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Council hears SSA shortfall for Plum/Howard; staff says extension will recover remaining balance without interest
Summary
At a public hearing over Special Service Area (SSA) 90 (Plum Street/Howard Avenue), staff said a drop in assessed value left an $11,315 shortfall on 2004 curb-and-sidewalk work; proposed short extension would collect the remainder with no interest and likely end in 2–3 years.
During a public hearing on Special Service Area 90 (Plum Street/Howard Avenue), the city’s CFO explained that the SSA, created in 2004 to finance curb, gutter and sidewalk work ($126,250), has collected about $114,934 to date because the taxable base declined during several levy years, leaving approximately $11,315 outstanding.
Chris Minnick, the city’s CFO, told council the ordinance establishing SSA 90 limited the tax rate to 57 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation; when the EAV fell between 2012 and 2017, revenues dropped to roughly $4,000–$5,500 some years and the shortfall arose. Minnick said the proposed ordinance would extend the SSA long enough to collect the remaining amount—he estimated that would take about two to three years—and that the SSA is interest-free: “We are not actually asking for any additional funds,” he said, and “this particular special service area is interest free.”
Residents at the hearing asked whether homeowners could prepay their portion (staff said Illinois SSA law does not allow prepayment because the charge is an ad valorem tax) and requested details about which properties were included (staff estimated 50–60 properties in council questions; one resident said her notice listed 38 homes). Janet Biondo and others questioned what “special and unique” work had been performed and sought guarantees the council would not continue taxing beyond the needed period.
Council took public testimony and then closed the SSA 90 hearing by roll call (12–0). Council members asked staff to supply the exact property list and to post the supporting detail in the agenda packet. Several related SSA expansion hearings (Lincoln Crossing South; Del Webb Phase 3) were opened, heard and closed the same night with no substantive testimony leading to further action; staff noted that some dormant stormwater SSAs typically move forward on consent at a later meeting.
The hearing clarified the SSA’s purpose, the legal limit on the tax rate in the original ordinance and that staff expects the extension will amortize the remaining balance without imposing interest on homeowners.
