Tax hikes have Will County voters split
The sixth time might be a charm for the New Lenox Fire Protection District.
With 95 percent of precincts reporting Tuesday night, a referendum asking New Lenox residents to approve a tax increase that would generate enough revenue to halt the closure of a fire station has received more than 61 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results.
Assuming the results hold up, Deputy Chief Dan Turner said he was ecstatic that residents came out Tuesday to support the fire department.
“People call us to help them and this is a very important time where we needed the proud Americans to help us,” he said. “This gives us the ability to grow with the community. As more people move to New Lenox to raise a family, there’s going to be more requests for service.”
The tax hike referendum, which has failed five times in 13 years, including earlier this year, seeks a tax rate increase from 38 cents to 59 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation, which comes out to about $70 per year added to the tax bill of a $100,000 home.
After a similar referendum narrowly failed this spring, the fire protection district was forced to close its station on North Cedar Road and reduce personnel. The station reopened a few weeks later, after the village loaned $450,000 to the fire protection district, but the money will only keep the station open until the end of the year.
If Tuesday’s referendum passes, Turner said it would allow the fire protection district to keep manpower “where it was, where it needs to be.”
Another tax hike referendum with implications for village services also is holding onto slim support in Frankfort, according to unofficial returns.
With all precincts reporting, a question asking Frankfort residents to buoy stagnant sales tax revenues by approving a bump in sales tax from 7 percent to 8 percent, effective July 2019, has 53 percent of the vote, unofficial results show.
If the increase is approved, village officials project an additional $2.8 million in revenues for municipal operations, police officers and infrastructure improvements.
If the measure fails, services will be cut, Mayor Jim Holland has said.
Also in Frankfort, voters appear to on the verge of reducing the number of park district commissioners from seven to five. With all precincts reporting, a ballot measure asking if residents wish to eliminate two commissioner positions has received nearly threequarters of the vote, unofficial results show.
If the referendum passes, it would impact the district’s April 2019 board election.
Rather than candidates vying for three open seats in that race, they would be competing for only one, executive director Gina Hassett said.
A ballot measure in unincorporated Lockport Township that could help control garbage collection costs for residents is receiving nearly two-to-one support from voters, with 65 percent of precincts reporting, according to unofficial returns.
If approved, the referendum would authorize township trustees to contract for their garbage and recycling services. Currently, homeowners must contract for such services on their own, meaning that costs vary widely. If the referendum passes, it would create uniform rates for all unincorporated Lockport homeowners, offi-
came up during the primary campaign, calling it a “poor decision.”
It’s experience versus education in the sheriff ’s race.
Kelley, 51, of Lockport, has 30 consecutive years of experience with the sheriff ’s department and was named the Sheriff of the Year in 2017 by the Illinois Crime Commission.
He was elected sheriff in 2014 as a Democrat, and previously served in other elected offices, including Lockport city alderman, Lockport Township collector and township trustee. During his tenure, Kelley also received departmental awards for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service.
Reilly, 53, a sheriff ’s deputy for five years, claimed he was the better candidate because he will soon have a PhD in criminal justice. He was previously a Joliet police officer from 1989 to 1997.
In the treasurer’s race, Brophy has made an issue of Weber’s absence from his full-time county office, saying he spends more time at his accounting firm.
Neither candidate could be reached for comment Tuesday night.
The treasurer’s job is a “management position that demands full time hours. Taxpayers deserve full-time work for full-time pay,” said Brophy, who is a management professional with a $15 million organization.
Brophy also serves as board president for Will County Habitat for Humanity, board president for the Irish American Society of County Will, and is a board member with Joliet Arsenal Development Authority and the Joliet Area Historical Museum.
But Weber, a certified public accountant, said the job is about “results.” He said his office is a leader in technology, and offers residents options for paying their property taxes. He previously served as county auditor from 2000 to 2008, and when he lost his bid for re-election, he opened an accounting firm “to feed his family.” He was elected treasurer in 2010.
Weber’s family also has an animal rescue operation, and he is currently an executive board member of the Boy Scouts of America -Rainbow Council, and current vice president of Whitetails Unlimited .
On the Will County board, which is comprised of two representatives from 13 districts, elections were held in eight districts, and all incumbents faced a challenge except in District 4, which covers most of DuPage Township. Here, Democrats Ken Harris and Jackie Traynere are unopposed.
In District 1, in Eastern Will County, with 100 percent of the precints reporting, Democratic incumbent Laurie Summers was the top vote-getter with 41 percent, followed by Republican incumbent Judy Ogalla with 35 percent, and Democratic challenger Bob Howard, of Beecher, with 24 percent, according to unofficial vote totals.
In District 2, which includes Green Garden, Manhattan and parts of Frankfort Township, Jim Moustis, a Frankfort Township Republican and board member since 1992, led with 37 percent, followed by Army veteran and Democratic newcomer Amanda Koch with 34 percent, and Frankfort Village Trustee Keith Ogle trailed with 28 percent with 100 percent of the precincts reporting.
With all precincts tallied in District 5, which includes parts of Plainfield and Wheatland Townships, Republican incumbent Darren Bennefield was in last place in the four-way race, with 21 percent. Democrat Meta Mueller was the top votegetter with 30 percent, followed by Republican incumbent Gretchen Fritz with 27 percent, followed by Democrat Mazyar Hedayat, with 22 percent.
With 93 percent of the precincts tallied in District 6, in southwestern Will County, where the controversial NorthPoint Development was a huge issue, Republican incumbent Don Gould, of Shorewood, was headed for a fifth term with 42 percent of the vote but his fellow Republican incumbent Debbie Militello, of Channahon, trailed with 26 percent behind Democrat, Joe VanDuyne, who had 32 percent. Both Gould and Van Duyne have opposed the NorthPoint warehouse project.
District 7, which is mostly Homer and Lockport Townships, both Republican incumbents Steve Balich, of Orland Park, and Mike Fricilone, of Homer Glen appeared to win their bids for a third term, with 41 and 31 percent of the votes, respectively, compared to 28 percent for their one challenger, 23-year-old Democrat Kyle Killacky, of Homer Glen, with all precincts reporting, according to unofficial totals.
In District 9, where StaleyFerry gave up her seat to run for clerk, the newcomer appears to be Democrat Rachel Ventura, with 40 percent of the votes, followed by Republican incumbent Annette Parker, with 31 percent, and Democrat Jim Murphy with 29 percent, with 88 percent of the votes counted.
District 11, in northern Will County, also will have two new board members, since both Republican incumbents Suzanne Hart and Chuck Maher lost in the spring primary.
With all precincts reporting, voters split their votes, choosing one candidate from each party. The top two candidates were Republican Julie Anne Berkowicz,and Democrat Michelle “Mimi” Cowan, each with 28 percent. Trailing them were Republican Kathy Havel with 23 percent and Democrat Jim Kopchok, with 20 percent.