Wheeling rejects 911 tax increase

Wheeling residents rejected the proposed increase in the monthly 911 surcharge fee in a narrow vote Tuesday night.

With 22 of the 22 Cook County precincts reporting as of about 9:30 p.m., 1,561 votes were cast against hiking the surcharge, while 1,400 residents voted for it.

Wheeling's lone Lake County precinct had not reported by 11 p.m. Tuesday.

Wheeling Village President Judy Abruscato was disappointed.

"The 70-cent increase we were asking for didn't even cost as much as a case of Coke," she said. "I'm disappointed, but the people have spoken and they'll have to deal with the results down the line."

The requested 911 surcharge increase would have almost doubled the fee, which is now 75 cents a month for each land telephone line in the village.

Allowing for inflation, this increase would've kept the fee consistent with what was approved by village residents in 1989.

By law, the money raised by this surcharge is used only for police and fire dispatch services, and the village wanted the extra money to keep the system and its technology up to date.

"We have to look toward the future," Abruscato said. "In a couple of years, this is going to hurt our general fund because the money is going to have to come from there."

Voters rejected the same increase in 2008.

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<li><a href="/news/politics/elections/2010/primary/race/?id=ref_cook County">More on Wheeling 911 referendum </a></li>

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