Post by gatormom on Apr 8, 2009 6:06:06 GMT -5
A mostly down night for referendums
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/1516737,2_AU8_A-mostly-down-night-for-referendums.article
April 8, 2009
MATT HANLEY
Voters apparently checked their wallets before they marked their ballots Tuesday. Only one Fox Valley referendum that asked for financial contributions passed.
The only victory came for the Aurora Township Fire Protection District, where a tax to fix the roof, replace equipment and provide 24-hour paramedic coverage was approved by a narrow margin. The unofficial vote totals showed residents favored the referendum 172 to 154.
The referendum will raise the tax rate by $113 a year for a $100,000 home.
In a close race, the voters rejected the St. Charles School District's $114 million construction bond referendum. Out of 10,000 votes cast, the St. Charles referendum lost by less than 600 votes.
The funds would have been used to rebuild Thompson and Haines middle schools, renovate Wredling Middle School and rebuild Davis Elementary School. Supporters said the bonds could be sold without increasing the bond-and-interest property tax rate.
Similar school referendums failed in the past in St. Charles as recently as 2006.
Sugar Grove will open a new library in August, but residents overwhelmingly rejected a referendum effort to increase the budget Tuesday. The library already has cut hours and programming in 2007.
The library was looking to increase the taxes by about $100 for a $300,000 home.
In Kendall County, nearly two-thirds of Plano residents rejected a $6 million bond referendum to build and equip a new police station.
The village had planned a late summer ground breaking for the corner of James and North streets, on land that had already been purchased by the city. Supporters said the new building was necessary due to increased calls for service.
Voters also rejected two referendums for the St. Charles Countryside Fire Protection District's $1.5 million bid to build a west side fire station. The referendum asking voters to sell bonds lost narrowly while the question about raising property taxes was turned down by a wide margin.
The 8,000-square-foot building was planned for two acres of land that would have been donated by Central Development Corp., on Route 64, east of Burlington Road. It would have served about 6,600 homes on the district's west side.
The referendum asked voters to sell bonds and to raise property taxes by 14 cents per $100 of assessed value - an increase of about $13 a month on a $350,000 home.
The district serves more than 20,000 residents in a 34-square-mile area in parts of Campton Township, Wayne Township and St. Charles Township in Kane and DuPage counties.
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/1516737,2_AU8_A-mostly-down-night-for-referendums.article
April 8, 2009
MATT HANLEY
Voters apparently checked their wallets before they marked their ballots Tuesday. Only one Fox Valley referendum that asked for financial contributions passed.
The only victory came for the Aurora Township Fire Protection District, where a tax to fix the roof, replace equipment and provide 24-hour paramedic coverage was approved by a narrow margin. The unofficial vote totals showed residents favored the referendum 172 to 154.
The referendum will raise the tax rate by $113 a year for a $100,000 home.
In a close race, the voters rejected the St. Charles School District's $114 million construction bond referendum. Out of 10,000 votes cast, the St. Charles referendum lost by less than 600 votes.
The funds would have been used to rebuild Thompson and Haines middle schools, renovate Wredling Middle School and rebuild Davis Elementary School. Supporters said the bonds could be sold without increasing the bond-and-interest property tax rate.
Similar school referendums failed in the past in St. Charles as recently as 2006.
Sugar Grove will open a new library in August, but residents overwhelmingly rejected a referendum effort to increase the budget Tuesday. The library already has cut hours and programming in 2007.
The library was looking to increase the taxes by about $100 for a $300,000 home.
In Kendall County, nearly two-thirds of Plano residents rejected a $6 million bond referendum to build and equip a new police station.
The village had planned a late summer ground breaking for the corner of James and North streets, on land that had already been purchased by the city. Supporters said the new building was necessary due to increased calls for service.
Voters also rejected two referendums for the St. Charles Countryside Fire Protection District's $1.5 million bid to build a west side fire station. The referendum asking voters to sell bonds lost narrowly while the question about raising property taxes was turned down by a wide margin.
The 8,000-square-foot building was planned for two acres of land that would have been donated by Central Development Corp., on Route 64, east of Burlington Road. It would have served about 6,600 homes on the district's west side.
The referendum asked voters to sell bonds and to raise property taxes by 14 cents per $100 of assessed value - an increase of about $13 a month on a $350,000 home.
The district serves more than 20,000 residents in a 34-square-mile area in parts of Campton Township, Wayne Township and St. Charles Township in Kane and DuPage counties.