Ex-Western Springs Official Questions Tax Hike

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL – A former Western Springs official this week questioned some of the spending plans that come along with a proposed property tax hike.

At Monday's Village Board meeting, former Trustee Lisa Den Besten said she fully supported two-thirds of the tax increase. But she opposed devoting the rest to sidewalks and streetscapes.

On April 1, local voters are set to decide whether to let the village go into debt by $45 million to pay for infrastructure projects.

During the board's public comments period, Den Besten said she supported the two-thirds that is going for street, water and sewer improvements.

She said the growing number of main breaks needed to be addressed. The problem, she said, could cause public works employees to become disheartened and leave for other jobs.

As for sidewalks, Den Besten disagreed with having all residents pay for them. Some taxpayers have already paid their share by installing sidewalks in front of their homes, she said.

Other residents, she said, don't want sidewalks.

"To ask them to pay for something they don't want just doesn't sit well," Den Besten said.

She also said downtown's two tax increment financing districts, or TIFs, have money available to pay for streetscape improvements in that area.

"I can't count how many times the village has promoted a new streetscape plan for downtown Western Springs, and after each streetscape project, someone seems to have suggested a new one," Den Besten said. "I don't see why streetscapes are deemed such a high priority over water mains, streets and sewers."

Trustees did not respond to Den Besten's comments.

For the owner of a $750,000 house, the proposed tax increase would amount to $345 a year over a decade, which works out to $29 a month. That's in addition to a total property tax bill of roughly $16,000, according to the village.