Home rule would be important for Roselle

I had the honor to be elected and serve as a village trustee. When it was my turn to chair the Finance Committee and sign the checks, it was an eye-opening experience. Not being a business owner, I had sticker shock when I saw exactly how much it costs to run the village smoothly while still being fiscally responsible. Then came the dreaded unfunded mandates. We were forced to do things the government instructed with no financial assistance, therefore on the shoulders of our taxpayers.

A misconception I hear is that the village cannot implement any taxes or fees without a public referendum today. These tools today just happen to focus on residents solely in the form of the various water rates, vehicle stickers and other painful, but necessary, fees. Should the referendum fail, the village has the authority to and will increase our water capital improvement fee, costing the average household an extra $600-plus a year. Vehicle sticker prices may have to increase in order to ensure our roads are maintained appropriately.

Out-of-town Realtor groups are starting their typical campaign to scare residents. Our board has already committed to not increasing property taxes any more than they currently can. They also cannot implement a real estate transfer tax and have stated several times they are not interested. Let us not forget the board lives in Roselle, pays taxes, too, and has an interest in keeping the cost of living low.

I am in full support of home rule for our village. I trust our board to stay within budget while dealing with the current issues, as we did. I trust the staff to guide the board with their expertise, as we trusted the previous staff. I am proud to be served by a village board who is looking at the whole picture, who is being very transparent and cares about our town.

Diana Eckert

Roselle