Willowbrook homeowners would save an estimated $88 a year under a village proposal that eliminates the last remaining property tax levy and cuts utility taxes by up to 40%.
The four-part plan, posted to the village's website Tuesday, Oct. 13, would offset those cuts by raising the home rule sales tax by 0.75 percentage points and increasing the hotel/motel tax by 4 percentage points. The restructuring shifts the village's revenue base away from residents and toward shoppers and hotel guests.
The special recreation levy, which totaled $74,765 in 2025, would be eliminated entirely. That would leave Willowbrook with no village property tax levy at all.
Utility taxes would also drop. The village's 5% tax on electric and natural gas bills would fall by 40%. The 6% telecom tax would be cut by a third.
Those two cuts account for the projected $88 in annual savings for the median household: $16 from the property tax elimination and $72 from lower utility bills.
On the revenue side, the home rule sales tax increase would push the business district rate from 9.25% to 10%. The village estimates the increase adds 75 cents to every $100 spent. A $20 quick-service lunch would cost an extra 15 cents. A $400 car repair would add $3. Groceries and prescription medicine are exempt.
The hotel/motel tax increase would generate roughly $265,000 a year, paid entirely by hotel guests. That money is earmarked for stormwater improvements.
According to the village's proposal, the restructuring could unlock more than $40 million in capital investment over five years. Stormwater infrastructure is listed as the top priority, with projects following the village's Stormwater Master Plan.
Stormwater has been a growing expense. At a Jan. 15 budget workshop, village staff reported higher Public Works spending driven by unexpected stormwater events. The village has also dedicated additional funding to Sawmill Creek stormwater work. DuPage County awarded a contract in December 2025 to Christopher B. Burke Engineering to update the Sawmill Creek Watershed Plan, originally completed in 1996. A 2017 update focused on water quality; the current revision targets flooding and stormwater management and is expected in 2027.
Willowbrook, a home rule municipality of fewer than 10,000 residents spanning about two square miles, has long relied on sales tax rather than property tax to fund village operations. The village reported five consecutive balanced budgets as of the January workshop, with sales tax revenue up 20% and home rule sales tax up 16%.
No Village Board vote on the proposal has been scheduled. Residents can review the full plan, including a household savings calculator, on the village's website.
