LOMBARD - Thursday night, the Lombard Village Board gave final approval to its 2014 property tax levy, freezing property taxes for the first time in over 20 years in the Lilac Village. The freeze was introduced by Trustee Peter Breen, Chairperson of the Lombard Finance Committee, and passed with a 4-1 vote.
"This 2014 tax levy marks a long-overdue end to twenty consecutive years of property tax increases on the people of the Village," Breen said. "We're changing the model of government in Lombard, showing that we can deliver quality services to residents without taking more in taxes. It's time for every unit of government to end the practice of 'autopilot' property tax increases and learn to do more with less."
Just prior to the final vote, Breen read a letter of support for the property tax freeze sent by DuPage County Chairman Daniel J. Cronin.
"We share a common goal of fiscal responsibility and greater accountability to those we serve and the Village should be applauded for the number of reforms you have enacted in recent years, from removal of the vehicle sticker fee to increasing the transparency of Village operations," said Cronin in his statement. "By developing a budget that is fiscally responsible and holding the line on property taxes, you are saving Lombard residents, both today and in the future, significant dollars due to the compounding effect that increased levies have year-over-year."
The property tax freeze is the latest in a series of reforms won by Breen for the people of the Lilac Village. In 2011, Breen authored and secured passage of the strongest municipal transparency policy in the state, earning Lombard a 100% transparency rating from the Illinois Policy Institute. During his service as Acting Village President in 2012-2013, Breen initiated a line-by-line review of the Village's proposed annual budget, identifying and cutting over half a million dollars in spending without the loss of Village services, and returning those savings to taxpayers by permanently eliminating the Village's annual vehicle sticker and fee.
