Villa Park may seek tax boost to fix roads

Villa Park officials are leaning toward pursuing one of the two more extensive - and expensive - options for fixing the village's worst side streets.

Residents gave their input earlier this week after seeing details of the three plans at a workshop.

"There's a lot of support out there to finally, once and for all, get these roads back in acceptable condition," Village Manager Bob Niemann said.

The three options are:

• Spend $24 million to fix roughly 23 miles of roads - about one-third of the village's total - through resurfacing, concrete patching or reconstruction.

• Spend $21 million, but use an asphalt overlay instead of concrete patching and leave out some streets in industrial areas and frontage roads.

• Spend $14 million to repair about 10 miles of roads, with an emphasis on reconstructing just the worst streets.

The village board is expected to discuss the project on Monday. Voters would be asked to approve a tax increase to pay for the work on the Feb. 2, 2010, ballot.

The owner of a $250,000 house would pay an additional $199 in property taxes annually for 20 years for the high-end option; $163 a year for the middle plan; and $113 a year for the least expensive project.

The village's worst streets are Kenilworth Street, Michigan Avenue, Park Boulevard, Central Street and North Harvard, Niemann said.

The work would take place over the next three summers, with the resurfacing projects up first.

The last time Villa Park voters approved a tax increase for road repair was in 1994.