(The Center Square) – Questions over rising local government fees are drawing attention in Illinois after a Wilmette homeowner said he paid a $4,325 permit fee to remove a heritage tree that was damaging his property but did not meet the village’s definition of a hazardous tree.
During a recent Wilmette Village Board meeting, Bill Campbell urged trustees to amend the village’s 2022 tree ordinance to allow homeowners to remove what he called “pre-hazardous” heritage trees for the standard $75 permit fee.
“Two years ago, at age 74, our tree’s lateral roots began invading and lifting the adjacent pavers on our walk, creating a future trip hazard,” Campbell said.
Under the ordinance, Campbell said heritage trees qualify for the standard permit fee only if they are dead, dying or hazardous. Because his tree had not yet been classified as hazardous, Campbell said he was required to pay a $4,325 permit fee to remove it.
“I am here this evening asking you to consider adding to your March 2022 Wilmette Tree Ordinance an addendum that will allow for the removal of a pre-hazardous heritage tree,” Campbell told trustees.
The dispute comes as municipalities across Illinois continue searching for ways to cover rising costs, an issue Illinois state Sen. Donald DeWitte said has intensified as local governments receive less revenue from the state.
“Municipalities across the state have had no choice but to find newer revenue sources based on the fact that every year they are fighting for state revenues that are owed to them,” DeWitte told The Center Square.
DeWitte said he was unfamiliar with the specifics of Wilmette’s ordinance but questioned whether homeowners facing steep permit fees have an adequate opportunity to appeal.
“I have to believe there is an appeal process attached to that that would give…a tree that is starting to create damage to someone’s private property…some hearing process…that would be able to temper such a harsh permit fee,” he said.
While acknowledging municipalities face financial pressures, DeWitte said the state should restore money owed to local governments through the Local Government Distributive Fund rather than impose additional oversight on local permit decisions.
“You could probably survey every single mayor across the state of Illinois and you would find every mayor would simply like to have whatever is owed to them from the state of Illinois pursuant to local government distributive funds,” DeWitte said.
DeWitte opposed greater state regulation of municipal fee schedules, arguing local governments are generally best equipped to manage their own affairs.
“I do not believe there needs to be any state oversight with regards to an individual municipality’s ability to be able to charge reasonable permits for administrative costs and fees incurred in providing those city services to their residents,” he said.
Still, DeWitte warned that if state funding to municipalities continues to fall short, residents could see more examples of significant local fees.
“It cannot maintain itself as it stands,” DeWitte said. “If it does continue to maintain itself, you’re going to start seeing more examples of $4,356 permit fees to simply take a tree down that’s damaging property.”
