Mayor Greg Sparrow will file a veto within the next two weeks on the two-cent-per-gallon motor fuel tax increase passed Monday by the city council, leaving DeKalb aldermen with a new challenge for saving a struggling budget.

Also passed Monday night was the 1/2 percent city sales tax increase, which will generate about $700,000 for the city, according to the city council.

The motor fuel tax increase was approved by a 4-3 vote, which allows Sparrow veto power. Had five aldermen voted in favor of the tax, the mayor would have lost his veto power.

“It’s regretful the mayor stated he’ll veto [the motor fuel tax] and hasn’t changed his mind,” said 6th Ward Alderman David Baker.

Second Ward Alderman Kris Povlsen, who voted to raise the motor fuel tax, said this is the first time Sparrow has filed a veto that Povlsen has been a part of.

“He has that right, and that’s the democratic process,” Povlsen said. “It’s the law, so let’s move on to the next issue.”

Povlsen said he hopes a veto of the motor fuel tax won’t put a strain on the city. He said he hopes the city sales tax increase, with revenues from Kohl’s and Best Buy (which will open in spring 2004), will even things out.

Povlsen said a modest raise in city sales tax never should allow the city to think its budget difficulties have subsided.

“Hopefully we don’t take for granted that we have extra money and our budget will be OK,” he said.

Seventh Ward Alderman James Barr, who voted against the motor fuel tax increase, said simply raising a city sales tax should help to satisfy the city’s short-term budget needs. Barr, however, doesn’t think this will cause the city to lose its mentality that balancing the budget will require more analysis and decision-making in the near future.

First Ward Alderman Karega Harris, who changed his vote from “yes” to “no,” said he’s heard both positives and negatives from his ward about the motor fuel tax increase. Ultimately, he said those opposed outweighed those in favor and therefore changed his decision.

The council will vote again at the Sept. 22 meeting to determine if Sparrow’s veto will pass. The catch regarding a motor fuel tax, Harris said, is that they could revisit it at any time following the mayoral veto.

Baker: Roads still need attention

Motor fuel tax revenue could have gone toward various road reconstruction projects. One in particular may have been the project 6th Ward Alderman David Baker proposed: the reconstruction of Hillcrest Road.

This subsequently would have allowed a Huskie bus to stop at Barsema Hall and/or a downtown shuttle bus. That, however, was just one option among the many road projects aldermen had previously cited as a priority.

Baker has said both the city sales tax and motor fuel tax are necessary if future road projects are to take place without further draining the budget. He said he conferred with some citizens and came to the conclusion that they wouldn’t mind a two-cent motor fuel tax increase.

Another plan he created was to make the Fox Valley and Barsema shuttle buses obsolete and use those funds for a downtown bar shuttle bus. Baker said these same people said they would favor a shuttle bus driving from bar to bar within DeKalb.

Baker said a similar program at Western Illinois University has been a success and, if used at NIU, would go a long way to promote life safety issues.

He estimated the motor fuel tax would have brought in anywhere from $300,000 to $500,000 per fiscal year, which is higher than the original estimation of $250,000. He said he arrived at these numbers after speaking with local gas station owners about how much gas they sell annually.

Baker now hopes the need for the Hillcrest reconstruction or a downtown shuttle bus will eventually prompt NIU and the Student Association to approach the city.

Baker said he won’t lobby the SA further, rather putting the responsibility on themselves should they want such projects followed through.

The SA, however, has stated it doesn’t believe in funding any projects that are classified as “city projects.”