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Village of Morton approves municipal tax increase to fund public safety and capital projects
Summary
Morton trustees adopted Ordinance 27-09 to raise the village's municipal retailers and service occupation taxes, a change the board said will generate roughly $600,000—600,000—700,000 annually to support police, fire services, a new fire truck and construction on a new fire station. The board also adopted the fiscal-year appropriations ordinance.
Morton trustees voted to adopt Ordinance 27-09, increasing the village's municipal retailers occupation tax and municipal service occupation tax, after trustees said the new revenue is needed to cover rising costs for police, fire and paramedic services and to help pay for a new fire truck and a new fire station.
Chair (S3) introduced the ordinance and described the purpose: "...some of that reason is, the cost of increase this year for police, fire, paramedics. And, new fire truck is drastically increasing cost. And we're adding some construction cost to our new fire station," the chair said during discussion. The chair and trustees said the change will be borne by purchases (a point-of-sale tax) and estimated annual revenues in the meeting at roughly $600,000 to $800,000.
Trustees confirmed the increase was the maximum permitted without a referendum. When asked whether the village could raise the rate further, trustees replied the higher rate would require a referendum. After brief discussion a motion to adopt the ordinance was moved and seconded and passed on roll call.
The tax change was debated alongside the village's annual appropriations. The village administrator (S1) presented Ordinance 27-11, the appropriation ordinance for the fiscal year beginning 05/01/2026 and ending 04/30/2027, reporting total revenue of $45,059,205 and total expenses of $55,440,950. The transcript records a quoted deficit figure that appears garbled in the recording/text; meeting materials or the clerk's office should be consulted for the official deficit amount and line-item details.
Chair (S3) and trustees emphasized that the appropriations include major capital projects: the new fire station, work on Flint Avenue, redoing an intersection in the Birchwood area, and early engineering for a planned sewer plant. The appropriations ordinance was moved, seconded and approved by roll call.
What happens next: trustees approved the ordinances at the meeting; implementation will depend on finance staff and inclusion of the new tax rate on merchant systems. The appropriation ordinance establishes the spending plan for the coming fiscal year; specific expenditures and contract awards tied to those projects will be brought back to the board as required.
Sources: Village meeting transcript and roll calls; the transcript records the chair and the village administrator as primary presenters and the roll-call affirmations that led to adoption.
