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DeKalb levy to get public hearing By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com DeKALB – DeKalb residents will have a chance to voice their opinions on the city’s proposed tax levy at the DeKalb City Council meeting today. During the council meeting at 6 p.m., the city will hold a public hearing on the proposed levy, which would bring the city nearly $6.8 million, including property taxes levied for the DeKalb Public Library. The levy, combined with
If you go What: Public hearing on the property tax levy When: 6 p.m. Where: DeKalb City Hall, 200 S. Fourth St. a 4.14 percent drop in the estimated equalized assessed value of property in DeKalb, would cause the owner of a $150,000 home to see a 4.32 percent increase in their property taxes, which equates to $21 more annually. Sixth Ward Alderman
Dave Baker said he would not support any levy higher than last year’s, which was $6.57 million. The proposed levy is 3.33 percent higher than that. “We have to cut,” Baker said. “We cannot solve anything by raising taxes. It’s a spiral of demise and we cannot go up.” Rather than raising taxes, he said the city should try to combat declining property values by eliminating impact fees and offering an incentive to people wanting to build homes in DeKalb. Fourth Ward Alderman
Bob Snow said he felt the levy needed to increase to cover increasing city costs. He’s not opposed to exploring whether the city should reduce services or continue to see gradual tax increases, he said, but it would need to be a community conversation. “That’s what the citizens of DeKalb need to help us decide,” Snow said. “It’s a tough choice.” The city uses property taxes to help fund its roughly $5 million in pension obligations. City officials are trying
to move away from pulling money from the general fund to cover some pension costs. Current city practice draws more than $720,000 from the general fund to cover the city’s share of Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund obligations. Collecting $213,000 more in property taxes than last year would allow DeKalb to cover the increase in fire and police pensions with property taxes, but the city would still need to pull nearly $72,000 more from the general fund to cover Social Security costs.
The levy the council will vote on today will fund the budget that begins on July 1, 2015. Finance Director Cathy Haley said the levy will be part of budget discussions that start early next year. “My intent is to keep the property tax levy in full conversation mode throughout the budget,” Haley said. “What doesn’t come from the property taxes will have to be pulled from the general fund. What doesn’t get done or where does the cut come from or is there another revenue source?”
Shelter may save during a twister
Shopping season set in motion
By JON KRENEK The Associated Press
Photos by Monica Synett – msynett@shawmedia.com
Susana DasNeves helps her daughter, Rebeca DasNeves, 10, as she puts on her shoe Friday at Sycamore Antiques during Moonlight Madness in Sycamore. Rebeca is with the Sycamore Performing Arts Academy and was dressed as the dog from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” to dance in the window of the storefront.
DeKalb, Sycamore downtowns kick off holiday buying with local focus Voice your opinion
By KATIE FINLON news@daily-chronicle.com Six-year-old Aiden Gagalski and his mother, Laura, were on a mission. The Sycamore residents were searching for the elf hiding from store to store that was part of the downtown Sycamore events this weekend including live window displays with dancers and actors in elf, Santa and Mrs. Claus costumes. Laura Gagalski, a Sycamore resident for about a decade, said she shops locally most of the time to do her part to support community businesses. “It’s just a great community,” Gagalski said. “Great community, great people – people are friendly.” The weekend before Thanksgiving kicked off events that local business leaders are hoping will draw shoppers to local downtowns during the financially significant holiday season. Even before the nationally publicized Small Business Saturday after
What percentage of your holiday shopping will you do at locally owned stores? Vote online at Daily-Chronicle.com.
A window-watcher takes a photo of Jillian Riley, 10, and Sofia DasNeves, 8, dancing in the window of Made Just For You Gifts during Moonlight Madness in Sycamore. Thanksgiving, the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce hosted Hollydays this weekend, with Girls’ Night Out on Thursday. Meanwhile, Moxie hosted its last annual open house Saturday and
Sunday before the owner retires next year. The store has hosted its annual holiday event for 15 years since the business was called Megan Morrison, manager Courtney Wilson said. The open house is for the shop to
show its appreciation for its customers by providing treats to shoppers that come and go throughout the day. Stefanie Kelly lives in Madison, Wisconsin, but she has shopped at Moxie for years. Sales associate Deb Netzley said it “all started with a white purse,” and Kelly has shopped there ever since. Kelly said she takes the two-hour trip to the store whenever she can. She said she shops at businesses like Moxie for more personalized and, in her opinion, better service. She wants to do what she can for small businesses to thrive. “I’d rather put my money in their pocket,” Kelly said. Netzley agreed a good way to keep
See SHOPPING, page A5
BOURBONNAIS – The 1,200-pound steel cylinder in James Trudeau’s driveway certainly struck his Bourbonnais neighborhood as odd, at least at first. Even Kankakee County’s planning department wasn’t sure what to make of it when Trudeau sought a building permit to bury it in the ground. “Somebody said, ‘That’s the biggest barbecue I’ve ever seen,’ ” Trudeau said. “I just laughed.” The structure was a storm shelter manufactured in Arkansas, complete with shelves, seating, a breathing vent and steps to its underground confines. Since he buried it recently, every one of his neighbors has secured the promise of a spot if a tornado heads their way. The neighborhood has few basements and offers little protection from a potentially devastating tornado. “I just told them, ‘Come on over,’ ” Trudeau said. “A lot of them are friends, anyhow.” The storm shelter was a nearly $7,000 investment with all the work completed, making it a major purchase for Trudeau and his wife, Melody. The couple had wanted one for years. The only protection their home offers is a hallway absent of windows, and they didn’t feel safe. Trudeau lived through the 1963 tornado that left a destructive path through Olivet Nazarene University’s campus, leaving one woman dead and destroying his childhood home. He was 14 at the time, and still can recall the sight of trailers torn to pieces at ONU and his neighbor’s orchard leveled. “I don’t fear storms, but when you knew a tornado was in the vicinity there was nowhere to go,” Trudeau said. “The storms have been getting worse every year.” On Monday evening, when the tornado sirens blared across Kankakee County, Trudeau and his wife descended to the shelter for
See TORNADO, page A5
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Chili competition benefits Elks National Foundation / A3
DeKalb aldermen will vote today on private golf course liquor licenses / A3
Crystal Lake stable fire likely killed 32 horses / A3
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