Village Manager's Message

I had the opportunity to tour the VPRC again last week and it is quite a facility. The gym floor is installed with the Village logo at center court for the full-length basketball court. There is a tangle of lines painted on the floor for basketball, (two courts east-and-west and one north-and-south, volleyball, and pickleball). The track surface wasn’t in yet, but the dance floor was as well as the floor in the workout room. Cable for TVs and phones, internet, security cameras, and video displays were in the process of being pulled, and the kitchen was being assembled. It looked very much like a recreation center with some building materials in it, and less and less like a construction site. We are still trying to get everything ready for a Grand Opening on January 3rd.

As we continue to prepare the budget for distribution, we have several decisions to make. One will be setting the property tax rate. Last year, we accepted the allowed growth of 5%, which did not keep up with inflation, but it did increase the annual payment for the residents of Villa Park. This year, the Board of Trustees have already taken a stand not to increase the tax above the DuPage PTELL limit of an in-crease of 2.8%.

The budget ordinance will be given a first reading at the meeting on November 25. The official Public Hearing has been moved back to December 9, but the public will be able to speak during budget Public Comment on Budget Items.

Last week also I attended the Veterans Day celebration at the Villa Park VFW Post 2081. As always, they did an excellent job of providing a reverent and informative event. I also met with staff in the Parks Department and Assistant Village Manager Suzanne McVey to review the staffing needs for the VPRC so that we could bring the Parks Budget into final focus. Several department heads and I met with Kyle Schnettler and Alex Saucedo, the Executive Director and President of the Villa Park Chamber of Commerce to review this year’s Joyful Traditions program. The trees are going up today. The holiday trees on the Illinois Prairie Path are one of my favorite Villa Park Traditions. I also met with department heads alone and together at the weekly department heading. View the full weekly report here.

Matt Harline

Village Manager