Don’t spend fees until state makes good

Our village president broke the tie to pass a resolution asking the state for money to pay for a tunnel that will go under the railroad tracks in Winfield’s downtown. The board action asks the state to earmark $300,000 toward engineering fees, which the village has already begun to spend with no means to pay.

Never mind that the village has not decided where the tunnel would be best located. Keep in mind that the opposition to the tunnel is 4 -1 for many logical reasons, which apparently went unheard by four trustees.

The village has not allocated funding for this project, which is projected to cost over $3.5 million.  Why not? Winfield revenues generated from property tax payers (that’s us) is less than $400,000 per year, so it’s easy to see that the light at the end of the tunnel is a freight train coming right at you and me (pun intended).

I ask the Village Board, “Have you forgotten that the state stiffed us out of $2 million they earmarked to help D34 pay for the D34 school addition?”

I suppose the new (tax increment financing) district could help fund the project. That might actually be viable if the Village Board was doing something with the TIF.

In fact, no new Town Center projects have even been proposed by the development community in the last three years. And to risk what few financial reserves we have as a village on this project in a speculative nature is fiscally irresponsible.

I’m all for child safety. So until we have the $3 million to $4 million in hand, let’s stop handing out fees to engineers for unapproved projects on undecided sites and just hire some more crossing guards on school days. Heck, even if you had crossing guards year round it won’t cost $4 million in 20 years.

Tony Reyes, Winfield

Parent supports Tiger Cub program

I am a mother of a special needs boy who attends preschool in Winfield. He is enrolled in the Tiger Cub preschool program at Winfield School District 34; not many people are aware of this program or how it has been growing recently, which I wanted to change.

My son requires special education due to delays in a number of areas, including physical ability and speech. I was concerned as he approached school age that he would not get all the services he required.

The Tiger Cub preschool program has surpassed my expectations when it comes to my son’s school. The staff members have been exceptional in their ability to provide a safe and supportive environment. They have been able to provide the services he needs to succeed and made us feel good about sending him to school.

The Tiger Cub program offers a number of preschool options that could work for many parents including two-, three- or five-day a week programs depending on your needs. They have grown to be able to accommodate children of many abilities and are very willing to work with parents to ensure the children has a great place to starting their school experience.

I highly recommend the Tiger Cub preschool program to any parent of a young child whether they need special assistance or not. Overall, the program has been able to provide a great foundation of learning for children of all abilities.
For more information, visit www.winfield34.org.

Christy Call, Winfield, Tiger Cub parent