State spending battle angers Wheaton officials
Wheaton officials had harsh words for Gov. Pat Quinn Wednesday after learning a $52.6 million construction project on Butterfield Road likely will grind to a halt July 1 if state lawmakers can’t agree on legislation to pay for it.
The project is one of thousands across the state that officials fear could be shut down if no agreement is reached.
“Quinn is looking for scapegoats for his budget,” Wheaton City Councilman Tom Mouhelis said. “If he takes it from municipalities ... it will put us in jeopardy. It’s fiscally irresponsible.”
Quinn met with lawmakers in his Chicago offices Wednesday to put pressure on them to work toward a deal. The dispute stems from Senate Democrats adding $430 million in schools and human services spending to a construction bill, a move rejected by House lawmakers.
Quinn last week said the impasse would result in construction shutdowns. After Wednesday’s meeting, Quinn urged the Democrats to drop the added spending.
Quinn spokeswoman Mica Matsoff said the governor gave legislative leaders until Friday to agree on a new plan. If that doesn’t happen, she said, Quinn could begin pulling the plug on major construction projects as early as Monday.
Matsoff said there are tentative plans for lawmakers to meet next Wednesday to consider granting routine permission to spend money on construction projects, such as highway improvements.
Wheaton has one of the largest projects that could be affected. Work on widening Butterfield Road in Wheaton and Warrenville began in late May.
Illinois Department of Transportation spokesman Josh Kauffman said Wednesday that IDOT will notify contractors involved in the Butterfield Road project of a “phased shutdown” on Friday if an agreement is not reached.
“Until an agreement is reached, the agency will prepare to initiate and coordinate a systematic, effective and safe shutdown with contractors and the agency will continue to keep the public notified,” he said.
Kauffman said the shutdown would be complete by June 30 and all statewide projects will be affected. Without a spending authorization, $16.6 billion in local, state and federal money cannot be disbursed for the projects.
As lawmakers bicker in Springfield, Wheaton officials face the prospect of having their main thoroughfare on the city’s south side remain under construction until sometime in 2013.
“It’s a sad state of affairs that, in Illinois, the state cannot come through with its projected projects and pay for them on time,” Mayor Mike Gresk said. “It’s a sad situation there. Weather and strikes is one thing. But this project is going to grind to a halt July 1 not for lack of funding. How sad is that?”
As it stands now, the project is scheduled to end in November 2012. It will widen the roughly 5-mile stretch of Butterfield Road from Naperville Road in Wheaton to just west of Illinois Route 59 in Warrenville.