Residents want fire trustees to be elected, not appointed

The Winfield Fire Protection District won't be the only group with a referendum on the Feb. 5 ballot.

A group of residents opposed to the fire district's repeat requests for a tax-hike will be asking voters whether they'd like to see the fire district board of trustees become elected officials.

The Winfield fire district's board members are currently appointed by DuPage County.

"These trustees don't represent our interests," said Dorothy Hanlock, a Winfield resident who helped spearhead the movement to collect 1,644 signatures to place the referendum on the ballot.

The Winfield fire district will be asking residents for the fourth consecutive time to approve a request to lift the tax cap for each of the next four years to allow 12.5 percent tax increases. The tax cap limits increases to 5 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is less.

Hanlock said the agency has already received its answer to this question several times over.

"We voted this referendum down several times," she said, "yet here they are again asking the same question. We're tired of it."

Winfield Deputy Fire Chief Bryan Lewis said residents are within their right to ask to make the fire board seats elected posts.

"The fire district understands the sensitivity of this issue," Lewis said. "Nobody wants their taxes going up, especially when there are other referendum questions being asked at the same time."

Winfield Fire Protection District

What: Should Winfield Fire Protection District board of trustees be elected rather than appointed by DuPage County?

Cost: None.

If it passes: The Winfield Fire Protection District board of trustees will need to run for election to maintain their posts.

If it loses: Fire board trustees will continue to be appointed by DuPage County.