Bensenville moves to discontinue vehicle stickers

Vehicle stickers are set to become a thing of the past for residents of Bensenville.

Village President Frank DeSimone has announced plans to discontinue vehicle sticker fees collected from residents in light of higher-than-expected revenue generated from a municipal gas tax. The village implemented the 3-cent-per-gallon tax at the start of January, with an initial revenue projection of $200,000 for the year.

“We find ourselves in an enviable spot. We’re going to have more money off of this gas tax than we anticipated,” Village Manager Evan Summers told trustees this week.

To date, the village has collected approximately $380,000 from the gas tax. Officials now project that total revenue by year-end is expected to reach around $835,000.

“This figure significantly surpasses our original budget and suggests that our initial estimate was overly conservative due to the lack of prior year collection history,” Summers wrote in a memo to the village board.

DeSimone directed Summers to draft an ordinance to eliminate residential vehicle stickers. Officials anticipate formally adopting the ordinance at the Sept. 24 village board meeting.

Currently, passenger vehicle stickers cost $32 per vehicle per year.

“The village board is committed to operating with the utmost integrity and fiscal responsibility while finding new ways to help put money back into the pockets of our residents,” said DeSimone in a statement in part. “We know how far a few dollars can go for our residents.”

The majority of the new gas tax revenue comes from out-of-town visitors and over-the-road truckers filling up on the way to and from O’Hare International Airport, along with other regional transportation hubs, according to a village news release.

According to Summers’ memo, the village instituted the tax to generate additional revenue “aimed primarily at infrastructure improvements and other critical projects to enhance the quality of life for our residents.”