Winfield officials, residents discuss tricky road problems

Winfield residents on Saturday considered ways to keep local streets from crumbling at a time when revenues are down.

Village Manager Curt Barrett told a group of about 20 people during a town hall meeting that Winfield might ask residents to approve a tax hike that would allow the village to resurface its 35 miles of local streets every 20 years.

The tax hike, which is being considered for the ballot in November, would come in two parts. The first would ask voters' permission to borrow $3.3 million to resurface the most deteriorated streets in town. The second would ask voters to let the village collect additional property tax revenue each year to fund a 20-year maintenance cycle for the entire network of local roads.

The two questions combined would cost the owner of a $300,000 home about $260 extra in property taxes each year.

Barrett explained that the village has few other options outside of a tax hike. Motor fuel tax revenues, which have traditionally been used to pay for road repairs, have declined in recent years while the cost of repaving roads has jumped, he said. And the village doesn't collect enough in property taxes or sales taxes to make up the difference.

Resident Joan Eme suggested the village ask Central DuPage Hospital to make a contribution for road repairs.

"The hospital generates so much traffic," she said. "That has an impact on our streets."

Barrett said that while the village could certainly make such a request, there's little it can do if the hospital refuses.

"We can ask, but we can't tell," he said, pointing out that CDH is a not-for-profit hospital.

Resident and former Trustee Stan Zegel suggested that instead of a general tax hike, the village explore the idea of creating special service areas - neighborhoods or districts in which only the affected property owners decide whether to pay extra for road repairs in their areas.

"That way, in each district the people who use the roads most are the ones making the decision," he said. "It might be more palatable than a general referendum."

Others said the village needs to get more aggressive when it comes to attracting commercial development to Winfield. Several trustees pointed out that such work already is under way.

Barrett said the village has looked at ways to increase revenue should a referendum not be successful. The possibilities include creation of a vehicle sticker program and installation of red-light cameras.

Eme said she's not sure voters would go for a tax hike in November.

"The whole country is hurting right now," she said. "Everyone's taken a financial hit."