New Refuse Fee, Water Rate Hike Set For Final Approval In Skokie

SKOKIE, IL — The Skokie Village Board is set to grant final approval Monday to ordinances that increase the water rate, create a new monthly refuse collection fee and appropriate funding for the current fiscal year.

The new fee and rate hike were approved by the village board in May as part of the budget for Fiscal Year 2022, which runs through April 2022. The trio of ordinances were necessary to bring the village code in line with the budget.

Corporation Counsel Michael Lorge said the quarterly water and sewer bill will be replaced by a quarterly utility bill, which will include a new fee of $8.75 per month for each residential unit starting Nov. 1.

"The village of Skokie, as well as a majority of state and local governments has experienced a loss of revenue coupled with rapidly rising costs which have only been exacerbated by the pandemic," Lorge said at the July 19 board meeting.

"The FY 2022 budget, as discussed by the village board during the May budget hearing, includes the addition of a refuse fee, which is also inclusive of recycling," he said, "with the goal of recovering some of the refuse, recycling and yard waste service costs."

Village staff surveyed area communities about refuse services and fees and found that, of the 22 municipalities that responded, Skokie is one of only five that offers twice-a-week refuse collection and one of only two that do not charge some kind of fee for refuse services, according to an explanation of the new fee, which generally ranges from about $9 to $30 a month.

As for the price of water, the 7.5 percent rate increase will come out to an average monthly increase of $2.02 for residential customers, according to Lorge. The ordinance calls for the phased increase of the monthly water rate up to $52.37 per 1,000 cubic feet by Nov. 1.

"The increase is necessary in order to fund all water, sewer, and flood control related activities for the coming year," Finance Director Julian Prendi said in a staff memo.

"Even with the increase," he said, "Skokie's rate remains very competitive among comparable area communities."

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The board will also consider an ordinance appropriating funding it budgeted for the current fiscal year into various funds and accounts. Prendi said federal aid for the coming fiscal year would allow the village to cover all appropriations included in the ordinance.

The largest share of the budget is public safety. When pension costs are included, spending on the police and fire departments makes up 37 percent of the village budget. Capital improvements is the next largest share of the budget, followed by the library and water fund.