Homer Glen considering village gasoline tax
Each year, about 30 million gallons of gas are delivered to the seven gas stations in the village, according to John Sawyers, the village’s finance director. He said the gas tax would be on the delivery of gas and not its sale.
Sawyers said about 70 percent of motorists filling up at Homer Glen stations are from other towns, meaning the gas tax would be paid mostly by outside residents.
“It’s truly a pass-through tax,” he said.
With the state of Illinois threatening to reduce the share of state income tax revenue it sends to municipalities, Mayor George Yukich said a gas tax would be a preferable revenue source to imposing a village property tax.
Homer Glen’s parks and recreation fund gets money from required developer donations and grants. A major park project is underway in changing the 103-acre former Woodbine golf course into a village park that would have sports fields, trails, ponds and picnic areas.
The village is looking to hire a planning firm to create a master plan for the park and work in conjunction with H.R. Green, an engineering firm that’s looking at ways to prevent flooding in the neighborhoods near Woodbine.
The Village Board plans to vote on the gas tax in November, and, if approved, it will take effect Dec. 1 or Jan. 1.
Also at this week’s board meeting, trustees approved a design for the new Village Hall. Homer Glen is converting the former Woodbine banquet hall and clubhouse into the Village Hall, which will house village offices, a conference room, a board room that will double as a community room and space for Will County sheriff’s police, who provide patrols in the village.
Village officials said Tria Architecture, which replaced Williams Architects in September, intends to finish plans for the remodeled building in December and seek construction bids in January. They said the Village Hall is likely to be completed by July.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter.
