Lockport Township Fire District asks voters for slight tax increase

Residents in the Lockport Township Fire Protection District will decide on a ballot question to raise their property taxes to pay for more personnel and equipment.

The ballot questions asks for a 0.1% increase of equalized assessed value, according to the district. If voters approve it, that would mean a resident with a house worth $250,000 would see an increase of about $83 a year on their tax bill.

The district covers Lockport, Crest Hill and portions of Romeoville, New Lenox and unincorporated Will County.

Lockport Township Fire Chief John O'Connor said the ballot question comes at a time when demand on the fire district has "drastically increased." Over the past 20 years, its call volume and number of specialized teams have tripled and the number of emergency personnel and fire stations in the district have doubled.

There are also added expenses for increased information technology the district needs and more training for responding to incidents like active shooter situations, issues the fire departments didn't have to worry about decades ago.

"All of those things take additional money, additional resources," O'Connor said.

He added the district has also taken measures over the years to save money. The district shares fire inspection and code enforcement responsibilities with Homer Township Fire Protection District.

District officials have also renegotiated or eliminated some of service contracts for landscaping, mowing, snow plowing, and building and vehicle maintenance, among others.

O'Connor added the district conducted a 10-year financial forecast and found that if it maintained its current revenue level, it wouldn't have money for additional vehicle and other capital expenses by 2022.

District officials have been sharing the information with residents, especially in senior communities where they service many calls.

Lockport resident Bill Passaglia, 70, attended a question and answer session about the ballot question last week. Passaglia said while he went into the session skeptical about the need for a tax increase, he did appreciate the information district officials like O'Connor presented to residents.

Still, Passaglia said he wants more information if he's going to vote for the increase. Like many of his neighbors, he's continued to be frustrated by high property taxes in Illinois.

"I just know its an increase in taxes and I can’t afford the taxes I’m paying now," he said.

The Illinois primary election is Tuesday but early voting has already begun.