Fox River Grove voters want say on new building

Fox River Grove voters said Tuesday they should have a say in plans to finance a new streets and parks facility.

With all six precincts reporting, 1,062 people, or 89 percent, said the village should hold a public vote on financing the new facility, while 134 voters, or 11 percent, said a vote wasn't necessary, according to unofficial results.

The question originated with Kathryn Schiewe and Cindy Pilz, a pair of Fox River Grove women concerned about the cost of planning and building a streets and parks maintenance facility.

Pilz saw the non-binding measure as an "exercise in communication" that in essence tracks whether the public would endorse financing the new $7.5 million building.

"We got what we wanted to get across and that was to raise public awareness on the issue," Schiewe said. "I don't think (Fox River Grove officials) would have responded if nobody did anything."

Officials, meanwhile, have said they'll use Tuesday's referendum results to decide how best to move forward with the new building.