Excerpts from journal-topics.com:
Officials from the Elk Grove Township Fire Protection District and Mount Prospect are currently negotiating an intergovernmental agreement that would determine how the fire district will be compensated for recent annexations by the village in unincorporated areas of Elk Grove Township. More annexations are expected in the near future.
Under state law, the village is required to provide financial compensation to the fire district. To ensure the fire department remains operational without reducing staff, Mount Prospect is considering a shorter payment schedule—offering the full amount of funds over three years instead of five. The village is also exploring long-term funding arrangements to help the fire district maintain its services despite the loss of tax revenue from annexed properties.
As part of any annexation, the village must pay the fire district a gradually decreasing percentage of property taxes collected from the newly annexed areas over five years. The initial payment would be 100% in the first year, followed by 80% in year two, 60% in year three, 40% in year four, and 20% in year five.
Mount Prospect Village Manager Michael Cassady has proposed an accelerated agreement that would cover all current and future annexed properties within a three-year timeframe. In response, the fire district submitted a draft agreement requesting that payments continue over the next 10 years, with the promise of continued fire service during that period. However, the village is hesitant about a decade-long deal.
"We reviewed their financials and saw a structural deficit that will impact their ability to operate, even before we started annexing," Cassady said. He believes a three-year agreement offers a more sustainable transition, as the fire district may see a reduction in staffing during that time.
The village is planning to annex a portion of land owned by United Airlines, as well as Birch Manor, a residential subdivision located at the northwest corner of Linneman Road and Dempster Street. If a three-year agreement is finalized, the fire district could potentially contract with the village after that period.
Fire district attorney Karl Ottosen warned that, due to the village’s annexation efforts, the fire district will face serious financial challenges within the next year, making it difficult to maintain the same level of service residents have come to expect.
"They're losing almost 50% of their tax revenue," Ottosen said. "We need to know who will provide fire protection and how it will be funded."
The Elk Grove Township Fire Protection District serves several industrial businesses in unincorporated areas of Elk Grove, as well as mobile home parks along Elmhurst Road and Touhy Avenue.
If no agreement is reached, Ottosen stated that the fire district may have to significantly reduce its level of service.
Agricultural Bearing,Ball Bearings,Insert Bearings,Deep Groove Ball Bearings
Ningbo COMBINE Machinery Co., Ltd. , https://www.combine-harvester-parts.com