Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Finance Taxes topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Campton Hills adopts three local revenue measures to fund roads; county and state preemption concerns raised
Summary
The Village Board approved three local ordinances—an amusement tax, a simplified telecommunications tax and an electricity consumption charge—each with language directing revenue to village street maintenance; trustees debated legal risk, revenue estimates and whether to defer further vetting to the finance committee.
The Campton Hills Board of Trustees voted May 20 to adopt three local revenue measures designed to direct newly collected dollars to municipal street maintenance and repair.
Trustee Janet Berson moved the measures. Carmen (village staff) told the board the ordinances include language—added at trustees’ direction—pledging that revenue from approved levies will be deposited in a separate account and used only for the village’s municipal street system.
The board approved three items during the meeting: an amusement tax ordinance (No. 25‑17), a simplified municipal telecommunications tax (No. 25‑18) and a per‑kilowatt‑hour charge on electricity consumption (No. 25‑19). Votes were recorded in roll calls for each ordinance.
On the amusement tax (25‑17) the roll call recorded Ayes from Trustees Frank Boettner, Trustee Benetti, Trustee Muir and the board president; Trustees Burson, Mallet and Hassenberger voted Nay. The motion carried.
Trustees debated legal risk and revenue certainty before voting. Trustee Mike Mallet and Trustee Janet Berson both urged caution. Mallet said he wanted more precise financial estimates before approving new taxes and suggested the finance committee further vet numbers. Berson and other supporters said the revenue would replace lost franchise or cable receipts and should be dedicated to roads.
“I asked for some hard numbers on this,” Mallet said during debate, “and we need more clarity that the concept I’m thinking in my mind is that we’re replacing lost Comcast revenue. I need this to show me that.”
Trustee Janet Berson said the state Department of Revenue (IDOR) had been asked for revenue estimates and that some numbers remain outstanding; she also said the amusement tax is legally controversial because Illinois statute limits direct taxation of streaming services and some municipalities that apply an “amusement” structure have faced legal uncertainty.
Several trustees secured a written policy pledge. Carmen confirmed that, beyond the ordinances, staff will prepare a financial‑policy ordinance to lock revenues into a capital fund for roads if the taxes pass.
Votes on the telecommunications tax (25‑18) and the per‑kilowatt‑hour electricity charge (25‑19) also passed by roll call after discussion. The municipal utility tax on distributors (an ordinance later in the meeting, item H) was tabled for further drafting; trustees expressed concern about double taxation if suppliers pass a distribution tax to customers who would also pay consumption charges.
Trustees emphasized the earmarking: the adopted ordinances include Section 4 language specifying that collections will fund municipal street work; staff said a follow‑up financial policy ordinance will formalize that commitment.
Concerns and next steps: opponents argued the state may adopt its own services‑tax regime, which could override local measures and create complexity; supporters contended Campton Hills should collect revenue available to municipalities to maintain roads. Several trustees asked staff for IDOR estimates of likely revenue streams before the village moves to apply higher rates.
Ending: The board adopted the three ordinances with the road‑earmarking language; one related distributor utility tax was tabled for redrafting. Staff will present a financial‑policy ordinance formalizing the dedicated road fund and will provide any additional IDOR revenue estimates when available.
