Minooka trustees took a close look at the 2019 property tax levy at Wednesday’s meeting of the Minooka Village Board Committee of the Whole.
The village is requesting an increase to $2,734,000 to account for new growth. Last year, the tax levy amounted to $2,706,000.
The village’s finance committee previously discussed three scenarios to choose from, and trustees have narrowed it down to one.
The village anticipates its property tax rate will drop for 2019, officials said.
A vote on the property tax levy is expected at the village board’s December meeting.
Also at the meeting, a majority of the trustees continued to stand by their position of expressing readiness to opt out of allowing recreational marijuana sales in town. The village board reviewed an ordinance drafted by staff to ban it.
A public hearing on this topic is scheduled for next week at Minooka Village Hall.
Not every trustee is opposed to the sale of recreational marijuana in town. Trustee Barry Thompson has said he is in favor of regulation, not prohibition.
Recreational marijuana sales become legal in the state of Illinois beginning Jan. 1, 2020.
The village board is expected to vote to opt out of allowing it in town as early as Nov. 26. Should trustees need more time to reflect after allowing for public input, a decision could be postponed until December.
In other developments, residents are wanted for the village’s new forestry commission.
The village’s newsletter, which will be published next week, includes an invitation to apply.
Those interested will be tasked with working on an urban forestry management plan, which is a new initiative that the village has enlisted professional services for.
Ryan Anderson, public works superintendent for the village, had this to say.
In a related development, the village recently received two grants to help pay for tree maintenance and plantings.
The village wants to have the forestry commission created in January of 2020.