Winfield, Villa Park face road repair obstacles
While it could be months before Winfield develops an alternative plan to fix crumbling streets, Villa Park officials already are coping with their Plan B after failing to gain voter support for road repairs.
“I guess the people of Villa Park just don't want their roads fixed,” Village President Tom Cullerton said Wednesday, the day after voters rejected a proposal to increase the village's sales tax to pay for street repairs. Another measure was rejected in February.
Winfield officials, meanwhile, said they simply don't yet know how to respond to voters rejecting two questions that would have raised property taxes to pay for road repairs in their town. Village trustees aren't expected to discuss the election results when they meet Thursday night.
“We have just wrapped up a very intensive effort to educate the public of the facts,” Village Manager Curt Barrett said. “We certainly respect the answer that we got on the questions.”
The first question sought voters' permission to borrow $3.3 million to repair the most deteriorated streets in Winfield. The second asked voters to let the village collect an extra $700,000 in property taxes each year to pay for a 20-year roadway repair cycle.
“We appreciate that it's tough times and it's a tough question,” Barrett said. “It's also a tough challenge we're facing.”
In Villa Park, officials were hoping to generate up to $1.3 million a year for street repairs by raising the sales tax from 7.75 percent to 8.25 percent.
“A lot of people told me that a sales tax increase would be the easiest way and the least painful and would win,” Cullerton said. “I'm staggered by the results.
“But the voters spoke,” he said. “They don't want it. So we'll go forward.”
When asked what happens next, Cullerton said most of the cash the village has for road repairs will be needed for major projects along Ardmore Avenue and South Villa Avenue.
Meanwhile, Winfield officials are expected to revisit other funding options. The possibilities include creating a vehicle sticker program and installing more red-light cameras.
“We have heard from residents on each of these topics,” Barrett said, adding the options could be a hard sell.
Some have suggested the village explore the idea of creating special service areas, which are neighborhoods or districts in which only the affected property owners decide whether to pay extra for road repairs in their areas.
Village President Deborah Birutis said she expects it will take months for the board to review all the options.
In the meantime, Birutis and Cullerton agree on one thing: Voters in their towns aren't likely to see a road repair measure on the April ballot.
“I don't foresee myself bringing this up again,” Cullerton said. “The last thing I need is another beating.”