Minooka continues to see decline in tax revenue

Updated: February 1, 2013 6:09AM

The village of Minooka, like other taxing bodies in the area, will be making do with less revenue in the coming year even though its levy rate has increased slightly.

Over the past four years the village’s tax revenue has been reduced by 16.9 percent, Finance Chairman and Trustee Dennis Martin said at the December board meeting.

“Our levy in 2009 was $2,468,000. This year it will be $2,050,000,” Martin said.

Village staff calculated numerous levy rates using different assumptions, according to a report from Finance Director John Harrington.

The maximum rate they could have levied is 81.9 cents, but they set the rate at 75 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, which brings in $44,315 less than the 2011 levy, Harrington said.

Everyone has worked to maintain village finances at the current level, he said.

“Your leadership,” Martin said to Village President Pat Brennan, “has helped in maintaining village finances as they are.”

Some people in Minooka are having a rough time, Brennan said.

“Times are not good,” he said, “and we are keeping (the levy) as low as we can.”

Debt collection

While the state of Illinois has its own fiscal problems, a new program through the state comptroller’s office will help Minooka staff collect outstanding debts.

The debt recovery program approved by trustees gives the state permission to collect outstanding debts owed from lottery winnings, state garnishments or annual tax returns discovered on the state level.

The comptroller’s office will collect the money and remit it to the village. A $15 fee will be charged to the debtor.

“It doesn’t cost the village anything. It’s a service the state offers to help us collect debt,” Village Administrator Dan Duffy said. “It’s hard for villages to collect on small debts, but it adds up.”

Village staff are working with the state comptroller’s office to get the program up and running with a goal of April for it to be online.

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