My request that Lakewood’s budget be posted on the village web site Tuesday resulted in its being put up on Thursday.
Here’s what Deputy Village Administrator Shannon Andrews emailed today:
I just wanted to make sure you were provided with a link to the 2015/2016 Budget, which is available on the Finance Department page of the Village’s website.
A Lakewood board policy should be passed that the proposed budget should be posted on the village website 30 days before a vote is taken by the board to approve or reject the budget.
The same board policy should be enacted by all taxing districts in the state.
Better yet, the public should get to vote whether to approve or reject the proposed budget.
Illinois has a long way to go to level the playing field between taxpayers and governments who want taxpayer money to “serve” the taxpayer.
Furthermore, in addition to the pdf format that is linked in the above article, the budget should be posted on the village website in Excel format.
Village of Lakewood Total Tax Revenue
Fiscal Year Ending April 30, 2013: $1,911,927.
Fiscal Year Ending April 30, 2014: $1,794,849.
Fiscal Year Ending April 30, 2015: $1,738,840 Original Budget.
Fiscal Year Ending April 30, 2015: $1,709,715 Current Estimate.
Fiscal Year Ending April 30, 2015: $1,576,320.
TIFs allow villages to generate more tax revenue from village and non-village property taxpayers.
A TIF budget is separate from the “regular” budget.
Total revenue includes tax revenue, license revenue, and “other” revenue.
So total revenue is greater than the tax revenue listed above.
Oops he final posting should have been:
Fiscal Year Ending April 30, 2016: $1,576,320 Budgeted.