Ex-St. Charles council candidate leading bridge opposition

A group of St. Charles residents calling themselves the “Concerned Coalition for Sensible Spending” delivered a petition this week with more than 100 signatures aimed at preventing construction of the proposed Red Gate Bridge.

The coalition is led by former city council candidate Vanessa Bell-LaSota from the Third Ward. Bell-LaSota delivered the petition two weeks after a city council committee detailed the spending plan for the $30 million bridge. Bell-LaSota said her group collected the signatures in a single day. They expect to gather nearly 2,900 signatures by July 5.

That's the date when city staff will present the results of the competitive bidding process for the first part of construction of the bridge. The bridge is the No. 1 priority for the city right now. It would provide a crossing for vehicles and pedestrians over the Fox River.

Bell-LaSota told the city council she believes it's irresponsible to build a bridge without all the money needed to build it. She questioned the likelihood of the city receiving all the state income tax and grant money contained in a state budget that has not yet been signed by Gov. Pat Quinn. She also noted there will be ongoing costs for the maintenance of the bridge that have not been openly discussed nor budgeted.

“The bridge is not fully funded,” Bell-LaSota said. “It's being approved in phases as funding becomes available. And the main reasons for the bridge have been resolved.”

Bell-LaSota pointed to recent traffic counts the city took that showed traffic on the city's usually congested Main Street have dropped by more than 4,000 cars daily.

The city has credited most of the reduction to a down economy and high gas prices. Bell-LaSota's group gives most of the credit to the opening of the Stearns Road Bridge, which added another nearby Fox River crossing similar to what Red Gate would provide.

City council members told Bell-LaSota the bridge is a done deal. Mayor Don DeWitte told Bell-LaSota her defeat in the recent city council elections should have delivered that message loud and clear. That result was the definitive input from city residents to move forward on the project, DeWitte said.

“This will not be going to a referendum,” DeWitte said.

Councilman Ray Rogina, who defeated Bell-LaSota in the election with a pro-bridge campaign plank, said his own door-to-door polling contradicts Bell-LaSota's poll. Rogina said he easily heard from about 350 out of 500 households who were in favor of the bridge.

“When I got to 80 percent, I stopped counting,” Rogina said. “I wasn't going to survey everyone in the world.”

William Turner is the other Third Ward city councilman. He said he also believes the Third Ward supports the Red Gate Bridge.

“I would lose the election if I voted against the bridge,” Turner said.

Turner is up for re-election in 2013. Bell-LaSota has already announced plans to run against him.