Burr Ridge Municipal Property Taxes Low. Same With Darien

BURR RIDGE, IL — A consultant was ticking off Burr Ridge's budget numbers Monday night when she noted that 2 percent of a property taxpayer's bill goes to the village government.

"You need to say that more loudly," Mayor Gary Grasso told the consultant.

The low amount that a Burr Ridge resident pays in property taxes to the village is a point of pride for officials. If a person owes $10,000 in property taxes, $200 goes to the village. Schools claim the majority of the bill.

Burr Ridge's portion of the property tax bill is small. But it's in the ballpark with two other towns that are somewhat similar in their governmental structures — Willowbrook and Darien.

In Darien, 4 percent of property taxes go to the city, while in Willowbrook, the village receives less than half a percent.

In all three towns, libraries and fire departments are separate taxing entities. Willowbrook handles parks, while park districts take care of that function in Burr Ridge and Darien.

Population-wise, Darien, about 21,000, is the biggest of the three towns, with Burr Ridge at 11,200 and Willowbrook at 9,200.

Willowbrook has extensive retail, relative to the size of the town. In the 2019 fiscal year, Willowbrook pulled in $4.1 in sales taxes, while Darien and Burr Ridge received $5.7 million and $2.2 million, respectively, according to the Illinois comptroller's website.

Willowbrook collected $187,000 in property taxes in 2019, while Darien and Burr Ridge pulled in $2.3 million and $1.3 million, respectively.

Municipalities can tap into sales taxes to pay for operations, while schools typically do not have that option.

Officials often see sales taxes as a better choice because nonresidents also pay them.

At Monday's Burr Ridge Village Board meeting, officials said the village's property tax levy may stay the same or even drop for next year.

Darien has kept its property tax levy the same for a decade.