzilla]

FYI, an increase in the parking sticker fee was proposed and it was voted down by the city council.

  Also, in reading the Berwyn Life today, it looks like Berwyn Township is asking for a 5% increase for the mental heatlh district.  Hearing will be on December 8 at 5:30 PM at the township hall on East avenue and 26th street.

I may need that service if I keep reading BTF. 

[Ted]

FYI, an increase in the parking sticker fee was proposed and it was voted down by the city council.

  Also, in reading the Berwyn Life today, it looks like Berwyn Township is asking for a 5% increase for the mental heatlh district.  Hearing will be on December 8 at 5:30 PM at the township hall on East avenue and 26th street.

I may need that service if I keep reading BTF. 

  I've often wondered why we need to pay taxes for a mental health district or a tuberculosis sanitarium.  Where does that money go to?

  But, looking at my tax bill, a 5% increase in the mental health district tax amounts to $1.40,  which is probably why people don't get upset by it.

  A 5% increase for Berwyn property taxes would result in around a $60 increase per year.

  Ted

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

Did they approve the 3.5% salary increase for non-union workers last night?

They rehired all the PW workers they laid off.

They don't seem to understand that they need to reduce spending.

When the income in my home is not enough to pay the bills what will I do if I can't find a way to increase income.  Cut what I spend even if it means harder times.  Why can't the city understand this?

Of course there's always the option to increase the cost of vehicle stickers.  While I realize it may not offset all the deficit it's something that will have an impact.  The leaders in this town need to realize you can't just keep on raising taxes without trying to find other ways to increase revenue.

[Rizzo]

Operating the city is a greater challenge than a household budget.  We can do some things at home to "cut back" cancel Cable TV, buy cheaper cuts of meat, turn down the thermostat, etc.

What city service would you cut?  The tax increase from the city was unavoidable.  Too bad it was not done in smaller bites. 

   

[Berwyn Patsy]

Yes, times are scary and money, jobs are scarce these days---but on the
bright side increasing taxes as was said before might turn out to be the saving grace
of Berwyn.
Raising taxes may help stabilize and improve the area.  Times maybe tough ahead, but in
the long run will it be worth it?

[berwynres]

Isn't it interesting that the city selected December 23rd to have the town meeting?  How many citizens will have time to sit through one of the administration's kangaroo courts two days before Christmas?  Looks like they are doing all they can to ensure a low turnout.  No surprises there.

If I don't have money to pay my expenses, I have to cut back.  So should the city.  Reduce hours and don't fill vacant positions.  It is that easy.  One less cop or fire fighter per shift won't make that much difference.  For the most part, half the time the cops are doing nothing more than sitting in their cars talking to each other.

[Shelley]

Did the city save any $ because of the mayor's lay-offs (opposed by DCOB?)?  It was reported that the Public Works employees were hired back.  Is that because the mayor bowed to the unions or was unwilling to follow through with the service cuts the layoffs would cause?  Were the other city employees (library?) hired back? 

Would the unions have any power to prevent service cuts that were necessary.  For example, if Berwyn were to cut street sweeping to once every other week (instead of once per week), would that mean less need for public works?  How often do other municipalities street sweep?   I think in Elmhurst it is once monthly for residential and weekly for the main arteries.  It wouldn't be ideal, but I'd prefer to keep the cops over the street sweepers.  Maybe Berwyn already sweeps less often than weekly, but keeps the parking restrictions in place to be less confusing?

Shelley

[Nazerac]

...  One less cop or fire fighter per shift won't make that much difference.  For the most part, half the time the cops are doing nothing more than sitting in their cars talking to each other.

I'd pay an extra 10% in my taxes to have a cop sit in his or her car on my block and do nothing.  As for sweeping the streets, it depends on where you're at.  I am constantly picking BK cups, junk food wrappers and other crap from the front of my house (and beyond.)

[OakParkSpartan]

...  One less cop or fire fighter per shift won't make that much difference.  For the most part, half the time the cops are doing nothing more than sitting in their cars talking to each other.

I'd pay an extra 10% in my taxes to have a cop sit in his or her car on my block and do nothing.  As for sweeping the streets, it depends on where you're at.  I am constantly picking BK cups, junk food wrappers and other crap from the front of my house (and beyond.)

Same here.

[Bonster]

As for sweeping the streets, it depends on where you're at.  I am constantly picking BK cups, junk food wrappers and other crap from the front of my house (and beyond.)

other crap

[AngieBear68]

Did the city save any $ because of the mayor's lay-offs (opposed by DCOB?)?  It was reported that the Public Works employees were hired back.  Is that because the mayor bowed to the unions or was unwilling to follow through with the service cuts the layoffs would cause?  Were the other city employees (library?) hired back? 

Would the unions have any power to prevent service cuts that were necessary.  For example, if Berwyn were to cut street sweeping to once every other week (instead of once per week), would that mean less need for public works?  How often do other municipalities street sweep?   I think in Elmhurst it is once monthly for residential and weekly for the main arteries.  It wouldn't be ideal, but I'd prefer to keep the cops over the street sweepers.  Maybe Berwyn already sweeps less often than weekly, but keeps the parking restrictions in place to be less confusing?

Shelley

To say the entire DCOB opposed the cuts is a pretty big generalization Shelly. There are some council members who opposed the cuts who are now endorsed by the Democrats, but weren't there some non-DCOB council members who also opposed the cuts? Did every single member of the IVB then support the cuts?

One possible explanation is that Mike O'Connor was worried about the political risk of laying off employees and flip flopped because he didn't have the backbone to follow through with his decision (much like many on this forum have accused other alderman of changing their votes on the Methadone issue for political reasons).

Just trying to give another perspective...

[Shelley]

To say the entire DCOB opposed the cuts is a pretty big generalization Shelly. There are some council members who opposed the cuts who are now endorsed by the Democrats, but weren't there some non-DCOB council members who also opposed the cuts? Did every single member of the IVB then support the cuts?

One possible explanation is that Mike O'Connor was worried about the political risk of laying off employees and flip flopped because he didn't have the backbone to follow through with his decision (much like many on this forum have accused other alderman of changing their votes on the Methadone issue for political reasons).

Just trying to give another perspective...

I meant opposed by the DCOB members of council who voted and spoke at that meeting and around that time.  Does anyone recall the vote count (who voted for/against) the lay-offs  and what their public statements were? 

About O'connor Flip-flopping, that is why I asked the question.  Was there a savings while those public works employees were layed-off?  Were there service cuts that were noticeable because of the lay-offs or was the city able to cope?  Were they reinstated in prep for the snow removal season?  If PW needs more staff in the winter, should we consider seasonal lay-offs during the summer months?  Or is it as simple as O'Connor failed to follow-through due to political risk.  If so, it was probably a smart move because the voters (non PW/non-union ones) will remember the original sentiment (lay-offs to save the city money and the original "yes" to methadone vote) when they go to the voting booth, at least I think they will.