Winfield poised to seek road referendum
Winfield officials won't vote until next month on whether to ask residents to approve a tax increase to help repair the village's streets.
But the battle for the minds of voters already has begun.
Village board members Thursday made it clear they believe a November referendum is the best - and apparently only - option they are considering to fix Winfield's roads, many of which are in poor to failing condition.
"I think this is something that has never really been addressed straight on to the degree it needs to," Trustee Jack Bajor said. "It's always been a difficult situation anyway, knowing the limited resources we have here in the village. So taking this forward in a referendum, I think, is certainly the way to go."
However, a vocal critic of the referendum says he's actively working to convince other residents to defeat it.
Tim Allen said he's campaigning against the referendum proposal because the board has "routinely passed up opportunities to make money that don't require dipping into the pockets of our citizens."
He argues Winfield must be more aggressive when it comes to attracting commercial development, especially along Roosevelt Road.
"It would be a shame if I were to be successful in shooting down the referendum because this village board was unwilling and uninterested in reviewing our comprehensive plan to set a path to make sustainable revenues that didn't require you taxing us every single time we needed to have something fixed," he said.
Village Manager Curt Barrett, however, said Winfield would need businesses making $100 million in annual sales in order for the village to raise $1 million in sales tax revenue for road repairs.
"So I think it's misinformed to suggest the village board is simply holding back from flipping a switch that will suddenly have a $100 million business up and running any time in the foreseeable future," Barrett said. "The dollars we're talking about are significant."
If the proposed questions are placed on the November ballot, residents will be asked to approve a tax increase to allow Winfield to resurface its 35 miles of local streets every 20 years.
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 extra property tax revenue each year to fund a 20-year maintenance cycle for the entire network of local roads.
If approved, both questions combined would cost the owner of a $300,000 home about $230 extra in village property taxes each year.
When one resident asked if there's a backup plan in case the referendum fails, officials said that's an issue the board would have to revisit "after the public has had the opportunity to make an informed decision" on the ballot questions.
"But the fact of the matter is, the road work we need costs money," Barrett said. "We do not have another alternative source in place to pay those costs. And so we don't have an alternative that will bridge the gap."