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Beecher Village Board Actions
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Terry Gatlin
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Beecher Herald
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August 28, 2008
Referendum for Public Works Building
At the Beecher Village Board meeting Monday, discussion continued on the issuing of $1,100,000 in general obligation bonds. The matter will be discussed in two public hearings at the October 13 and October 27 board meetings.
During these public meetings, which will be held from 7 to 8 p.m., the architect will present the plans for the $1,100,000 building. The new public works building is proposed to be built on village land south of the Washington Township Center on Indiana Avenue.
According to Village Administrator Bob Barber, the architect has been instructed to keep the cost of the building within the proposed budget. In fact, Barber mentioned that the cost of the building should be under $1,000,000. The question that will be on the November 4 ballot, at the general election, will state the following:
"Shall bonds in the amount of $1,100,000 be issued by the Village of Beecher, Will County, Illinois, for the purposes of constructing, furnishing and equipping a new public works facility at a site to be located in the Village and renovating roads, water and sewer systems within the Village and for the purpose of paying the costs thereof, bearing interest at a rate not to exceed 9% per annum?"
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The approval of the bond issue does not mean the village has to build a $1,100,000 building. It means that the citizens can authorize the village to issues this amount in bonds. If the building will cost less, then the additional funds could be used for road improvements and water and sewer systems.
The current bond issue, on which the village is paying, will be paid off next year. This means, that if a new bond issue is approved by the voters, there will be no additional taxes imposed on village residents.
Village trustees voted unanimously to hold the two public hearings. If, as a result of the hearings, the question on the ballot needs to be revised, that will be the decision of the trustees.
The village proposes to make information available to the residents concerning this ballot issue. There will be more information in future issues of this newspaper.
Public Hearing for Tax Increase
At Monday's board meeting, the trustees voted unanimously to authorize a public hearing on Tuesday, November 24, on a proposed property tax levy for 2008, collectible in 2009. This is just an increase for the village and not for Washington Township. It also does not affect what other taxing bodies will propose.
The levy is 19.99 percent, based on the Washington Township assessor's office, which predicts a 13 percent increase in the assessed value of property throughout the township. This proposed levy, according to Barber, "will be more than sufficient to capture all of the new additions to the tax rolls, while keeping all existing property being taxed at a rate at or below a 3.4 percent increase, which is the projected cost of living.
"Even with the proposed levy increase," said Barber, "the village property tax rate is expected to decrease from 0.5202 to 0.5092, which means the village property tax on a $235,000 market value home would decrease by $8.54, from $403.42 to $394.88. These are only estimates.
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