Wauconda roads fix a tough sell?

Being assessed for street repairs may be the most dreaded thing in Monopoly.

But Wauconda village officials fear that getting voters to approve a request to borrow $7 million to pay for road improvements may be even more of a crapshoot.

If the referendum request passes on Nov. 4, the owner of a $260,000 home, considered the median home value in Wauconda, would pay roughly $99 in additional taxes annually. The money would be used to repair eight miles of road and would be repaid in 15 years.

The vibe among patrons at some hometown restaurants Monday was that a tax increase in this economy is a bad idea. Some residents polled said they didn't know enough about the road referendum or they didn't care because it didn't affect their neighborhood streets.

Resident Sam Soccorso says everyone should take responsibility for roads in the community regardless of whether they live on a street in disrepair.

"I have a child who is not in the Wauconda school district, but I'm still paying taxes," Soccorso said. "We all live in the community. We all use our roads every day."

For three years, Soccorso has been complaining to village hall about fixing the sinking pavement in front of his house at 550 Meadowview Drive.

"I actually have a 3-inch drop where the street has fallen below that curb," he said. "It is sinking more and more every winter. If we do a little bit (maintenance) every year, it will avoid the general reconstruction of the entire road."

If approved, the borrowed money would fix roads in older subdivisions that haven't been touched for 15 to 20 years and are in need of either total reconstruction or resurfacing.

Village officials say they have no other way to fund these road repairs since current motor fuel tax revenues are earmarked to repay $7 million borrowed for a previous road and water project.

Officials say the village is asking for the money now despite the current economic climate because the cost of fixing roads will only escalate as asphalt prices soar.

This year, the village resurfaced an entire subdivision for $1 million.

"If we would have waited just two more years, the price of that subdivision would have been $4 million," Wauconda Mayor Salvatore Saccomanno said. "That has to do with the structural integrity of the road. The longer you wait the infrastructure underneath starts decaying. It doesn't matter if it's today, tomorrow or next year. What we are asking residents is, 'Do you want to participate in repairing the roads that need repairs?'"

If voters answer "no," the village will continue doing patchwork repairs as it has in the past.

"You're going to see a ton of Band-Aids on the street," Saccomanno said.

Village officials aren't actively selling the road referendum, but they have informed residents through the village Web site and newsletter. Yet, they admit more education is needed before Nov. 4.

Public works Director David Geary said if voters turn down the request, he will at least have a response to the 10 calls per week from people complaining about potholes during the spring and summer.

"The answer is we asked the residents and they chose not to pay for it," he said.