Village leaders steer TID extension money toward lead service lines rather than streetlight charge

Trustees at the Committee of the Whole meeting signaled consensus to use the 25 percent portion of TID 1 extension funds to support lead service-line replacement work rather than to offset the new streetlight charge.

Background: When the village extended TID 1 it set aside up to 25 percent of the extension’s incremental revenue for improving the housing stock. Village staff and trustees debated whether that "25 percent" bucket could legally be used to offset the streetlight charge. Village Attorney Christopher Baer advised caution: he said the attorney’s discussions with the Department of Revenue and statutory language create ambiguity and that lead lateral replacement more clearly "improves the housing stock." Several trustees said lead lateral replacement is a pressing and defensible use of the available funds.

Why it matters: Applying the TID 25-percent allocation to lead service lines would direct the one-time TID resource to a high-priority infrastructure need tied to public health and water quality. Trustees said they prefer a defensible legal position on the permitted uses of TID extension funds.

Next steps: Staff will evaluate how using TID extension funds for lead lateral work would align with ongoing projects and the 2026 budget, and report back to the board. Some trustees said they would support moving forward with lead-lateral spending and agreed the attorney should continue investigating the legal implications for other possible uses.

What trustees said: Trustee Rusty Ersink called lead-lateral replacement "probably the most pressing sort of issue at this moment." Trustee Matt McGovern said he was reluctant to go against the village attorney’s opinion and supported using the funds for lead laterals.

No formal vote was taken; staff will return with options for board action.