Lemont Holds Town Hall Meeting To Discuss Sales Tax Referendum

LEMONT, IL — The village of Lemont will hold a town hall meeting on Thursday, March 7 at 7 p.m. at village hall to discuss the referendum questions that will be on the ballot on April 2. The village said the residents of the village of Lemont will have the opportunity to answer three questions, one of which is a binding referendum and two non-binding referendum questions.

Due a shortfall in state-shared and other revenue streams, the village said it has had to reduce personnel, reduce the road repair program and eliminate the general government capital equipment replacement program, all while continuing to pay down the village's debt.

There will once again be a shortfall of over a million dollars in the 2020 budget, according to the village. The village board chose to propose the question of a sales tax referendum, as it is an option to obtain the needed revenue streams to fund capital projects, the village said. The sales tax would mean an increase of 1 percent on most purchases, excluding medicine and groceries.

The village said it estimates that about 50 percent of the tax burden would be from citizens outside of Lemont. Residents would not bear the entire tax burden.