I am writing to you now as your village trustee and neighbor to ask for your help in taking a major step in improving all of our streets for the future.
On the March 21 ballot, a referendum question will be present for a 1-percent sales tax for the Village of Brookfield that will be dedicated to infrastructure?”streets and sewers. I ask you to vote “yes” for this referendum.
Let me explain a little more about this question. This sales tax would not be applied to groceries, prescriptions or titled vehicle sales. Brookfield is not alone in pursuing this type of revenue source; over 90 neighboring communities have or are going for the same referendum as we are.
What this will mean if it passes, is that when you visit one of our fine restaurants and spend $50 for a dinner for two, for example, you will pay 50 cents more. But so will the people from other communities that dine in Brookfield.
Remember that a large portion of the zoo would also be included in this revenue stream. Voting “yes” to this referendum is one of the ways our village can take advantage of having the zoo in our town.
With so many out-of-town visitors to the zoo every year, it is predicted that 60 percent of the new revenue from this referendum will be seen from non-residents.
With state and federal funds coming in smaller amounts and with fewer grants, we need to take advantage of this type of revenue stream just like our surrounding communities. Brookfield needs to get our share for streets from the out-of-town shopper just like they are getting their share every time you shop at Yorktown, North Riverside Mall or Fox Valley.
So, again, as your neighbor, I ask you to help Brookfield take a step toward a better future and vote yes for the 1-percent sales tax on March 21.
Michael Towner
Brookfield
Michael Towner is a Brookfield village trustee.
