La Grange Park residents asked wide ranging questions at a town hall meeting Thursday on the need for spending $11.2 million to fix roads and buy emergency equipment.
But after two hours of discussion, a number of homeowners said they would support the two separate referendum proposals for 10-year bond issues on the March 15 ballot.
“Yeah, I’ll vote for it even though my street won’t be addressed right away,” said Jim Watson as he looked at a map prioritizing road repairs. “We have no choice. Our streets are deteriorating so fast in terms of being able to last 35 years.”
Watson referred to the replacement cycle identified by village officials as the goal to replace streets every 35 years, rather than the current cycle of 70 years.
Voters will be asked to approve a $10 million bond issue to repair streets and a $1.2 million bond issue to buy a new ambulance and ladder truck for the Fire Department. The increase would amount to $380 more a year on a home with a market value of $350,000, officials said.
Village President Jim Discipio, several board members and Village Manager Julia Cedillo said the poor condition of village streets has been residents’ top complaint for at least the last five years.
Stagnant revenues, decreased chance for state or federal grants and dim prospects for sufficient additional local revenue streams, coupled with a backlog of street repairs have led the Village Board to consider the bond issue, Cedillo said.
“The revenue we bring in now through property taxes is low,” Cedillo said. “We can severely cut services, but we are as streamlined as we can be.”
Cedillo noted the village’s per capita tax is the lowest compared to five surrounding villages at $251 and would remain the lowest with the increase at $345 per year.
With street repairs identified by residents and the board as a priority, the village needs an infusion of cash or it will fall further behind schedule for street repairs, the village manager said. Some streets can’t be patched, because there isn’t sufficient roadway below, she said.
“We’re trying to do a catch-up, but there’s simply not enough funding,” she said. “We need a shot in the arm.”
One homeowner said the average hike of $380 was too much and he couldn’t support it.
But resident Chuck Bosko questioned whether the $10 million proposal for road repairs will be sufficient to address the backlog and be enough to help fund the $1 million a year projected for ongoing annual repairs.
“We need to go for the whole enchilada, whatever we need to get it done,” Bosko said.
Cedillo responded the board consulted financial experts and debated considerably on the amount taxpayers would support.
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“There was a lot of discussion on what is the palatable amount,” she said. “We have to strike the right balance to get the support of the community.”
Other residents questioned the need for buying an ambulance for $260,000 and a ladder truck for $825,000 to $950,000.
Fire Chief Dean Maggos said a ladder truck is required for responding to buildings five stories and higher. The village’s 25-year-old truck needs to be replaced and is needed for operations, rather than less costly equipment, he said.
Arrangements to share a truck with neighboring towns have proven unsatisfactory and would negatively impact the town’s fire safety rating, as well as insurance rates for commercial buildings, Maggos said.
One of the village’s two ambulances is 15 years old and needs to be replaced to avoid further costly repairs, the fire chief said. The town’s paid-on-call department contracts for paramedics, but contracting for an ambulance would mean less control over equipment and a potential loss in the level of care provided, he said.
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