DeKalb Township — The DeKalb Township Board of Trustees voted Nov. 18 to adopt ordinance 2025-03R, approving a 1% increase to the road-district levy to build reserves for a new building and equipment fund. Board members said the increase responds to rising utility and equipment costs and reductions in some state grant streams.

The levy presentation was given by a board member responsible for road-district operations, who said the 1% change would add $14,075.04 to the building-and-equipment fund. The official said that the new fund will help with a projected annual building payment of about $175,000 and shield restricted road and bridge funds that must be shared with municipalities under state statute.

"I did my due diligence to try and keep this levy as low as possible," the road-district speaker said during discussion, noting inflationary pressures and a recent shift of some state transportation monies away from local road grants. Board members asked clarifying questions about whether the increase would reduce road projects; the presenter said road work would not be cut but some equipment purchases might be extended to longer service lives.

The board approved the ordinance by roll call with no recorded opposition. The roll call as captured in the meeting transcript records affirmative responses from multiple trustees; the presiding official then confirmed the filing of the levy with the county clerk.

Why this matters: the road district's levy is a primary local funding source for maintaining roads and public infrastructure. Board members said placing the additional funds into a building-and-equipment account preserves road-and-bridge dollars that the township must share with municipalities and keeps the district positioned to meet upcoming debt-service and operating costs.

Next steps: the township indicated it will file the approved levy with the county clerk as required and will bring related procurement (including building construction payments and equipment schedules) forward as contracts or agenda items in future meetings.