The Shocking Truth About Our Water and Sewer Fund Surplus
For years, our community has been grappling with some of the highest property taxes in the area, and yet, many of us are still struggling to make ends meet. But here’s something that should make your blood boil: the village is sitting on over $13 million in its water and sewer reserves—more than 275% of the amount needed to run the system for an entire year. To put that in perspective, our annual operating costs for the water and sewer system total just $4.87 million. Yet, the village is holding onto millions of excess funds, which raises a critical question: Why are residents paying more than necessary for these services?
The surplus is sitting there, unused, while many of us continue to pay high water bills month after month.
And it gets worse: a recently uncovered email shows the current village president asked for options to invest $20 million, money he claims the village won’t need for at least three years. While residents are burdened by excessive taxes and fees, the village is more concerned about investment options for funds they don’t even need.
Here’s the reality: These funds belong to you, the taxpayer, and they should be used to benefit the community directly, either by rebating the excess back to residents or lowering utility bills. Instead, the current administration is sitting on a huge financial surplus while we continue to struggle with rising property taxes and high utility costs. This isn’t just mismanagement, it is a total failure to recognize the needs of the community.
If elected, we will ensure that reserves are at an acceptable level and any excess would be used to lower water/sewer rates and/or be rebated to you, the taxpayer.
