In face of recession town reframes street tree program as remove/replace 50:50 cost share with resident; Elburn, IL

The Chronicle Elburn enacts 50/50 tree program
ELBURN – Homeowners in the village wanting to replace a tree along the street in front of their house can ask the village to cut it down and plant a new one.

The catch, however, is that the homeowner will now have to foot half the cost.

For years, the village of Elburn has paid the full expense of removing and replacing diseased and dying trees that line village streets.

But as the economic recession has placed a strain on village finances, village officials have decided to stretch tax dollars further by asking homeowners to pay 50 percent of the cost for the removal and replacement of the parkway trees.

The Elburn Village Board created the program earlier this summer when it enacted the village's budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year, setting aside $12,000 for the program.