Wheaton looks for ways to pay for better streets

The Wheaton City Council collectively decided Monday night that smooth streets and sidewalks that won't break your mother's back are among the top keys to residents having pride in their city.

The question now is how much is pride worth to Wheaton residents.

The council directed staff members to make streets and sidewalks the top infrastructure priorities.

City Manager Don Rose pulled no punches in letting the council know that paved streets and new sidewalks is a champagne wish during a Miller High Life reality.

The current city budget is $3 million in the hole. Next year won't be better without a new source of income.

"Some of these items are going to require revenues," Rose said. "As we sit here today, there aren't any."

The council placed flood control and fixing city buildings as the next highest infrastructure priorities. Those will also cost money, setting the stage for a few options. Almost all of them involve raising taxes for all or some Wheaton residents.

The first plan would be to create special taxing districts for infrastructure improvements. In that scenario, the neighborhoods or subdivisions receiving, for instance, new sidewalks, would have an additional tax placed on them to pay for the improvements. That option keeps the whole city from paying for improvements that won't directly benefit them.

The second plan is something Rose said he's recently been contemplating. The plan would ask residents to approve an increase to the real estate transfer tax through a referendum. Such a tax is most often imposed during the sale of land or buildings. The proceeds from that increase would pay for a detailed capital improvement plan for the whole city.

The last plan would be to significantly reduce the amount of roadwork and sidewalk improvements the city typically does until the economy rebounds.

Councilwoman Liz Corry said that's the plan she'd favor for at least the next couple years.

"Right now, I don't think we'd have a chance of moving forward (with a referendum)," Corry said.

However, Corry said she might reconsider that view if the capital improvement plan focused on a citywide effort to improve storm water drainage.

Councilman Phil Suess said he'd like to see a five-year plan that lists work to be done and costs before the council decides what's feasible on an annual basis.