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News
Oswego lauded for holding line on taxes : News : Oswego Ledger-Sentinel : Hometown Newspaper for Oswego and Montgomery, IllinoisOswego lauded for holding line on taxes
| Kendall Tax Revolt member also asks board to rent out village hall space
| by John Etheredge
| 11/22/2012
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The Oswego Village Board received some praise this past week for its efforts to hold the line on taxes from a representative of the Kendall County Property Taxpayers Revolt (KCPTR).
KCPRT members placed an advisory referendum on the Nov. 6 ballot that asked county voters if they wanted local governmental agencies to reduce their property tax levies by 20 percent.
A total of 74 percent of the voters cast "Yes" ballots on the referendum question.
Since election day, representatives of the KCPTR have attended meetings of the Oswego School District Board and Oswegoland Park District Board and asked them to reduce their levies. At both meetings, the representatives have cited the outcome of the referendum in making their request.
Jan Alexander, an Oswego resident and KCPTR member, told the village board that the citizens' group held the referendum to get the attention of local governmental agencies.
"We didn't expect taxes would be cut 20 percent," she said.
However, Alexander said she views the village as "kind of a beacon" for other local governmental agencies when it comes to taxes and its budget.
"I think the village is acting financially responsibly and listening to the people of Oswego and I want to commend all of you on that," she told the board.
Alexander said if other taxing district's followed the village's example "that would be excellent."
She added, "I believe there is waste in all government."
Alexander, however, chastised the board for the construction of village hall. The building at 100 Parkers Mill overlooking U.S. Route 34 and Ill. Route 31 was completed at a cost of $12 million in 2008.
The building replaced the old village hall at 113 South Main Street. Village government had outgrown the old village hall and was operating out of three separate locations at the time construction started on the new hall in 2007. Anticipating the village's population one day exceeding 50,000, the prior village board had an unfinished wing constructed onto the new building that can be built out when additional office space is needed.
"I think most of the taxpayers are still reeling from the cost of the building...I mean, it's like an insult. It's a real financial eyesore," Alexander said.
She then asked the board if there was a way that portions of the building could be rented out to generate additional revenue for the village.
"Is there any way we can turn it around and make it an asset and generate some income?" she asked.
Alexander also suggested the village should seek a tenant to occupy the still vacant old village hall.
Noting that she had worked previously with Habitat for Humanity, she said the village could utilize "young people in the village" to help renovate the old village hall for a new tenant.
Village President Brian LeClercq said the village owns two other buildings in the downtown that it currently leases. Both of the buildings are on Washington Street (U.S. Route 34) just west of Main Street. One of the buildings, he said, will open as a pizza restaurant, while the other serves as the offices for the Oswego Chamber of Commerce.
LeClercq also noted that he had provided Alexander with a copy of the village's 2012-13 budget and along with an analysis of the village's property tax levy.
LeClercq said the village's population has increased 35 percent since 2008, but the number of full-time village employees has been reduced by 20 percent.
The village receives the bulk of its revenues from sales tax dollars generated in local stores and from water and sewer bills.
The village's property tax rate has been among the lowest of any governmental agency in Kendall County over the past three decades.
This year, the village's property tax rate was 14 cents for every $100 of equalized assessed valuation. Under the 14 cent rate, the owner of a home valued at $200,000 that did not claim Homestead or any other available exemptions paid $96.98 in taxes to the village this year or $8.07 per month.
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