Want your car? $500

Motorists in Algonquin could soon need a ride home -- and a beefy bank account -- if they are caught violating various laws in the village.

Trustees tonight will consider joining a growing list of towns that apply a fee for the return of vehicles seized in cases of drunken driving, or if the driver is lacking a valid license or insurance.

While ordinances in places like Chicago, Elgin, Roselle and Waukegan stop at violations related to lawfully operating a motor vehicle, Algonquin's would extend to other offenses.

If passed, Algonquin's $500 fee would apply to vehicles seized for firearm and drug-related offenses, driving with a specific type of warrant, illegal transportation of alcohol, and those involved in drag racing or attempts to flee police.

Algonquin Police Chief Russell Laine said the fee is an additional penalty for those already violating and ignoring the law.

"If you look at the violations, this is not just someone driving down the street speeding," Laine said. "This is for people who have had problems with the law before, not some innocuous minor violation."

Laine could not provide data on the number of drivers pulled over in Algonquin related to any of the violations.

Trustee Jim Steigert said he would support the ordinance as a deterrent to people involved in illegal activity.

"This is making people aware that driving drunk is going to cost them," Steigert said. "For those who sell or use drugs in this community, they are getting off easy. If it pushes them out, then it has served its purpose."

Last month Elgin city council members approved a $250 fee, plus all towing and storage costs. The police have yet to begin enforcing the new law.

Meanwhile, a proposal earlier this month in Carpentersville drew more than 400 protesters to a village board meeting where trustees were scheduled to discuss drafting a proposal.

Protesters said the measure was another tool in targeting Hispanic residents, who make up about 40 percent of the village's population.

The draft was approved 4-3 at a subsequent board meeting and trustees are expected to vote on its passage at an upcoming meeting.