Safety, Sewer System Comes At Cost For Winnetka Taxpayers

WINNETKA, IL — Residents of Winnetka can expect to see increases in utility rates, property taxes and fees under the 2025 village budget set for approval next week.

The Winnetka Village Council is due to hike monthly municipal service fees by about $39 for the average household, with officials citing economic realities and the need to continue to prioritize infrastructure upgrades and public safety.

Trustees also plan to raise the village's property tax levy by 2.95 percent.

That means an extra $100 per every $30,000 of property tax paid by Winnetka homeowners.

The money generated by the increase will cover pay raises for employees, including cost-of-living adjustments, step increases and 3.5 percent increases already negotiated in union contracts.

Nonetheless, this year's $94.25 million budget is actually 7.6 percent smaller than last year, largely as a result of the completion of stormwater improvements.

Village officials projected operating revenues will cover planned expenditures, with nearly $23 million allocated to infrastructure improvements, such as roads, sidewalks and stormwater systems.

Officials emphasized this year's property tax increase remained below both the maximum allowed by state law and the inflation rate, which the village council described as 3.4 percent in a message to the community.

In fact, while year-over-year inflation did reach 3.4 percent in March, it was just 2.6 percent in October, the most recent available Labor Department data.

Since Winnetka village officials pledged to limit property tax hikes when the town became a home rule municipality in 2005, trustees have levied a total $23.4 million less than the maximum that state law would allow, according to village staff.

This year's budget includes an additional $872,500 in public safety spending. That includes the hiring two new full-time patrol officers at a cost of $372,500 outsourcing overnight neighborhood patrols to a private security firm for $500,000, according to village staff.

"The additional patrol initiative would be intended to address safety concerns following incidents of criminal activity the Village and our neighbors experienced in the summer of 2024," councilmembers said in the joint statement. "As our public safety departments prioritize the safety and security of residents, increased support of our police department is appropriate and necessary."

At more than $9 million, the overall 2025 Winnetka Police Department budget is 8.7 percent higher than the prior year.

Meanwhile, the fire department budget rises to nearly $7.3 million, an increase of 4 percent from its 2024 level.

As for the planned rate hikes: electric rates are due to rise by 7.25 percent, water rates will increase by 10 percent, sanitary sewer rates will increase by 4.95 percent and refuse service rates will rise by 3.5 percent.

Money generated from increased water rates will finance water main replacements and the village's compliance with unfunded state mandates to replace residential lead service lines, according to village officials.

"Additionally, over the next two years, every residence and business will transition to use of new water and electric utility meters, which are environmentally friendly and less intrusive for residents, as they will not require on-site meter readings," the statement said. "The new water meters will allow for advanced leak detection and faster responses to water consumption inquiries. This infrastructure improvement should benefit our residents and businesses for many years to come."