Winfield exploring options to fix roads

Needing hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in new revenue to maintain Winfield's streets, town leaders say their funding options are limited.

Still, there are several alternatives to a controversial proposal to reinstate the village's vehicle sticker program.

During a public hearing this week, officials mentioned the possibility of asking voters to approve higher property taxes or a half-cent sales tax hike. There was even talk of seeking federal or state grant money.

Either way, officials said, something has to be done.

"We are in a dilemma here," Trustee Glenn VadeBonCoeur said. "The streets are an asset. They belong to the village. They belong to the residents, and it's our responsibility to take care of them."

Right now, Winfield only has about $150,000 for annual repairs to its roughly 31 miles of roads. That amount comes from motor fuel sales tax money the town receives from the state.

As a result, the village hasn't been able to keep up with its street repair needs.

Interim Village Manager Phil Page said a 2006 evaluation of Winfield's streets found 45 percent were in fair to poor condition.

"There's a recognition that we do have a significant need," Page said. "And that need, with time, doesn't go away. It gets worse."

Winfield must raise an estimated $850,000 annually to resurface all of its roads on a desired 15-year cycle.

To help raise part of that money, trustees are mulling the possibility of resurrecting the vehicle sticker program that ended in the early 1980s. The $30-per-car cost could bring in an estimated $232,000 a year, officials said.

But the sticker proposal was unpopular among many residents who attended Thursday night's board meeting.

"Vehicle stickers for fixing the roads, it's like a Band-Aid," resident Heidi Vollmuth said. "I would rather have my property taxes raised."

Winfield is limited in its ability to raise taxes without voter approval because it doesn't have home-rule status.

But if voters approved a property tax hike, the village could generate $750,000 a year for street repairs. On Friday, Page said it also would add $195 to the annual tax bill for a home valued at $300,000.

Another option could be for the village to borrow $5.5 million to reconstruct its most deteriorated streets.

Still, voters would need to approve that plan, which requires the loan be repaid over a 15-year period. It would cost the owner of a $300,000 home $165 a year in additional property taxes, officials estimate.

If residents oppose higher property taxes, they could be asked to approve a half-cent increase of the sales tax. That idea would generate $137,000 to $168,000 annually.

On Thursday, some residents expressed concern that increasing the village's sales tax, which is now at 7.25 percent, would drive customers away from Winfield businesses.

Meanwhile, the downside to going to the polls with any proposal is that it's too late to get a question on the April ballot. Village officials must wait until at least February 2010 to seek any referendum.

In what could be a long shot, several trustees said Winfield should pursue state and federal grant money, including cash from the proposed economic stimulus package.

"Federal funding and state funding may be an option out there," VadeBonCoeur said. "I'd personally like to take a closer look at that before we have to make a decision."