Finance Department

The Finance Department provides budgetary, accounting and financial services for all Village departments, the Water and Sewer fund, and Police and Fire Pension funds. This department is responsible for the Village's annual audit, budget and tax levy. Other responsibilities include payroll, quarterly water billing and collections, accounts payable and receivable and personnel benefits. The Finance Department exercises general supervision over the fiscal affairs of the Village of Carpentersville. Following is a list of the major functions performed by the Finance Department.

The department sells vehicle stickers and dog tags to Village residents. It also processes parking ticket payments for the Police Department. The department prepares water and sewer bills, move-ins/move-outs, and all other activities concerning the establishment of a water account. The Village accepts cash, checks, or money orders for payment. Payments for vehicle stickers and water bills are also accepted at the Meadowdale Currency Exchange for a fee. The Village also maintains a drop box for non-cash payments, which is located outside the east entrance to Village Hall. Residents wishing to vote may register at Village Hall.

Residents that meet one of the following requirements would qualify for a discount on their water/sewer bill and Village vehicle stickers. Proof must be submitted to receive the discounts.

• Senior Citizen (65 or older)
• Receiving full Social Security disability benefits
• Bronze Star license plate
• POW/MIA license plate
• Purple Heart license plate Retired Armed Forces license plate

If you fall into one of the above categories, please contact the Finance Department at 847/551-3476 for your discount.

Village Vehicle Stickers

The Village requires all residents to purchase vehicle stickers on an annual basis. The proceeds help fund the repair and maintenance of all Village streets. Stickers go on sale May 1st and are required to be displayed by July 1st each year. Residents not in compliance with the vehicle sticker ordinance are subject to a $75.00 fine.

Current Fees are as Follows:

Residents who meet one of the following and provide required verification, are eligible to purchase a vehicle sticker for $1.00 (one per household) when purchased prior to July 2nd.

• Senior Citizen (65 or older)
• Receiving full Social Security disability benefits
• Bronze Star license plate
• POW/MIA license plate
• Purple Heart license plate Retired Armed Forces license plate

New residents and residents who have purchased a new vehicle have 60 days in which to purchase and display a vehicle sticker. Proof of move-in date or date of purchase is required to purchase stickers at the normal rate.

Water/Sewer Service

Water bills are currently mailed on a quarterly basis. The process of reading a resident's water meter is completely automated. Water Division personnel read the meters electronically through radio waves. The Village currently serves approximately 10,000 residents. We are implementing a new billing system, so look for a new bill format coming soon!

New residents who want to establish a water/sewer account must provide a copy of the settlement statement or rental lease and a photo I. D.. A deposit in the amount of $40 for homeowners and $100 for renters is required when opening an account. The deposit is refunded when the account is closed. In addition, there is an administrative fee of $10. Water service can be connected the same day provided the information is received before 2:00 p.m..

Residents seeking financial assistance with utility bills should contact Dundee Township at 847/428-8092.

Refuse Collection

Please contact Arc Disposal at 847/981-0091 with any questions regarding your pick-up.

Financial Accounting

The Finance Department provides service to other departments in several ways. First, payroll services are provided to compensate approximately 200 full-time and part-time employees on a biweekly basis. Second, a bills list of open invoices is prepared and paid twice a month. Bills for miscellaneous services are prepared and payments are tracked. Lastly, all of our activities are consolidated in the general ledger for all Village funds. The General Ledger is the financial document that contains the accounting detail for all Village departments.

Budgeting

One of the most important activities in Finance is the preparation and maintenance of the annual budget. The budgeting process begins in the first part of the fiscal year (around October) with final approval by the Village Board in late April. Our fiscal year begins on May 1. 

Frequently Asked Questions about Property Taxes

How much of my property tax bill goes to the Village?

For tax year 2006 most Carpentersville residents paid a total tax rate of 6.88%; the Village’s tax rate was 1.32%. Therefore, on a $300,000 home the total tax bill would be $6,880; of that $1,320 is sent to the Village.

What do I get for my money?

22% of the total amount sent to the Village is used to pay for weekly trash collection.   The rest is used to fund the daily operations of the Village such as:

• Police protection
• Firefighting and Ambulance services
• Streets and park maintenance
• Snowplowing
• Tree planting
• Employee pensions and health insurance
• Debt service on bonds sold to pay for capital projects (i.e., Streets and Buildings)

Who determines how much I pay in property taxes?

Several agencies play a role in the levy, extension, and assessment of property taxes. Listed below are the steps in tax determination:

• Individual taxing bodies (school districts, towns and villages, park and library districts, townships, community colleges, and counties) submit their funding needs (tax levy) to the County Clerk’s tax extension office.
• Township assessors determine an approximate market value of your home and submit these to the County Supervisor of Assessments.
• The approximate market value of your home is multiplied by an equalization factor, currently 33.33% to determine the equalized assessed value ( EAV).
• The funding needs of all taxing bodies that provide services to your property are totaled and divided by the total assessed value of your jurisdiction to determine the tax rate.
• Your tax bill is figured by applying the tax rate to every $100 of EAV. See Example Below

Why do I pay my bill to the County when some of my money goes to the Village?

The County is the agency that centralizes all of the information needed to extend, collect, and distribute property taxes.   The County Clerk coordinates all municipal tax levies, and the County Supervisor of Assessments oversees the application of assessed values.   The County Treasurer generates the tax bills from the information provided by the Clerk and Assessor, mails the bills to residents, collects the taxes, and distributes the funds to all of the taxing bodies.

What are abatements?

An abatement is the decision by a governing body to decrease a tax levy obligation.   When the Village issues General Obligation bonds to pay for capital improvements, one of the conditions of the bonds is that the repayment of the bonds are backed by the full-faith and credit of the Village.   Therefore, the Village is legally bound to levy for 100% of the debt service; however, depending on the project the Village may decide to repay the bonds using other sources of revenue, such as Water and Sewer or MFT collections.

Another form of abatement occurs when an entity, other than the Village, pays the costs of maintaining a special service area.   For example, when a Homeowners Association pays for the care and maintenance of a stormwater detention area.

What is an SSA?

A Special Service Area is a segregated section of the Village that benefits from and pays additional tax on a specific capital improvement.   For example, water system improvements that are homeowners’ responsibility can be costly; the Village may elect to issue bonds on behalf of the homeowners to make the payment more manageable.   Since the burden of repayment lies with the homeowners a separate tax is levied against the affected properties only and is not included in the Village’s regular tax rate.

Please feel free to contact the Village Finance Director with any additional questions. 847-426-3439

Contact Information:

Lisa Happ, Finance Director
E-mail: LHapp@vil.carpentersville.il.us

Tammy Slawinski, Accounting Supervisor
E-mail: TSlawinski@vil.carpentersville.il.us

Village of Carpentersville
1200 L.W. Besinger Drive
Carpentersville, IL 60110

Phone: 847/551-3476
FAX: 847/551-9278