Huntley Village Board To Vote On Budget, Property Tax Levy

Huntley trustees are expected to vote Thursday on the 2012 village budget, which includes a freeze on the property tax levy.

The Village Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget at 7 tonight at Huntley Village Hall, 10987 Main St., followed by a special board meeting to approve the 2011 annual operating and capital budget.

In doing so, trustees also must approve the 2011 annual property tax levy.

Board members will consider a fiscal 2012 budget with $20.1 million in expenditures. That is $7.7 million less, or 27.6 percent fewer total expenditures than the 2011 budget, according to the village board information.

While many communities annually seek more tax dollars, some area municipalities, such as Lake in the Hills, have proposed decreased property tax levies for the upcoming year.

In light of the economy and decrease in property values, Huntley administrators are recommending a freeze in the 2011 tax levy. Trustees will vote on a $3.8 million, the same amount collected this year, village officials said.

However, the freeze in village levy amount does not guarantee property owners’ tax bills will not fluctuate. McHenry and Kane county clerks set the tax rate in the spring once they’ve received assessed valuation rates.

Last year, assessed valuations varied greatly between the two counties. Many McHenry County homeowners saw a reduction in assessed valuations, while Kane County residents saw significant increases.

Huntley's village budget is broken down into 20 separate funds to accommodate the different services and projects. The principal operating funds are the general fund and the enterprise fund, which covers water and sewer. The major capital funds include capital projects, water and sewer, municipal buildings, tollway interchange fund and street improvement funds, according to village documents.

This year, a new fund was created for improvement of Huntley’s downtown district as part of the downtown revitalization plan.

The village budget is published on the village of Huntley webpage.

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