Mayor’s Message December 12, 2025

Dear Residents,

The safety of our community begins with the men and women who serve in our police department and this week I had the pleasure of welcoming a new member to the team charged with keeping us safe.

I hope you will join me in welcoming Officer Kimberly Slusarczyk, who I swore in at our Wednesday Board meeting.

Officer Slusarczyk brings valuable experience from her service as a Police Officer at Loyola Campus and has completed her training at the Chicago Police Academy. Please join us in welcoming Officer Slusarczyk to South Barrington!

This Years TAX LEVY

Taxes are going up all across the state but here in South Barrington, we have kept taxes the same.

For the ninth year in a row, the board voted to keep our collection dollar amount the same for 2025 on your real estate tax. Please take a look at the back of your newest tax bill and note that South Barrington is collecting 6.74% of your total bill, which includes our police pension.

This vote reflects our continued commitment to making fiscally responsible decisions on spending money at the Village. We are committed to living within our means and to ensuring the Village portion of your real estate taxes is not the reason your property taxes are going up. We respect you, the taxpayer, and we strive to ensure our actions match our words.

BACOG- Local Government Pitch Day

I would like to take a moment to thank Trustee Shahzad Kazi for stepping up to help educate the young people in our community.

It’s always great when local government officials have opportunities to connect with our youth. Trustee Kazi recently spoke with the students at Prairie Middle School during BACOG’s Local Government Pitch Day. His visit gave students a valuable chance to share their ideas for improving our communities and to learn how to effectively engage with local government. Thank you, Trustee Kazi!

Harper College- Canning Student Center

I recently had the honor to attend the beam placement ceremony last week celebrating a major construction milestone for Harper College’s new Canning Student Center and University Center.
Leaders from Harper College, the Illinois Capital Development Board, and state and local officials gathered to recognize the near completion of the structural frame for this transformative $101.6 million, 144,000-square-foot facility.

The event highlighted the Center’s future impact, bringing together student services such as Admissions, Advising, the Cultural Center, Job Placement Resources, dining, classrooms, labs, and wellness spaces into a vibrant hub designed to support student success. With hundreds of tons of steel installed, concrete and roofing work underway, and completion expected in 2026, the project represents a significant investment in education, workforce development, and the region’s future.

The Woods of South Barrington Road Maintenance North of Penny Road

I would like to clear up the confusion as to the status of the roads in the Woods of South Barrington north of Penny Road. Toll Brothers is responsible for the snow plowing and other maintenance issues on the roads north of Penny. This is not the Villages responsibility, but at this time, we have been forced to do this plowing with Village funds in order to ensure safety on those roads.

Parkway Tree Trimming Scheduled to Begin December 15

Please be advised the Village will begin its parkway tree trimming on Monday, December 15th.
Crews will start in the Woodhaven subdivision and will proceed through the remaining neighborhoods in the following order: Meadow Lakes, South Barrington Green, Willow Bay, Lakeshore Estates, and Stoneridge.
At this time, only the start date and the planned sequence of subdivisions are available. Specific dates for when crews will be working in each individual subdivision are not available. Completion of the trimming is anticipated before the end of the year, weather permitting.

Residents with questions or concerns during this period may contact Ryan at rmurphy@southbarrington.org

Last Call, South Barrington Residents!

Our Decorating Contest is underway and there is still time for you to enter and participate in the coolest contest in town.

Don’t be shy, submit up to two photos of your decorated home to be included in the online contest. Residents will begin voting Monday through December 19th.

The winning home will receive a $200 gift card to the Arboretum, generously sponsored by our friend Rick Heidner.

Below are the homes currently entered, we’re excited to see which one earns the official bragging rights this year!

If you’d like to join the fun, please send your photos and address to Makayla at mterfehn@southbarrington.org. Good luck!

As always, I am here to listen to your thoughts and concerns. Feel free to email me at pmccombie@southbarrington.org, or use the anonymous comment boxes located in the lobbies of Village Hall and the Police Department. I review these messages privately and value your input.

Have an enjoyable weekend!

Paula McCombie
Mayor