The Village of Oak Park sent out a press release back in early October, saying it would issue refunds to make up for a mistake which resulted in the village over-levying $133,000 from the downtown special service area in 2006. Almost four months later, 200 or so downtown Oak Park taxpayers are still waiting.
The SSA is a self-taxing district that pays for the operations of the Downtown Oak Park Business Association.
Village Chief Financial Officer Craig Lesner said the process was much more complicated than expected, and it has taken far longer than expected to send out the applications.
“It was with the best intentions that we put out that press release,” he said. “Once we started getting down and dirty in the details, it got infinitely more complicated.”
Lesner says the village hopes to mail out the applications as early as this Friday. The village plans to process those applications within five days.
Anthony Shaker, a downtown property owner who says he discovered the over-levy, declined to comment Monday on the delayed rebates.
-Marty Stempniak
