For the past few months the Montgomery Village Board has been discussing the condition of its local roads. Based on a recent road survey, the Village needs to spend approximately $2.2 million per year in order to maintain current road conditions. However, for the past 10 years the Village has only been able to spend around $650,000 per year due to funding. At that rate, each road within the Village would get resurfaced only once every 71 years, which far exceeds the pavement life expectancy of 20-25 years.
This fall the Village Board will be asking voters to consider approval of a non-home rule sales tax referendum to help pay for road maintenance. If approved, a 1% sales tax would be paid on durable goods, adding $1 per $100 spent, but would not include groceries, medical equipment, vehicles or services. This would allow the Village to collect sales tax specifically for roadway improvements from everyone who shops at stores in Montgomery and travels on its roads, rather than having Montgomery residents pay the full cost of roadway improvements via increased property taxes or fees.
Along with discussing a sale tax referendum, the Village Board has considered the possibility of a property tax rebate on residential properties. At the Special Village Board Meeting on May 22nd, the Board voted unanimously to enact a property tax rebate. This rebate will become effective if the sales tax referendum is approved by voters in November. If approved, residential property owners in Montgomery will be eligible to apply for a property tax rebate annually each summer for the next five years beginning in the summer of 2015.
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