The bottom line is that the Palos Park Village Council does not want to see the village’s library close its doors in the coming weeks.
But some council members are not thrilled with bailing out the library with a $130,000 loan.
The council voted 4-0 (with commissioner Rebecca Petan absent) to enter an intergovernmental agreement to grant the library the short-term loan.
“The reason for the loan is the major delays in property tax collection at the county level,” Village Manager Rick Boehm said. “The collection and distribution of the second installment of the 2024 property taxes were due Dec. 15, 2025. That delay is taking place.
“Additionally, the library is considered a sub-agency of the village. We are getting our money ahead of the library.”
Boehm said the village has received 40% of its tax money.
While the council voted on the loan, some members chafed that the library and village are in this position.
“When we first got this request, I was told that they are a sub-agency and they would close the doors,” Commissioner G. Darryl Reed said of the library. “I can’t have that. People want to read.
“But it boggles my mind, I guess, that we’re even in this position and having to discuss this.”
Commissioner Dan Polk was agreeable to a short-term loan of six-to-eight weeks, but he voiced concerns about the village granting the loan without returning interest.
“What if it’s six to eight months?” Polk said. “The agreement could be structured in such a way that the citizens of Palos Park don’t get penalized.
It’s always good to have plans for a rainy day. I’ve never been able to see any of those plans (from the library) up to this particular point. I know the village has plans for rainy days.”
Mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters said that she met with library officials and that they are taking steps to build up reserves to survive a situation like this in the future.
“I am confident that they fully understand what they have to do and they have some ideas on how they are going to do that and they are sharing that with us,” the mayor said. “I’m confident with the board’s commitment and passion for doing the right thing.”
Polk and Reed would like to see the library’s commitment in writing.
“If it needs to be in writing, so be it,” Reed said. “Hopefully these folks are responsible and understand the concerns that we are publicly expressing and will take it to heart.
“I’m not casting dispersions on anyone’s good name and character or business practices. But we shouldn’t be here, is what I’m saying. But we are, so we gotta do something.”