The Town of Schererville is eying a cumulative budget of $53.7 million in 2024 with a General Fund estimate of $14 million.
The Schererville Town Council held an initial, first reading vote on the budget on September 13 with a vote unanimously in favor.
The council won’t have the final figures until the Indiana State Board of Accounts does its customary review of the town’s budget estimate relative to its sources of revenue. As for revenues derived from property taxes, the town is projecting a 4.53% increase in its 2024 levy, according to figures provided by Clerk-Treasurer Mike Troxell.
Notable fund projections include: Local Road & Street, $1,562,434; Police Pension, $121,550; Municipal Fire and EMS, $1,870,790; Park & Recreation, $1,314,384; Cumulative Capital Development, $2 million; Solid Waste Management, $154,321; Water, $7,031,226; and Waste Water, $5,517,514.
The town will also have more than $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds at its disposal. Troxell said the bulk of the ARPA funds will go toward upgrades to the town’s wastewater treatment plan and other infrastructure improvements, along with employee bonuses.
Town Council President Tom Schmitt, D-4th, said he was looking forward to the start of work on a new fire station at Joliet and Anna streets, as well as renovations to the station on Burr Street. He noted that a SAFER grant will fund three new firefighters for the next three years.
“The financial picture is looking really positive in Schererville,” Schmitt said. “All of our accounts are looking really well this year and for the next.”
He added that there’s much anticipation over a survey of residents as to the best use of the former Illiana Speedway property along U.S. 30. With that information due out soon, the town will be able to move ahead with a massive redevelopment of the property, which will likely be focused recreational development with the possibility of some retain.
Bolstering the town’s tax levy are the addition of new retail developments along U.S. 41, such as the opening of Portillo’s Hot Dogs and Chick-fil-A that opened in the past year. The latest announcement comes from Stan’s Donuts & Coffee, which is planning to open up store at 1020 U.S. 41, located within the northeast corner of the lot previously occupied by Menards.
To make way for Stan’s, the Town Council approved a favorable recommendation from the Board of Zoning Appeals to allow the business to operate a drive-through window.
Stan’s Donuts, which originated in Los Angeles, California, has several locations in the Chicago metropolitan region, and the products are sold in local grocery stores. Stan’s also ships donut orders and fulfills requests for special types of donuts.
Jim Masters is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
