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DeKalb could see property tax rise State of city’s finances may bring increase into play “In other words, the general fund is not able to fund over $4 million of basic operations because revenues from Anne Marie the fund are be- Gaura ing diverted to prop up other, nonsufficient funds,” Gaura told aldermen Monday. In the fiscal year that will begin July 1, the following funds will receive money from the general fund: public
By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Pensions, past building projects and new vehicle purchases are creating a drag on city finances and could force DeKalb leaders to consider a property tax increase. The $35.2 million general fund shouldn’t be covering costs in other city funds, City Manager Anne Marie Gaura said. About $4 million will be used for that purpose in fiscal 2015, however.
safety building, fleet replacement, equipment, airport and general fund debt services funds as well as retiree health insurance and deferred compensation contributions. With the exception of the debt service fund, expenses in these funds are covered by a variety of sources such as service fees or taxes. Debt service could be covered by property taxes, but the city hasn’t implemented a levy for that. One of the interfund expenses, a $607,000 balloon payment for hangars built
in 2004 at the DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport, will create a deficit of about the same amount for the city’s general fund next year. The city will levy about $3.5 million to cover police and fire pensions this fiscal year, but it only funds 31.6 percent of Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund costs and 94 percent of Federal Insurance Contributions Act costs. The city will need to bolster the level it supports those funds in the future, Gaura said. The police pension fund is
funded at 60 percent and the fire pension fund is at 43 percent, but Gaura recommends the pension funds be funded at 90 percent by 2040. The city would have to cut expenditures or increase taxes to get to that level, based on recommendations from the financial review done last year by Executive Partners, Inc. Gaura also is concerned about using sales tax and other unpredictable revenues to cover debt. Gaura cited the EPI study, which suggested a property tax increase could be necessary to fund the city’s debt related to buildings and other assets, such as the police department.
Board members consider consultant By ANDREA AZZO aazzo@shawmedia.com
Photos by Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
A five-week-old male kitten bats at a toy Tuesday at the DeKalb County Animal Shelter in Genoa. There are three kittens in the litter that was born to mom, Marsha, who was brought in to the shelter pregnant. The kittens are usually ready to be adopted around the age of 8 weeks, after they have had all vaccinations and have been spayed/neutered.
DeKalb County shelters caring for abandoned, sick kittens By ANDREA AZZO DeKALB – Peg Rozhon wakes up every two hours throughout the night to feed five kittens born less than two weeks ago. Rozhon is the volunteer coordinator at TAILS Humane Society, 2250 Barber Greene Road, DeKalb. She is caring for the kittens as a kitten foster home caretaker until they are spayed or neutered at eight weeks of age, when they will be ready for adoption. “It’s an immense amount of work, much more work I even anticipated,” said Rozhon, who said she has been sleeping on the couch lately. “Being at the shelter, you learn
animal care is hard work, but it’s rewarding.” May marks the unofficial start of kitten season, the time of year when animal shelters are flooded with kittens abandoned by their mothers or in need of extra care. TAILS does not currently have any kittens available for adoption because they are too young. Last year, TAILS took in about 500 kittens younger than six months old. When it receives a litter of kittens, it places them to a kitten foster home whose residents are trained to care for them. It presently has about 15 foster families. TAILS is a no-kill animal shelter. It always is in need of more kitten foster homes so that it turns away
fewer kittens, said Adrienne Beeman, TAILS animal care manager. Kittens are placed in one of three lobby cages and kept apart from adult cats to prevent spreading diseases. “Due to overpopulation, we aren’t always able to take all of the kittens,” Beeman said. Meanwhile, DeKalb County Animal Shelter, 16173 Baseline Road, Genoa, is caring for three 1-month-old kittens and five pregnant cats. Cats have a gestation period of about nine weeks. Roberta Shoaf, president of the animal shelter, said kitten season is
Deb Ryan, a DeKalb County Animal Shelter employee plays with a 5-week-old kitten Tuesday in the nursery of the shelter in Genoa.
How to help TAILS Humane Society is accepting applications for kitten foster homes. Applicants will meet with TAILS officials for orientation and discuss whether they are suitable to take in kittens. To apply, visit tailshumanesociety.org/foster.
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See KITTEN SEASON, page A5
“It’s an immense amount of work, much more work I even anticipated. Being at the shelter, you learn animal care is hard work, but it’s rewarding.”
SANDWICH – Expanding the jail is one of the most important issues facing DeKalb County, County Board Chairman Jeff Metzger told elected officials Thursday. “We have to do something with the jail,” Metzger said. “We’re spending a lot of money we could be keeping here in the county.” Metzger spoke for about 15 minutes at the Metro West Council of Government’s State of the Counties Luncheon at Best Western Timber Creek Inn and Suites, 3300 Drew Ave., Sandwich. The event included officials from DeKalb, Jeff Metzger Kendall and Kane counties. The County Board chairmen from the three counties each gave presentations of the state of their counties. All three acknowledged the state deficit has affected them locally. DeKalb County Board members are exploring hiring an outside consultant to help with the jail expansion, Metzger said. They plan to use a tipping fee associated with the DeKalb County landfill expansion near Cortland to fund the jail expansion. Board members want to spend only $23 million, less than three budgeting estimates unveiled during an April 30 workshop. DeKalb County Board members are expected to vote Wednesday on accepting more trash at the landfill starting in August, rather than January. If they started accepted more trash Aug. 1, it would generate about $70,000 a month in tipping fees. DeKalb Mayor John Rey said the presentations were helpful to see what was happening in nearby counties. Rey said he already is upto-date with DeKalb County issues but learned about other issues, such as Caterpillar possibly leaving Kendall County. “It was helpful to hear the three county chairmen speak and elevate the issues in front of each of those individual counties,” Rey said.
Peg Rozhon
See JAIL, page A5
Volunteer coordinator at TAILS Humane Society
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See PROPERTY TAX, page A5
DeKalb County talk focuses on jail expansion
It’s kitten season
aazzo@shawmedia.com
Mayor John Rey said he wouldn’t be readily supportive of a property tax increase, instead suggesting the city carefully look at capital projects and identifying what, if any, operations could be cut. “I think we’re going to have to take a very careful look at where reductions can be made in operating functions to ensure efficiencies are brought to the equation,” Rey said, adding he did not think sweeping personnel cuts would be considered. Cutting three positions is on the table, though. Aldermen are considering laying
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