Brookfield is planning to ask its voters in November to approve a referendum question that would allow the village to fund street improvements for the next 25 years. With an eye to explaining its case to voters, the village government is considering working with a consultant who specializes in educating residents.
“The intention is to raise $2 million annually without increasing the tax rate, taking advantage of the fact that some of the debt from the previous road referendum is falling off the tax rolls,” Finance Director Doug Cooper told village trustees on April 13.
With the prior referendum’s debt being paid off, taxpayers would normally experience a decrease in the amount of property taxes they owe, but if voters approve the new referendum, taxes will remain steady, Cooper said. The portion of the levy that had gone toward debt would instead go toward Brookfield’s street maintenance through 2051.
The proposed referendum is similar to one that Riverside officials put before their voters in 2024, which narrowly passed. In August, Village President Michael Garvey called the two referenda “analogous” to one another.
“We can’t advocate for a ‘yes’ vote or a ‘no’ vote, but it’s our duty to make sure we get information out there about the reason and the issues,” Garvey said at the April 13 meeting.
In Illinois, the annual property tax levy in any given municipality cannot increase beyond the prior year’s Consumer Price Index inflation rate or 5% if the CPI is higher without the passage of a referendum. The Property Tax Extension Law Limit makes sure property tax rates don’t skyrocket in years where inflation does.
According to a memo prepared by Cooper, a 25-year road program would cost Brookfield an estimated $3.5 million to $4 million each year, but the village now only spends about $1.5 million to $2 million on road maintenance. Those expenditures come from a mix of the village’s general fund, water sewer fund and motor fuel tax revenues, according to the memo.
Brookfield could have instead pursued a referendum to issue debt for the same purpose of funding street maintenance, but staff thought the costs associated with issuing the debt and paying back interest wouldn’t be in the village’s best interests, according to the memo.
After reviewing proposals and interviewing representatives, staff recommended to trustees that Brookfield contract with Metro Strategies Group, which is based in Downers Grove and has worked with multiple nearby municipalities and taxing bodies including Berwyn, LaGrange Park, Oak Park and the Illinois Department of Transportation, according to its website. Trustees voted to approve the contract on Monday, April 27.
In exchange for no more than $28,000, Metro will develop a plan for reaching out to residents and educating them on the reasons for the referendum, granting its approval to village communications before they are sent out, according to the memo.
In a letter to Brookfield staff, Tammy Wierciak, principal of Metro, boasted a 70% voter approval rate for an $8 million bond referendum the firm supported in Clarendon Hills to pay for “critical improvements” to its park district facilities.
At the meeting, Trustee Julie Narimatsu asked whether Metro would be asking the public to choose a path forward for the referendum, but Cooper clarified that the choice between issuing debt or increasing the property tax limit is up to staff and the village board.
“We were going to go with the limiting rate increase,” he said. “The consultant is really there to help us move through the referendum process and guide us toward the end result.”
The possibility of proposing a street maintenance referendum arose last year as village trustees discussed methods to fund a potential community recreation center at Ehlert Park following the conclusion of a feasibility study.
In 2016, Brookfield voters approved a referendum to issue three sets of bond debt in 2016, 2018 and 2020 to pay for street maintenance through the present day. Each set of bonds lasts 10 years, meaning Brookfield’s debt capacity won’t be freed up to cover the construction costs of the recreation center — which could cost $25 million or more, depending on when the process starts — until 2030.
Village trustees are expected to vote on the contract with Metro at their meeting on April 27.
