Recently in City Council Category

In a close 5-4 vote Monday night, the Naperville City Council agreed to raise the property tax rate from 0.7167 percent to 0.7367 percent.

The city has in the past approved a property tax rate increase and then lowered it when assessments are released, and officials claim the same thing will happen this time. The city plans to collect more than $50.6 million in property taxes next year and only approved the higher rate in case assessments fall, to ensure city services are funded.

This is necessary because a property tax levy must be approved well in advance of the budget year's beginning.

Councilwoman Judy Brodhead said the assessment was much more important to a person's tax payment than the tax rate, but Councilman Bob Fieseler objected to a tax that is impossible for a struggling property owner to avoid, unlike a sales tax.

Still, for owners hoping a drop in property values would mean a drop in taxes, it would seem the city is planning for a way around that contingency.

What do you think? Is this just business as usual or do you object?

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/1847791,Naperville-OKs-tax-rate-hike_na102609.article

Naperville currently does not have its own sales tax, but under home rule authority, it is allowed to implement one.

However, with a projected $14.1 million budget shortfall in the 2010-2011 year, the City Council is considering adding a sales tax as an option for closing the gap.

Other options include raising property taxes, raising gas taxes, deferring road work or taking on more debt. The property tax would have to rise from 71 cents to 89 cents per $100, and road work would get more expensive if it is delayed.

Also under consideration was the reduction of the downtown food and beverage tax if a sales tax is added, as that was part of the agreement when the tax was implemented.

Do you think a sales tax is called for, or is there a better option?

The Naperville City Council recently granted a $49,050 grant to fix up the Ogden Mall, at the northwest corner of Ogden Avenue and Naperville Wheaton Road, as part of the Ogden Avenue Site Reimbursement Grant Program.

The grant funds are being used to help reimburse property owners for qualifying sign, building facade and landscape improvements made to their sites.

According to the grant application, the landscape improvements will "enhance the landscaping at the three main parkway entrances to the mall as well as throughout the perimeter." The landscaping will include installing or replacing parkway and perimeter shade trees and the parking lot will be screened with shrubs and ornamental grasses.

Do you think this is a good use of tax money? Are there other areas along Ogden Avenue you'd like to see fixed up or otherwise improved?

On Tuesday night the Naperville City Council approved a budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year. Councilmen Bob Fieseler, Richard Furstenau and Grant Wehrli voted against the plan because it includes salary increases for city employees.

City employees are slated to receive merit increases of 1.5 percent. Last month the council reduced the amount from the previously recommended 2.25 percent, saving the city $637,447 on employee raises.

Previously, the city laid off 20 employees and eliminated 23 vacant positions, saving $3.2 million. Other major areas of cost-savings are $1.8 million in the vehicle replacement fund and $1.1 million in reduction of overtime. In addition every department had to cut costs. These cuts were meant to alleviate an $11 million deficit.

With all this in mind, do you think city employees should be getting raises?

At its Wednesday night meeting, the Naperville City Council approved a one-year trial period for Joe Hornbaker to operate a hot dog cart downtown.

Hornbaker said he is willing to pay his fair share for operating a downtown business, including the food and beverage tax, and the downtown special service area tax. But the Downtown Naperville Alliance is concerned that Hornbaker will take away business from other venues and won't pay his fair share.

Do you think the hot dog cart has an unfair advantage? Do you think such a business is a valuable addition to the downtown?

The Sun recently published profiles of the candidates for Naperville City Council. What do you think of them? Talk about it here.

Here is a link to the story:
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/1494098,City-Council-candidates-priorities_na032409.article

Naperville City Councilman Richard Furstenau on Thursday was ordered by a judge to undergo a mental exam as part of his suit against several city officials.

Furstenau was arrested following an incident Jan. 1, 2006, where he was accused of shoving a police officer in a dispute over downtown parking. He was acquitted in the case in May 2007, and five months later Furstenau filed a suit contending police and city officials "mounted an orchestrated campaign to jail, silence and politically destroy" him because of positions he has taken while serving on the council, including his questions about police department spending.

Furstenau also claims in the lawsuit he has suffered persistent disturbed sleep and feelings of violation and powerlessness and is asking that he be awarded monetary damages for his alleged emotional distress.

It is this part of the suit that led to Thursday's ruling. City attorneys want to examine Furstenau to evaluate the mental distress portion of the claims.

What do you think of the recent developments in the suit, and the case in general?

Update: The city announced Monday that it has reached an agreement with Furstenau. He will drop his suit and each party will pay their own costs. The agreement will be voted on April 8.

The Sun has a story in our Friday edition about safety crossing 75th Street and the nearby roads that are experiencing more traffic due to the construction on 75th. Residents expressed outrage at Tuesday's City Council meeting because of what they say is an accident waiting to happen.

Indeed, a child was struck and injured by a construction vehicle in the area earlier this year. Speed bumps, crossing guards, rerouting traffic and more police patrols were among the suggestions. Another suggestion is a pedestrian bridge over 75th Street. Such a bridge has been in the planning stages for years but is being held up by bureaucracy.

Do you think there is a problem in the 75th Street area? What would you suggest to fix the problem?

At Tuesday's City Council meeting, Councilman Bob Fieseler raised the idea of installing surveillance cameras on Chicago Avenue in downtown Naperville.

The idea was spurred by recent incidents downtown, including one where an NCC student was Tasered, with conflicting accounts as to whether it was justified. Fieseler said the cameras could save the city time and money by allowing them to determine definitively what happened instead of conducting investigations.

Police Chief Dial supports the measure and says he thinks Naperville will need more cameras in the future.

Of course, cameras can be abused as well, and any suggestion of installing cameras always brings up the specter of Big Brother.

Do you think these cameras are a good idea, or would they be an intrusion into privacy?

On Tuesday, Naperville Mayor A. George Pradel gave his State of the City address. The full text of the address is linked to The Sun's story on this site. What did you think of what the mayor said? What is your opinion of the state of the city?