Attorney to file objection to Special Service Area tax in Elburn Station

Attorney for developer Shodeen Homes said she’d file an objection at Dec. 6 Village Board meeting

An attorney speaking on behalf of the Elburn Station community said she wound file an objection to an ordinance approving the levying of property taxes in Special Service Area No. 6, Elburn Station.

“The statute regarding the SSA allows for the filing of an objection within 60 days, so I would plan to file that objection in the event there is not a solution or a resolution to the payment,” said attorney Kate McCracken who is representing developer Shodeen Homes. “I don’t think it’s appropriate at this point to be collecting funds from taxpayers within that SSA and then not pay out anything as it relates to work that’s been done.”

A total of $46,231 is to be provided from the levy with an appropriation of $54,000.

McCracken attended the Dec. 6 Village of Elburn Board Meeting along with Bob Skidmore, vice president of land development for Shodeen. She made her argument during the truth in taxation public hearing for the tax levy, but the Village Board was not swayed, voting 6-0 in favor of the ordinance.

“I believe that work has been done, but there hasn’t been any kind of a payment to those individuals and entities that are actually doing work,” she said. “My point is the money should not be collected if it is not being paid out.”

Elburn Finance Director Doug Elder told McCracken that Elburn has paid out some tax money to Elburn Station already.

“I would take exception to your statement that nothing has been paid out,” he said. “The village did pay out SSA 6 tax money, for I believe some pavilion or picnic shelters. We have it on our records as pavilions.”

Elburn Village Administrator Jeff Nevenhoven said he received an 83-page attachment with invoices from Skidmore in November. He compared it to dumping a shoebox of receipts on your accountant’s desk on April 15 and saying, “Here, figure this out.”

“So what I have to do is go through and figure out which ones are valid and what they are for and when they were done,” he said. “And when I say it’s valid, is it a valid SSA expense? So I have to go through each one of those invoices. That process has started and I have questions for Mr. Skidmore and I’ll follow up with him about that.”