Bensenville has second thoughts on referendums

Bensenville trustees may reconsider their decision to place two advisory referendum questions on the Feb. 5 election ballot.

The village board majority earlier this month approved the measure to ask voters to weigh in on whether Fenton High School District 100 and Bensenville Elementary District 2 should continue accepting money from Chicago.

The O'Hare Modernization Program is reimbursing District 100 and District 2 a total of $763,242 for the property tax liability of the acquired parcels within the O'Hare expansion area.

The city is planning to bulldoze more than 500 homes in Bensenville to make room for new runways and other changes to the airport.

But now village officials have scheduled a special meeting to take place Wednesday to consider withdrawing both referendum questions.

It's unclear what led to the special meeting.

Village Trustee Patricia Johnson, who voted against placing the referendum questions on the ballot, said she did not know who called for the special meeting.

"I'm not going to comment on that," Johnson said. "I'll have to see what it's all about. I'm going to have to wait to talk with the board."

Village Administrator Jim Johnson said only that the village conducted a recent telephone poll on the issue. Based on the results of that poll, the village board may want to reconsider its earlier decision, he added.

He wouldn't discuss the issue further.

Meanwhile, Fenton officials, late Monday, had not yet heard of the village's special meeting called for Wednesday.

Superintendent Kathie Pierce said the village removing the items would likely save both Fenton and District 2 the $1,500 a piece they were going to discuss spending on an "informational mailer" to all residents of Bensenville and Wood Dale.

"That may not seem like much money but those dollars are important to us and we'd like to keep them," Pierce said after learning of the village's plan to meet Wednesday. "It would be great not to have spend that money."

Board President Dorothy Lange said she would cautiously "wait until Thursday morning" before feeling comfortable that the questions were removed.

Bensenville Park District President Henry Wesseler publicly congratulated the Fenton trustees, at the onset of Monday night's meeting for their decision to keep their share of the funds.