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1. Why is a bundled brush collection fee being implemented now (April 2019) after being free for so long?

The former "free" service had actually cost the Village $83,610 annually. The Village is facing serious budget concerns and must assess all spending. In order maintain a high level of core services. These core services include public safety provided by Police and Fire Departments; road, sewer, and water maintenance from Public Works; building and code enforcement from Community Development, and responsible long-term financial planning from the Finance Department.

Village Staff has been tasked with identifying discretionary/enhanced services and assessing their funding. Free bundled brush pick-up was identified as an enhanced service.

2. What is the difference between a core service and an enhanced service?

The Village of Lombard is unwavering in its commitment to provide excellent core services to its residents and will continue to do so. These core services include public safety provided by Police and Fire Departments; road, sewer, and water maintenance from Public Works; building and code enforcement from Community Development, and responsible long-term financial planning from the Finance Department.

Enhanced services are those services that, which while still important, are more discretionary in nature and may be the product of historical service delivery, local policy and/or preference.

3. Why was free bundled brush collection identified as an enhanced service?

The Village provides excellent core services to residents. Discretionary/enhanced services are those that do not directly provide a core service to the majority of Lombard residents. It is important to remember that many residents in condos and apartments, and those who pay for landscaping services, do not utilize brush collection. The service fee ($2.37 per sticker, required for each individual bundle) will charge residents for their personal and direct use of the brush collection.

4. What is the bundled brush collection fee?

Beginning April 1, 2019, a yard waste sticker will be required for bundled brush. These stickers are $2.37 a piece and are required for each bundle of brush. These yard waste stickers are also required for paper bags, and cans of leaves and grass.

5. Where can I purchase a yard waste sticker?

Stickers are available at participating local stores including the Jewel Food Stores in Lombard and Villa Park, 7-11 on Main Street, Johnson’s Lighthouse BP Gas Station in Villa Park, Schroeder’s Ace Hardware, and West Suburban Bank. Stickers are not available at Village Hall.

6. Will the Village require a yard waste sticker for brush collection after a storm event?

No. The Village’s policy includes free brush collection following a major wind storm (>50 mph sustained ground-level winds and >200 homes with significant tree damage). This policy will remain the same.

About the Village's Storm Damage Policy:
The Village does have policy in place that allows the Village to assist residents in the event of a large scale storm. Under the policy, there are two levels of response. The first is a Localized Response, in which more than 50, but less than 200 homes are impacted by a storm, or a 50 year rain event. The second level is a Village Response, in which 200 or more homes are impacted by a storm, or rainfall that exceeds a 50 year storm event. Although isolated damage has been reported, there have been no such large scale occurrences this year.

In the event that a severe storm should impact Lombard, residents will still be responsible for bundling their own brush, (bundled brush must not exceed six (6) feet in length and fifty (50) pounds in weight and each branch shall not exceed six (6) inches in diameter, with the total diameter of the bundle not to exceed 18 inches), or hiring a company that may work on private property. 

7. What are the restrictions for bundled brush collection?

Due to requirements for brush chipping, each bundle must be tied with non-plastic twine or string, cut no longer than six feet, no wider than eighteen inches, and less than fifty pounds.  Also, no limb may be greater than six inches in diameter.

8. If I don’t want to pay the fee, is there an alternative to bundled brush collection?

Residents may dispose brush via responsible burning in a backyard fire pit, or by composting under bushes or in yard recesses.

9. Why is there a budget deficit?

The challenges faced by the Village are associated with maintaining excellent core service levels to residents and business owners, while expenses continue to increase faster than revenues due to a challenging retail sales environment, decreases in state funding, and State mandates beyond the Village’s control.

10. I pay taxes. Why don’t my tax dollars pay for this service?

While taxes in Illinois remain some of the highest in the nation, it is important to remember that the Village of Lombard receives less than $0.08 of each property tax dollar to provide for its core services. (Public safety provided by Police and Fire Departments; road, sewer, and water maintenance from Public Works; building and code enforcement from Community Development, and responsible long-term financial planning from the Finance Department.)  Lombard’s percentage of property taxes is 7.36%, followed by the Park District at 5%, the Helen Plum Library at 5.60%, DuPage County at 3.79%, and York Township at 1.09%. The majority of property taxes (77.16% or $0.77 of every dollar) goes to the School Districts.

11. What is the Village doing to help with the budget issues?

In an effort to be proactive, the Lombard Village Board approved a Long Range Plan in 2016 with strategies to address the rising costs of non-discretionary (required) expenses and to focus on core services. The strategy approved in the Long Range Plan recommends that the Village match dollar for dollar (50/50) revenue increases (income) and expenditure reductions (spending), in order to maintain a balanced General Fund operating budget.

The FY19 budget is based upon projected revenue from taxes and fees. The Village has made cumulative budget reductions of over $3.8 million since 2017.  For 2019, $753,933 in reductions were made to various services and programs, and the restructuring of some Village positions.

In 2015, the Village was on the path to having a budget deficit of more than $3 million by 2019. Due to the Village’s ongoing focus on fiscal responsibility, the Village’s 2019 budget is balanced. The Village Board remains committed to providing its residents with excellent core services and a balanced budget.

Moving forward, the Village will continue to face budget challenges head on and will remain focused on providing residents with a balanced budget while maintaining excellent core services.