LANSING | The Village Board is expected to formally approve an increase in fees the village charges for automobile stickers in order to raise money for a series of road repairs and other construction projects.

Trustees voted earlier this year to go forward with the projects, which will cost up to $25 million over three years. The projects will be paid for primarily through bond sales.

At that time, officials were told they would need to raise the fee charged for village stickers sold annually to residents with automobiles in order to raise part of the money to repay the bonds.

When the board meets again Tuesday, it is expected to take a vote formally raising the fees from the $15 to $30 per year.

Residents 65 and older who were paying the senior citizen rate of $1.50 for their stickers now will have to pay $3.

Trustees on Tuesday did make one change -- deciding to keep the $15 fee the same for the roughly 20 residents who served in the military and can document they earned the Purple Heart for being wounded in a combat zone.

Trustee Norm Abbott said that financial break was requested by local Veterans of Foreign Wars officials.

Mayor Dan Podgorski said the increase would be the first for Lansing residents since 1979 and Lansing has one of the lowest village sticker rates of any town in the south suburbs.

He compared the new rate to the $50 charged to Calumet City residents, and said many local communities charge from $25 to $40 yearly.

Also last week, trustees learned the next bond sale meant to raise money for the upcoming portion construction projects likely will be complete by the beginning of this week.

Attorney Kurt Froelich said the bonds will be sold with an interest rate of slightly less than 5 percent, and Lansing's financial situation was solid enough to warrant bond insurance from Assured Guarantee, a AAA-rated insurer.

"All of this looks to be as good as we can possibly get in the current market," Froelich said.