Wilmette Property Tax Levy Reduced By Over 0.5% By Village Board

WILMETTE, IL — Trustees on Tuesday cut Wilmette's property tax levy for the first time in 30 years.

As part of the village's budget for the upcoming calendar year, the Wilmette Village Board voted unanimously to reduce its tax levy by 0.56 percent.

Last year's increase of 2.46 percent was the levy's lowest in two dozen years, according to village staff, and this year's reduction brings the tax levy adjustment to its lowest level in three decades. \

Village President Senta Plunkett said she was pleased the village is in a strong enough financial position to cut its share of residents' property taxes for 2023.

"We're very excited about this," Plunkett said at Tuesday's board meeting and public hearing on the budget.

"Thank you so much to all the staff that have worked so hard on this," she said. "This is really a great cap to our banner 150th year."

In 2023, the village's water rate, sewer rate, stormwater fee, refuse fee and vehicle sticker price tag will all stay the same.

But projections from village staff for show a 4.43 percent increase to the tax levy for 2024 and a 5.48 percent increase in 2025.

The stormwater fee is projected to be increased by $40 in 2024, while the refuse fee is expected to increase to $26 a month in 2024 and $28 a month in 2025.

According to a budget presentation from village staff, drawing down the village's $16.77 million general fund reserves to $14.24 million will reduce reserves from 46 percent to 35.6 percent of budgeted operating expenses, which remains above the 30 percent target.

The extra $2.53 million for the general fund provided by the reserve drawdown gives village officials flexibility for one-time projects or infrastructure plans and allows the village to fully fund road maintance, according to the presentation.

The village receives approximately 12 percent of every dollar spent in property tax, according to village staff.

The largest share of local property tax bills goes to Wilmette School District 39, which gets 38 percent of property tax paid by district residents. New Trier Township High School District 203 receives 26 percent, Cook County and other county-level taxing bodies get 15 percent, while the Wilmette Park District gets 5 percent and Wilmette Public Library receives 4 percent.

Because of the high rate of inflation, the average tax bill of $15,000 could go up by 5 percent, even as the village's proportion goes down.

The village's 2023 budget includes a 4.6 percent increase in wages and the addition of three new benefit-eligible staff positions.

There are now 228 full-time employees at the village, the most since 2008. But about half of the salary and benefit costs of one of the new permanent positions — a sustainability coordinator — will be covered by other local government entities.

The budget also includes $19.3 million in capital spending, which includes $7.4 million for road improvements and $9 million for water and sewer infrastructure.

Among the enhancements planned for the coming year: a redesign of the village website, sustainability initiatives, technology upgrades, economic development initiatives, a consultant for a housing plan, a private tree planting program, port security grant and automated license plate readers.