THE ISSUE
Officials remain timid about requesting — for the fourth time — an increase in the sales tax through a referendum.
OUR VIEW
The board must show it has done everything reasonable to cut costs and also demonstrate explicitly why a tax hike is needed.
SPEAK UP
Should the Village Board place a referendum on the ballot for a fourth time to raise the sales tax? Tell us what you think of this by leaving a comment below. You can also e-mail your comment here. Or leave a voice message at (630) 368-8882.
Hinsdale officials seem to know they have budget problems out of reach of a proposed sales tax increase.
They need substantial funds to pay for much-needed infrastructure improvements that have long been delayed — about $90 million. They also face a $4 million budget shortfall.
Voters have rejected three previous attempts to raise the sales tax to pay for the improvement projects.
One issue in the past attempts to raise additional tax revenue was that nobody presented a clear plan on how, when and where the money would be used. Residents wanted particulars, and those weren’t forthcoming.
Members of the Village Board have improved in this area. They’ve done a much better job demonstrating what work needs to be done and where it will occur.
But officials still seem timid in their approach to another request for a sales tax increase. When board members said they would consider placing a referendum on the February ballot, Village Manager David Cook said this doesn’t mean the board will follow through on it. “The board can always remove it from the ballot at a later date as long as ballots are not yet printed,” he said.
This doesn’t necessarily inspire confidence in the electorate that officials know what they need. If board members truly believe they need the sales tax increase, they should be willing to act like it. They shouldn’t dangle the prospect of a fourth referendum just to judge public opinion and pull it at the last minute if they don’t like the response.
In the meantime, Village Board members should demonstrate that they’ve done everything possible to cut expenses. If they want residents to sacrifice for the public good, they must do the same.
By sharing the burden and demonstrating their resolve on this issue, board members will go a long way toward making residents comfortable enough to finally pass the referendum. The village has made strides, but more must be done.
