A proposed ordinance for the creation of a Greek Row Special Service Tax District passed a first reading Monday night, despite negative comments from property owners of the proposed area.

A public hearing held during the regular DeKalb City Council meeting was an opportunity for the public to voice their opinions on the special service district, City Manager Mark Stevens said.

John Kuney, 924 Hillcrest Drive, and owner of apartment complexes on Hillcrest and Ridge Drives, said he supported education, but he believed it was “unfair and disproportionate” to make one area pay for the road improvements. “It’s a good cause, but the city should look for other ways to pay (for the improvements),” he said.

The tax increase would cost about $10 per apartment per month, Kuney said. “It’s (the increase) a burden on a small select of people,” he said.

Although he said he probably would not lose any money himself, Kuney said he would have to charge the extra money to his tenants.

The rent increase would stiffen competition, because land owners outside of the distrcit also raise their rent, and make a profit in doing so, Kuney said.

Al Pender, 338 Greenwood North, and owner of an apartment complex at 836 Greenbrier Road, said the increase would make a lot of people unhappy. Some residents might not want to pay the increase, he said.

NIU’s bus service, the cause of the premature street deterioration and the cause of the tax district proposal, does not need to run every five minutes, Pender said.

“When I bought my property in December of 1969, there were no buses. My property is two blocks away from the school and the students walked,” Pender said.

The buses harm the streets most during severe winter weather, so the buses should not run at all during the bad weather, Pender said. “If the weather is bad, the students still can walk,” he said.

“You (the city) can make the students pay (for the increase), or better yet, get it from the university—but don’t make the property owners pay,” Pender said.

DeKalb Third Ward Alderman William Hanna said he lived in a special tax disrict. At the time of the taxing, the improvements made were for the area’s benefit, and Hanna paid the increase without any complaint, he said.

“The students would prefer to walk out their front doors and get on buses rather then walk two blocks—they pay the rent and the rent pays the taxes,” Hanna said.

Other districts in DeKalb should not pay for any of the improvements, he said.

First Ward Alderwoman Christine Hoagland said she spoke with residents in her ward and found they wanted door-to-door bus service. The students chose to be taxed, even though they were aware of every other option, such as discontinuing bus service in the area or re-routing the bus service, she said.

Assistant City Manager Gary Boden said some of the businesses within the proposed distrcit would not be included in the tax increase because the city believed the businesses did not benefit much from the buses.

The residents would pay two to four cents less a month if the businesses were taxed also, he said.

If the project was not completed, buses would have to be re-routed to keep from further deteriorating the streets, Stevens said.

DeKalb Mayor Greg Sparrow said property value might go down if buses were not available in the district. “Ultimately, it will be the students who pay higher rent for this and the students are already aware of the increase,” he said.

The increase might not be as high as projected, because the project probably will not cost as much as the city estimated, Sparrow said.