Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wheeling board approves consent agenda and an ordinance transferring private‑activity bond volume cap to Normal
Summary
The board approved routine consent items including technical maintenance and firefighter gear purchases and voted to transfer this year’s private‑activity bond volume cap to the Town of Normal to support the Assist homeownership program for first‑time buyers and veterans.
The Wheeling Village Board on March 16 approved the consent agenda and passed an ordinance to transfer its annual private‑activity bond volume cap to the Town of Normal for use with the Assist homeownership program, which supports first‑time buyers and veterans through mortgage interest credits and closing cost assistance.
Clerk Brady summarized consent items the board approved by a single motion: a one‑year renewal of Cisco SmartNet technical support for $86,390.67 (listed as item 11A), purchase of five sets of firefighting protective clothing for up to $26,245 (11B), an amendment to the fiscal 2025 annual budget (11C), declaration of surplus property (11D), and authorization for the village manager to enter an intergovernmental agreement for municipal leadership training (11E). The consent agenda passed on a roll call with all listed board members voting yes.
During the business portion, Mr. Smith explained that Illinois allocates annual private‑activity bond authority to local governments but Wheeling rarely issues private‑activity bonds because of eligibility requirements and limited developer demand. He said Wheeling routinely transfers its volume cap to Normal so Normal can use the allocation for the Assist program; Mr. Smith said the Assist program issues bonds that allow mortgage credit certificates and can provide down‑payment and closing cost assistance. He told trustees that at least 50 certificates were issued statewide over the past year and that some were used by Wheeling residents, although an exact Wheeling count was not provided.
Trustees moved, seconded and approved the ordinance to transfer the volume cap by roll call; the transcript records all voting members as voting yes. The board also approved payment of bills for Feb. 25–Mar. 11, 2026 by roll call, and adjourned the meeting with no executive session scheduled.
A resident during public comment raised questions about the village’s $225,000 TIF/TIFF build‑out grant to a new restaurant and asked whether future awards could require hiring Wheeling residents or using local contractors; the board discussed outreach and publicity for existing programs but did not change grant criteria at the meeting.
