Maywood trustees split after finance director recommends 5% tax-levy increase; 0% motion fails

At a Dec. 1 public hearing, the Village of Maywood Board of Trustees heard a presentation from Finance Director Lanya Satchell on the proposed 2020 real-estate tax levy and the village’s budgets. Satchell outlined her office’s recommendation that the levy reflect a 5% increase for the 2020 tax year.

Trustee N. Booker moved to introduce a 0% tax-levy increase for consideration; Trustee M. Lightford seconded. The motion failed on a 3–4 roll call vote (Ayes: Trustees A. Sanchez, M. Lightford, N. Booker; Nays: Mayor Edwenna Perkins, Trustees I. Brandon, M. Jones, K. Wellington). Following the vote, Trustee I. Brandon moved — and Trustee M. Jones seconded — to hold a special Finance Committee meeting before the board’s Dec. 15 meeting and to accept the Village Attorney’s recommendation for additional review; that motion carried 4–3.

The board recessed into the Truth-in-Taxation hearing at 7:23 p.m. and called the hearing to order at 7:24 p.m.; the hearing included questions from trustees and public comment. Several residents and local businesses submitted comments by Zoom or email; Clerk Viola Mims read the submitted comments into the record. No final levy ordinance was adopted at the Dec. 1 session; the board voted to place “An Ordinance of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Maywood, Cook County, Illinois providing for the Levy, Assessment and Collection of Taxes for the Year 2020” on the Dec. 15, 2020 board agenda for final action.

Mayor Edwenna Perkins closed the public portion of the meeting with a theme for the evening, stating, "A shift is coming; things are changing in our favor, when the people get a mind to work." The board reconvened the Special Board Meeting at 9:03 p.m. and continued other agenda business. The Finance Committee was tasked with additional review of levy and budget matters before the Dec. 15 meeting.