HINSDALE, IL – Some residents along Hinsdale’s Sixth Street said Tuesday they opposed paying extra property taxes to keep their street all brick.
The village is considering setting up a tax district known as a “special service area.” The district would cover 39 properties next to Sixth, from County Line Road to Garfield Avenue.
Officials have said the village could pay $800,000 for brick intersections, but would not cover the extra $2 million for an all-brick street.
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At Tuesday’s Village Board meeting, Village President Tom Cauley said the $2 million cost would likely go down. He said U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, a Chicago Democrat, has included $1.1 million for sewer work on Sixth in a massive infrastructure bill.
With the money, Cauley said, the village could reduce Sixth residents’ obligation to $900,000. In that case, Hinsdale would lend the money, saving on interest, he said.
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As a result, the average homeowner’s annual payment over a decade would drop to $2,300 a year, down from $7,262, Cauley said.
He said the village has been told it is highly likely to get the federal money.
Residents have 60 days from Tuesday’s public hearing to collect the signatures of at least 51 percent of property owners to oppose the tax district. That would prevent it from happening.
During a hearing, resident Rik Geiersbach, who lives in the 500 block of Garfield Avenue but whose property is next to Sixth, said he would lead the petition effort.
“Sixth Street was originally planned to be completed in 2020. There has been deferred maintenance on this thing for decades,” Geiersbach said. “It’s maintenance that the village ought to do as part of being in the village.”
Village officials have said they plan to repave the street with asphalt if a tax district isn’t created. They said it would be too hard to justify to other residents the much higher cost of a brick street.
Cauley said the Village board faces a no-win situation.
“No matter what we do, somebody’s going to be mad,” he said. “I would like to see a brick street as much as anybody else, but the village is not going to pay the whole price.”
He also said an all-brick street would enhance home values.
Bill Haarlow, who lives in the 100 block of East Sixth Street, said he understood the frustration of his neighbors. All Hinsdale residents, he said, have been paying for infrastructure projects as part of the village’s 2009 long-term plan.
“Now that it’s our street, we’re expected to shell over thousands of dollars,” he said.
He said Sixth residents had little appetite for paying back $2 million, but he said significant support existed for $900,000.
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“You’re not hearing from those people this evening,” Haarlow said. “They’re not here. I would assume it’s because they’re OK with what the village is planning.”
Haarlow took exception to neighbors who said they don’t use Sixth because their addresses or driveways aren’t on the street.
“To me, that just strains credulity,” he said. “If you have a property that abuts Sixth Street, I’m confident that you drive on Sixth Street or you cross Sixth Street constantly.”
The Village Board made no decisions at the meeting.
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