Villa Park voters reject tax hike for improvements

Villa Park voters have narrowly rejected a half-percentage-point sales tax increase to raise money for infrastructure work not included in the village's street improvement plan.

With all precincts reporting, 52 percent of voters denied the village's request to increase its sales tax rate to 8 percent from 7.5 percent to cover infrastructure improvements not covered under the $23 million roads plan the village won approval for two years ago.

There were 4,682 votes cast against the tax hike and 4,337 in favor of it.

Village Manager Richard Keehner has said some of the road repairs hoped to be done next year would require underground work not covered by the $23 million, such as separating combined sewers into individual storm and sanitary pipes.

The hoped-for increase would have generated about $1.5 million a year in extra revenue for the village.