Cemetery board in Huntley could be abolished

The Huntley Village Board might soon oversee the Huntley Cemetery.

The cemetery is located off Dean Street, just south of downtown Huntley. It is across the street from and north of the St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery.

Village trustees recently discussed whether to abolish the cemetery board that oversees the burial grounds. However, the village board didn’t take any action. A vote will happen at a later date.

Huntley documents indicate there are two vacancies on the cemetery board, and the village is having difficulty finding people to serve. Compensation for serving on the three-member board is $350 annually, according to documents.

The village board approves the budget for the cemetery.

“I want to thank the volunteers, and I know they were paid a very small amount,” Village Manager Dave Johnson said. “The amount of time that this board has put in over the years has been incredible.”

Huntley departments have responsibilities related to the cemetery, including the finance department coordinating grave sales and the public works department managing the capital improvement process.

The possible transfer of oversight comes as the village plans several capital improvements to the cemetery, including new signs and landscaping and numbered row signs on the north side of the cemetery to match the south side. The village budgeted $90,000 for capital improvements this year, according to Huntley documents.

Trustee Mary Holzkopf asked how many plots were available in the cemetery. Johnson said there are about 675 total spaces available.