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After fire station controversy, Rolling Meadows mayor wants voters to decide on future borrowing

Rolling Meadows Mayor Len Prejna wants voters to have the right to approve any future city borrowing, in light of the controversy over escalating costs to build two new fire stations.

While Prejna says his proposal - which he wants the seven-member city council to consider in the form of an ordinance - is too late to affect the fire stations project already underway, he wants the referendum option on the table for future projects the city aims to pay for by issuing bonds.

"At this stage, where the council has gone, I don't know that we can turn the corner," Prejna said Thursday, in reference to narrow-margin votes of the council to approve a construction contract for one station and land purchases for both. "But I want to make sure in the future the citizens have the opportunity to control the purse strings."

As mayor, Prejna hasn't gotten to cast votes with aldermen on the fire station project in recent months, which most recently included the council's 4-3 approval on Sept. 11 of a $5.8 million contract to build a new Station 15 at 3201 Algonquin Road. But he's long held the view that the city should build only that station - replacing the aging firehouse at 3111 Meadow Drive - and not replace Station 16 at 2455 S. Plum Grove Road, due to the overall costs involved.

Aldermen delayed their eventual vote on the new Algonquin Road station after balking at the latest cost estimates for the overall project - from $7 million in 2016 to $13 million.

And some aldermen fear the price tag could keep going up, with bids still to come in for construction of a new Station 16 at 2320-2350 Hicks Road.

Previous suggestions to go to referendum in the long-running fire stations saga have failed.

And though Prejna does hold veto power as mayor, he's decided not to exercise it - on the recent construction contract, or when the council voted last year to spend $2.1 million to buy land for the new stations.

"We are so deep into this project at this stage, it's not a viable option at this time," he said.

As part of recent approvals, the council endorsed an updated resolution expressing the city's intent to borrow $13 million for the fire stations and $4 million more for city infrastructure upgrades - likely to come in the form of two separate general obligation bond issues.

Prejna said aldermen could discuss his referendum proposal as early as their next committee of the whole meeting Oct. 16.

  As construction begins on a new $5.8 million Station 15 at 3201 Algonquin Road in Rolling Meadows, Mayor Len Prejna has proposed going to the voters to approve any city borrowing for similar projects. Christopher Placek/cplacek@dailyherald.com
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