Clarendon Hills will be able return more than $232,000 to its General Fund for money that was used to cover the village’s cost share of its recent Downtown Revitalization Project.
In 2019, the Village Board approved a resolution authorizing an agreement between the village and the State of Illinois for the project, and Clarendon Hills’ share of $232,481 already has been paid out of the General Fund.
Clarendon Hills Finance Director Maureen Potempa said during a recent fund review with IDOT, it was determined that the costs can be reallocated and expensed from the Motor Fuel Tax Fund. The Village Board approved May 1 a resolution necessary to allow the Motor Fuel Tax Fund to pay back the General Fund for expenses occurred for the Downtown Revitalization Project.
“We were aware of the possibility that funds could be transferred from the General Fund to the Motor Fuel Tax Fund, but could not count on it without the approval of IDOT,” Potempa said.
She said that utilizing restricted dollars in the Motor Fuel Tax Fund allows the village to free up money in the General Fund, which is less restrictive.
“Any time that we can free up resources in the General Fund it’s a benefit to the village because it allows us to allocate money to projects that may not have as high of a priority to be realized while waiting for additional funds,” Potempa said.
She said the total General Fund balance as of Dec. 31, 2022, was just over $5.3 million, and the Motor Fuel Tax Fund balance as of the same date was $1.49 million.
The Downtown Revitalization Project included several public improvements designed to enhance the viability and pedestrian safety of the village’s downtown area.
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The project included four components: Prospect and Burlington Avenue improvements; Prospect Avenue railroad crossing improvements; inbound and outbound train station improvements; and the Burlington Plaza and alley.
Over the past several years the village applied for, and was awarded, approximately $8 million from the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, the West Suburban Mass Transit District, the Illinois Commerce Commission Grade Crossing Protection Fund, and the Commuter Rail Division of the Regional Transportation Authority.
The funds from those entities covered nearly 66% of the project’s cost.
The Downtown Revitalization Project started on Jan. 6, 2020, and was completed in the fall of 2022.
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.