Above / The Naperville Township Building, located along the DuPage River at the corner of Webster and Water streets, serves a 36-square mile area bordered by counties Kane and Will to the west and south and by townships Winfield and Lisle to the north and east respectively.
Naperville City Council reports on status of proposed IGA
UPDATE May 18, 2016 / During the May 17, 2016, meeting of the City Council, consolidation for efficiency of units of government again was a topic on the agenda, specifically in regard to the Naperville Township Highway District. Find Tuesday’s discussion online by watching the video under “O. Reports and Recommendations.” Number 4 reads “Receive the report regarding the status of the second revised proposed intergovernment agreement (IGA) for shared services between the City of Naperville and the Naperville Township Road District.”
H.R. Hofmann was among unincorporated Naperville Township residents in attendance. Hofmann, a 50-year resident of Naperville Township, was the only speaker to publicly address the City Council on this agenda item.
In recent weeks, the Daily Herald has covered the meetings where Naperville Township residents have presented their views, both in support and against consolidation.
Under “New Business,” the City Council came to consensus in support of directing City staff to write two nonbinding referendum questions with the aim to place them on the Nov. 8 ballot to connect community opinion regarding townships. Staff was asked to come back with specifics in order to check residents’ clear support of the issues that speak to townships in Naperville. The discussion of placing nonbinding referendum questions is available online, under “New Business.” No City taxpayer money will be used, but educating the community on both sides of the issue regarding the nonbinding questions will be key, councilmen agreed.
UPDATE April 6, 2016 / Under the leadership of Naperville Township Supervisor Rachel Ossyra, the Board of Trustees met at 6PM, Wed., April 6, and postponed its approval of the budget for its highway district until its next meeting at 6PM Tues., May 3. The delay will give officials from the highway district more time to further consider cost savings and the proposal to consolidate services with the City of Naperville.
The Naperville Township Highway District sets its own budget and currently is under the leadership by Commissioner Stan Wojtasiak.
The Wednesday meeting was held during the first week of April instead of its regularly scheduled meeting on the second Tuesday of the month to accommodate the Annual Township meeting on April 12. In May, the township will resume its regular schedule.
Annual Township meetings throughout Illinois are April 12, 2016
UPDATE April 1, 2016 / Annual Naperville Township Town Meeting, 7PM Tuesday, April 12, 2016, Naperville Township Road District Office, 31W331 North Aurora Road, Naperville, Illinois 60563.
Doors open at 6PM when registered voters in Naperville Township can sign up to speak as this topic is on the agenda.
Did you know?
According to Illinois Township Code, “the annual township meeting in the respective townships for the transaction of the business of the township shall be held on the second Tuesday of April in each year, after 6PM, at the place appointed for those meetings.”
The City of Naperville is served by townships Naperville, Wheatland, DuPage, Lisle, Winfield and Milton. All six townships will hold their annual meetings at the same time, different locations on Tues., April 12, 2016.
The chance to take the the nonbinding survey to let the City of Naperville, Naperville Township and its Highway Department know what you think is now closed. For a better understanding, many thoughtful comments, pro and con, are listed in the feedback below the following scenerio.
Here’s where this conversation started with posts on March 13, 2016…
Considering these days of 6-second video messages and 140-character tweets, the information and public discourse on this page could take some time to examine before coming up with the best course of action.
(Update March 23, 2016: Considering the feedback of pros and cons regarding the proposal for consolidation, perhaps for clarity a panel of official voices from both the City and Naperville Township Highway Department could present financials/services at the same time during a televised presentation. )
The City of Naperville is home to 58,000 property owners, the majority of which reside in Naperville Township.
INSERTED Update March 25, 2016 / Naperville Township Highway Services Analysis Fact Sheet
Naperville City staff conducted a detailed analysis in regards to sharing services between the City and the Naperville Township Highway Department. Below are key points that demonstrate taxpayer savings.
- Annual approximate savings = $800,000
- Annual subsidy received by unincorporated property ~ $2,000
- Unincorporated parcels represent approximately 2% of township properties
| Financial Comparisons | City of Naperville | Naperville Township | Savings |
| Number of Taxing Properties | 58,000 | 34,000 | |
| 2015 Budget | $23,408,939 | $1,864,982 | |
| 2015 cost per Center Lane Mile (excluding waste services & CIP) | $58,200 | $116,000 | $57,800 |
| 2015 cost per Center Lane Mile (CLM) for CIP | $20,200 | $62,422 | $42,222 |
| Number of employees per 10 Center Lane Mile (CLM) | 1 employee per 10 CLM | 3 employees per 10 CLM | |
| City of Naperville cost vs. Township cost | $969,120 | $1,864,929 | $895,862 |
Service expansions and changes:
| Service provided | Current service level provided by Naperville Township | Future service level provided by City of Naperville |
| Brush Collection | 6 pickups | 1 pickup |
| Leaf Collection | 6 pickups | 3 pickups |
| Herbicide Treatment | 0 applications | 2 applications |
| Mowing Services for Parkway | 4-5 mows annually | 20-26 mows annually |
| Mulch Delivery | Mulch provided | No mulch provided |
| Streetlights | High pressure sodium | Upgrade to LED |
| Street Sweeping | 6 sweeps annually | 2 sweeps annually |
- There are approximately 34,000 properties and approximately 866 are unincorporated homes in Naperville Township. All of the township properties pay for Township Road District taxes.
- Naperville Township has about 866 unincorporated homes. The 2015 Highway Department budget was $1,864,982. The average cost per unincorporated property owner for Highway Department services was $2,194.00. The 2015 average cost for Naperville incorporated property (less waste removal charges) was approximately $403. Under the current system of government the incorporated residents subsidize the cost of services for the unincorporated residents.
- There are over 500 centerline miles in Naperville and approximately 16 centerline miles (CLM) in Naperville Township. The 2015 cost for the city services (excluding CIP and waste collection) was $58,000 per CLM. The 2015 cost for the township road services was $116,000 per CLM.
- Safety – Every year the City of Naperville Police Department is the first responder to many emergency calls in unincorporated Naperville. The incorporated residents pay fully for this service, while the unincorporated residents receive the service for free.
Some notes about Naperville Township
Naperville Township is a 36-square mile area— bordered by counties Kane and Will to the west and south and by townships Winfield and Lisle to the north and east respectively—that encompasses parts of the cities of Naperville, Aurora and Warrenville as well as the town of Eola.
As mentioned above, currently, Naperville Township has approximately 34,000 properties in Naperville.
Another 24,000 property owners in Naperville are served in much smaller areas located in five other townships including DuPage, Lisle, Wheatland, Winfield and Milton.
In the spirit of taxpayer cost savings that follow the lead of the Illinois Governor’s Task Force to identify ways to help local governments consolidate and eliminate duplicate governmental bodies, school districts and taxing authorities, the City of Naperville and Naperville Township have begun to address possible ways to cut costs.
The Naperville Township Road District is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of roughly 20 miles of unincorporated Naperville Township roads. The 2015 budget for the road district was approximately $1.8 million levied to the Township taxpayers to pay for these services.
The City of Naperville has submitted a proposal to provide road district services to the unincorporated residents at the same level of service the City is providing the incorporated residents. The proposed amount for the services is approximately $1 million or about a 43 percent reduction in cost.
NACC Legislative Committee met March 14 / Next Meeting is April 11
During the monthly Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce Legislative Committee Meeting on March 14, 2016, the Naperville City Manager updated attendees regarding the City of Naperville road maintenance consolidation efforts with Naperville Township. The Legislative Committee voting members supported consolidation.
“The cost-sharing proposal left the Legislative Committee with a unanimous vote last Monday,” said Legislative Committee Chair Rosemarie Breske Garvey. “We are pleased that the Legislative Committee made the recommendation it did to the Chamber board. It’s now on the agenda for formal approval by the Chamber board this coming Tuesday, March 22.”
Upon an affirmative vote, a press release will be forthcoming this week.
Note that monthly lunch meetings of the Legislative Committee are held on the second Monday from 11:30AM to 1PM at Sheraton Lisle Hotel , 3000 Warrenville Rd. in Lisle.
On Mon., April 11, superintendents from Naperville School District #203 and Indian Prairie School District #204 will give updates on the state of schools serving the Naperville community.
For more information about legislative issues that might have an impact on your home or business, click here.
Proposal as presented by City Manager Doug Krieger to the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce Legislative Committee.
Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation met March 19
Meanwhile, the Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation also had a productive meeting on the topic during its monthly meeting on March 19 at the Naperville Municipal Center.
According to NAHC President Bob Fischer, following a discussion of the City proposal, the assembled membership of the Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation voted unanimously that “The Confederation supports the consideration and examination of government consolidation efforts that would benefit residents.”
Fischer continued, “While we have not taken a position, pro or con, on the pending proposal, we do encourage an ongoing fact-based dialogue of what is most beneficial to the community.”
More input is welcome from all parties involved. The next monthly meeting of the Confederation runs 8:30-10AM on Sat., April 16.
Join the discourse by March 31, 2016
Opin and cast your anonymous vote by March 31, 2016. Though many respondents have signed their names, all responses listed below will remain anonymous. We truly appreciate the thoughtful discourse, pro and con, as well as constructive criticism.
A survey posted online since March 2, 2016, provides an opportunity for feedback from 34,000 property owners in Naperville Township by answering the question “yes” or “no” with space for anonymous comments.
Thanks to all who contributed to the nonbinding survey to let the City and Naperville Township and Naperville Township Highway District know what you think.
Responses will be tallied until March 31, 2016.
Updated / March 31, 2016: 630 Total Answers / 168 Comments
Shall the Naperville Township Road District enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Naperville for the delivery of services traditionally provided by Naperville Township Road District to achieve a significant annual cost savings to taxpayers?
Yes – 506 / 82% • • • • • No – 108 / 18%
March 31, 2016 (Final day to submit comments for this nonbinding survey.)
1. We all want our government to run more efficiently. Well, we have been given a golden opportunity to do more than lip service. Take the time to learn all you can about the cost of the township road maintenance. It is my understanding that if we eliminate the duplicity we will save both time and money. Sounds good to me.
2. Let me get this straight. Illinois has 1,433 townships by county. Seventeen (17) counties of 102 counties in the state do not have townships. The City of Naperville is overlapped by six different townships. Now I know.
March 30, 2016
1. I read Cherico’s article in the paper. I will say that at least the mayor is being transparent about this. I do not agree with him, but I respect how he and the city are discussing this issue. Where in the hell is our guy?????
2. This notice is on the Naperville Township website: Annual Town Meeting, Tuesday, April 12, 2016, at 7:00 PM, Naperville Township Road District Office, 31W331 North Aurora Road, Naperville, Illinois 60563.
3. The unincorporated areas infrastructure is much different than that of Naperville, as I’ve lived in both. In unincorporated areas on many of the streets they have a single storm inlet, unlike Naperville. This presents a problem when it rains and all of the debris from every tree on the street drains to that single inlet. As the inlet fills up, they nearly immediately clog – causing water to back up across the parkway and into our front lawns. Often times, it’s rendered the street closed and impassable. My question is how will Naperville mitigate this permanently if they plan to reduce the service? The township is fully aware of all of the problem areas and address them immediately when they know heavy rain is in the forecast. I fill my 90 gallon toter 20 times a year at a minimum & still don’t get all the lawn refuse disposed of before the season is over. On the lots of the unincorporated areas there were no landscape plans or restricted trees. Therefore, the trees & debris that falls present an ongoing problem which is why the pickups are scheduled like they currently are. It’s not as a means to over-serve, but it’s a necessity to ensure health & safety on our roadways. As far as free mulch which is produced from tree pruning, this is offered because the township has to pay to dispose of this refuse. This is a service that Naperville use to offer back in the 90’s. The township will only provide if it’s available from tree pruning in the unincorporated areas. Since there are a lot of trees, there is a great deal of mulch generated – which is offered to the residents for free. The township offers the mulch service as a means to recycle and re-use the refuse created from trimming trees – which isn’t what’s being presented hers. It seems that it’s being presented as the township is being wasteful, when in fact they are just recycling – which has always been a part of Naperville’s core values. It’s shameful that the truth isn’t being presented here, only a slant of the truth to the public. No one in our neighborhood were surveyed or asked ahead of time that this was in the works. We just happened stumbled on the information of a meeting and discussions to dissolve our roadway services. Rachel Ossyra sat in round table discussion with the City of Naperville throwing out her fiduciary obligations as an elected official of the township, many of the trustees have done the same. They were elected to represent the taxpayers of the township and defend us, but they are forging a plan to gut the services of the voters they are supposed to serve. (Since comments exceed 400-word suggested limit, some have been edited at the end.)
March 29, 2016
1. If the city can do the work for half of the price, why is the township in business? I thought township government was supposed to be the most efficient? Shame on me for not paying closer attention.
2. Thank you for doing this.
March 28, 2016
1. Please advise. I submitted a comment, but it does not appear.
(Some comments have been submitted under the stories related to this question. Scroll down the page after the story/letter to see comments that have been signed by senders. All comments here are posted anonymously, though a number of respondents have signed their names. Thanks to all who have responded. We appreciate the thoughtful manner folks are trying to determine all the facts. —PN Editors)
March 27, 2016
1. Do you have any idea how many folks will not understand the need to consider all government spending and/or taxation without representation? Naperville Township and City of Naperville are government. But not all Township is City. Too many want to point to others for benefits such as mulch delivery. Let them pool resources and privately pay for those special services.
March 26, 2016
1. Services should be appropriate for actual taxes paid.
2. After reading all the comments, I don’t know what I think other than most unincorporated twp. residents who have been getting services for years may be unwilling to look at collaboration and give a little. I see the sheriff’s cars sometimes in unincorporated, but I never thought about Naperville police presence in unincorporated when needed. This discussion would benefit with input from both sides from public officials most familiar so we can compare apples to apples. Is the township financial person an employee or elected? Has the township highway commissioner offered any ideas on cost saving? The more I try to answer this question, the more I realize this issue is opening my eyes to the scrutiny that needs to happen. I say YES to starting the discussion with facts as they appear on both sides. Thank you.
March 23, 2016
1. This is a totally biased survey lacking any depth (pros and cons) and containing bogus financial information. I can’t vote for a program that will reduce our township services to this degree without being able to analyze “correct” financial figures in relation to the service deletions we would be receiving. I would also like to know what potential compromise could be forthcoming if the consolidation took place which would enable us to retain all of our current services (other than the free mulch) at a minimal tax increase to us.
2. It’s about time that the taxpayers of Naperville Twp stop paying for all the free items that the unincorporated areas get!! It’s a no brainer for the City of Naperville to take over. Thank you!!!
3. Steve, why are you and Rachel Ossyra still (saying) this? You both keep saying that there would be “no cuts in services” but a “huge cost savings” to the taxpayer. Yet your own proposal says that the Township’s existing 10-15 year ROAD MAINTENANCE schedule would be cut dramatically to a 15-20 year schedule. Then you disingenuously try to divert attention from this by pretending that the only difference would be the loss in “mulch service.” Why not just admit that your “cost savings” will come directly from shorting the “Not-Real-Naperville-People” on road services, reducing them far below what they currently receive..?
March 22, 2016
1. The road commissioner makes over $100,000 to take care of about 15 miles of roads or $6700/mile. If the city paid their public works director the same salary per mile, he would be paid $3,350,000 (500 miles x $6700). Is this the best use of taxpayer money?
2. Ask not what your township can do for you, but what you can do for your state.
3. I’m told that if we continue to receive the same level of service that we currently receive, it will cost an additional $70,000 per year on top of the current city proposal. If we divide that by the number of unincorporated residents it’s about $80 per year more than we currently pay. I am personally willing to pay $80 more property tax to maintain the current level of service. I think it is reasonable to accept the city offer to achieve savings for all residents, but unincorporated residents should be giving the opportunity to retain (for a cost) the higher level of service.
4. The proposed savings is a myth. The savings come at a reduction in services to the concerned residents.
March 21, 2016
1. I understand what is trying to be accomplished, but I have many issues with this initiative. The premise of this money savings is not based on taking over the services and achieving economies of scale, instead it is being accomplished by cutting services. Some of these services are very valuable for my neighborhood. I live in Green Acres neighborhood is very different compared to most neighborhoods in Naperville. Each one of our properties is 1 acre in size as well as being densely populated with trees. Every year, I have a large number of limbs that either fall or need trimming. I have 2 choices, burn them which is not allowed or have the township pick them up. The amount of leaves that I need to pick up every year is extensive. Many of my friends which live in Naperville constantly say they would never want to deal with the amount of leaves or the time I spend taking care of them. With the amount of leaves I have, the process usually takes many weekends due to the timing of the falling leaves as well as the size of my property. I will generate a leaf pile which is usually 4 feet wide by 3-4 feet tall by 50-100 feet long 2-3 times per season. If I had to bag these leaves it would take 100’s lawn bags to accomplish this. If the pick up is done in the intervals that I see other Naperville neighborhoods collections, the leaf pile would be even larger and unmanageable.
My neighborhood does not have street lights, curb and guttor or sidewalks. I DO NOT WANT THESE items in my neighborhood. The city does not have to maintain any of these items and are not costs of the city on a yearly basis. I feel that the leaf and tree service should not be cut and doing so would greatly affect the quality in living in the great town of Naperville.
2. To save $10-$20 a year is not worth the reduction in services. We moved into our house here (Green Acres) 30+ years ago for the specific reason of high quality services and personal service the township offers, have you ever gone down the streets during the Fall when the city of Naperville picks up leaves?? The curbs and streets are full of piles of leaves the city misses and then the piles of leaves plug and choke the sewers come spring. We are very lucky to have the Naperville Township taking care of our streets and trees.
It will be a sad day in Naperville when the City of Naperville tries to out perform the Township employees.
March 18, 2016
1. So as an unincorporated resident if this is approved, do I receive a property tax reduction or am I just getting a service cut? As long as my taxes go down, I am a “yes.” I don’t use the damn services anyway.
2. I have lived in Lawnmeadow for over 30 years and have received wonderful services, but I will say that I do see Naperville trucks plowing my street during heavy storms and I appreciate their help when our guys can’t keep up.
3. The best solution is to tax the unincorporated township residents for municipal services so everyone pays proportionately for services they benefit from. This proposed solution is a good first step, but is still inequitable.
4. This sounds like a pretty good start to me.
5. It’s about time our elected officials started doing something.
March 16, 2016
1. The level of service is not the same according to the last City/Township meeting I attended. So to say there is a savings is not truthful. I vote to keep the township, they do an outstanding job.
March 15, 2016
1. Yes, if it means the property taxes are reduced.
2. This is a good start, but we really need to take this a step farther. Resounding YES!
3. I’ve lived in unincorporated Naperville for 15 years and the services are great, but I also think it’s reasonable for the city to provide the services at a tax savings. ..especially since our services are subsidized.
4. No. We are very pleased with our current services.
Previous Post / As of March 13, 2016: 507 Answers
Shall the Naperville Township Road District enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Naperville for the delivery of services traditionally provided by Naperville Township Road District to achieve a significant annual cost savings to taxpayers?
Yes – 419 / 83% • • • • • No – 88 / 17%
The following discourse has been sorted by date since March 2, 2016
March 13, 2016
1. I live in incorporated Naperville, but visit friends frequently in unincorporated Naperville. Their street maintenance, sewer drains maintenance, brush and leaf collection, etc. are far superior to Naperville’s. This has been especially true in the last few years as Naperville has apparently cut services in these areas.
March 11, 2016
1. Totally bias survey, but nonetheless, there is only one right answer. YES.
2. Take the cheaper route. If it is really cheaper.
March 10, 2016
1. I am all in favor of ways of reducing the redundancy in units of government in Illinois. Combining the two road services department seems like a very smart idea.
2. All government bodies should be looking for cost savings for taxpayers.
3. I do not understand why unincorporated residents are not required to help pay for city roads??? Do they not use them once they leave their neighborhood? This system seems wrong and I think it’s outrageous that the unincorporated residents receive more services than city residents.
4. Need more info to answer survey. On the face of it it sounds like a win win. But are there any opposed to the measure and why?
5. Most states don’t have overlap of cities and townships. From what I know, Illinois townships exist due to unintended consequences of Illinois constitution resulting in over paying of taxes to multiple authorities. Get rid of townships… Adjust the state constitution. Maintain our roads as cost effectively as other states… Or people will keep moving to cheaper a sore efficient state.
6. Great idea to pool resources and save money.
7. I don’t believe the “numbers” put out by the city as to these savings. Where’s the abbatment information that the Township Highway department gives back to the city. What’s included in your budget? Is it pencils? computers? My understanding is that the township includes everything in their budget. Does the city? Unincorporated areas will see services greatly reduced if the city were to take over.
But most important – as I look at my tax bill, there are many taxing bodies that I do not use at all (school district, forest preserve, park district, Dupage airport). At some point, these services were deemed beneficial to the community as a whole. I educated my kids in the Catholic School system (44 years – although 2 went to NNHS for a total of 8 years). I believe in a good public school system. If the taxpayers had to pay taxes for all the Naperville children not enrolled in the public schools, everyone’s taxes would go through the roof.
So the $2,134 that apparently is what the cost of our services would be if we each had to pay without the benefit of the incorporated areas paying as well doesn’t fly with me. People moved into our area because they liked the area and the services. Perhaps they should build their multi-million dollar homes elsewhere. Again – all the taxing bodies on our tax bills were deemed beneficial to the entire community!!! not just those that use the services.
I have compared tax bills with members of my friends and families – the average is about a $50 cost to them. Really??? and this is going to save the state of Illinois!!!
Many people in my neighborhood have small children in 203. Perhaps they should start maintaining that the religious or private schools know how to educate kids cheaper. You really want to open this can of worms?
8. Drop the township structure. It is an extra layer of bureaucracy.
March 9, 2016
1. The Township should be shut down. Municipal and County level local government is enough.
2. Well, not knowing anything other than the information contained in this question, and assuming there is no downside, then of course the answer is YES.
3. The City should not get involved in the Township road services. There is no way that equivalent services will be provided to the Township homes by the City workers. No way!
4. The City should stay out!
5. The township has done an excellent job of providing services. There is no need for the City to take over this aspect of the township. Only a very negligable savings would occur, not a significant savings as the survey suggests.
6. A no brainer. Still provides quality service, yet results in savings for tax payers.
7. Cost savings sounds good to me! What is the down side?
8. The very thought of paying a Township Highway Commissioner over $80,000 per year, having property, staff, and equipment, to maintain 15-20 miles of road at a huge premium, is outrageous. I know that there are unincorporated residents that are concerned about being represented for their road maintenance, but I am positive that Rachel Ossyra and the Township Board will make sure that your service is every bit as good as Incorporated Naperville’s service. Let’s do it – the sooner the better!
9. Unincorporated areas should be annexed and the township should be dissolved.
10. If they pay, too.
11. It would be a mistake to allow Naperville Township Road Commision to be swallowed by the City of Naperville. I have a hard time reconciling the numbers set forth in the documents provided by the City of Naperville compared year to year with the Naperville Township numbers. Also, what happens to all the equipment owned by the Naperville Township Road Commision? Do the Townhship taxapayers get a rebate from the City for that?
12. Stopped by the TWP office where they have informative Fact Sheet about sharing Road Services. It says there are 58,000 taxing properties in Naperville and 34,000 are in Naperville TWP. One of the employees said only 20 miles of roads are what’s considered for shared services to save roughly $800,000 a year. Also, of 34,000 TWP residents, 839 live in unincorporated. And the Highway Commissioner is going to retire. So what are the next steps to educate all TWP residents, get input and come up with a money-saving solution in a timely manner?
13. We need to derive some benefit and see consistency in services for the tax dollars we spend.
14. Please share all of the facts on this important issue before doing a survey.
1)Need to get Townships input on true cost of Road district services including abatements paid to the city.
2) Please clearly identify level of reduced services for unincorporated Naperville township in any survey question.
3) What is the rationale for reduced services on the homes in unincorporated township?
4) Did the city seek input from those residents directly affected by the reduction in services?
5) Why is this proposal coming from the city of Naperville instead of the township road district if this decision rests strictly with the Naperville road district?
6) In any survey please include all of the other efforts the city of Naperville undertaking to reduced tax payer costs including the cost of running a electrical department and paying above market rates for electricity?
15. The “savings” have no credibility. Based on city calculations with zero input from highway commissioner and include service reductions with no input from those directly affected by the reductions.
16. How about this…? residents pay for their own services. like a restaurant- menu style; if you desire private services that do not benefit the community overall, you order it…if you want leave pick up you order it. At the end of the day, you pay for your desired services. Personally, I don’t like picking up the tab for others goods and services.
17. I suspect the savings will be greater than what has been reported thus far. The township cannot possibly deliver these services competitively. The question is will the savings go back to the taxpayers?
March 8, 2016
1. Cost savings have not been sufficiently proven.
2. What does Naperville Twp. Supervisor Rachel Ossyra think of consolidation of the road services? What do Mayor Chirico and City Council think? How many unincorporated households are served by Naperville Twp? How many incorporated households are in Naperville Twp? If apples to apples, why deliberate and waste taxpayer time and resources? If there’s a big difference in services provided, let unincorporated property owners pay the difference.
3. Very happy with the great service I receive through the townships work.
4. The only people who won’t like this are the old contractors and cronies.
5. I support this for many reasons but primarily because township government in urban areas is not a good use of tax dollars. There is no way to efficiently maintain such a small amount of roads…and every month the township shrinks. Many of these township folks know this, but don’t want to give up services paid for by others.
6. It would take 5,000 words to describe all of the ways that this is a bad idea. Plus the survey question has false statements included as facts in order to bias the response.
March 7, 2016
1. Don’t take away my services. If the incorporate people don’t want to pay for the township then they should move.
2. Since when was the government suppose to provide landscaping services? Perhaps the township should start providing home maintenance as well.
3. We get quick, thorough service in our neighborhood, from snow removal to multiple brush pick ups, weekly leaf collections, etc. We know the township people by name and they take great care of us! More importantly, they take great pride in the way they take care of us! The city can’t hold a candle to the service we get from the Township. They propose savings that result from fewer – way fewer- services and attention. We are a small neighborhood, and there is zero motivation for the city to jump through hoops for us and our small number of residents. The Township takes care of us just fine and we do not want the change.
March 6, 2016
1. Our township services have been over and beyond any that the city of Naperville provides. Please do not consolidate the road services.
2. We are totally against having the City of Naperville take over the services provided by the Naperville Township Road Commission. Naperville Township is definitely worth every dollar it obtains for the service it renders. Seeing how we live in a wooded and charming tree habitat, our brush pick-up is the first Monday of each month, and during October starts the vacuuming of fallen leaves just about every week. Traffic signs, blacktop patching, crack sealing, roadside mowing, street sweeping, and storm sewer maintenance are constantly taken care of on a weekly bases. Storm sewer basins are inspected and cleaned as needed. Since we live on the corner of Green Acres Drive and Oswego Road, the City of Naperville has the responsibility of the culvert and of two storm sewer basins in front of our property along Oswego Road. They have never been inspected nor properly cleaned to date and we have lived here 40 years. In addition, the Township not only salts our roads and removes snow immediately during and after a snow storm, whereas many of the roads in Naperville are not accessible due to the snow storms.
3. Why should I have to pay for their services. Unbelievable.
4. I do not believe that the residents of unincorporated Naperville will receive the same level of service if the City of Naperville takes over. I am VERY opposed to this and will be sure that my views are known in the next election…a change in board members . I do NOT believe the saving are going to be significant enough for me to make a difference. I do not mind paying slightly more, to get the level of service we now enjoy.
5. Savings are not correct and services will be substantially cut back.
6. Savings are not real and services will be cut.
7. The savings numbers are not correct.
8. respect the desire for the unincorporated residents to retain their lifestyle. If the service levels provided by the city do not meet their needs do to larger lots or more densely wooded lots or whatever, then they need to step up and pay for these services themselves.
9. The current level of services the city would offer to unincorporated residents would not meet the unincorporated area needs.
10. I have lived in both the city of Naperville and unincorporated. Much prefer to have higher quality township services. Don’t trust savings numbers.
11. Saving money is great. What about the five employees who would be laid off? So easy to think about saving money, who is going to save these five? How may more middle class jobs will disappear?
March 5, 2016
1. Township road departments provide great service on a timely basis to unincorporated areas. Unincorporated areas would be at the bottom of the priority list after incorporated areas are taken care of. The City of Naperville can’t handle the work it has right now in an efficient manner, especially when it comes to any road construction projects.
2. Why wouldn’t they just fold in and reduce the overhead like any gov entity that has a fiduciary duty to the taxpayers to keep costs down? Oh, I forgot, someone is ripping the taxpayers off by keeping their pension intact:)
3. These generally end up being not enough resource for both entities
4. If it saves taxpayers dollars, while maintaining the same quality of service, it makes sense (and cents).
March 4, 2016
1. The answer is yes, but the question is framed in a biased manner. What about: “Should Township residents have services reduced while not getting any tax break?” Or maybe, “Are kitty cats and puppy dogs cute?”
2. This is good from the financial perspective and good for our neighbors.
3. I’ve lived in unicorporated Naperville and they did a great job on services. In 202 I moved into the city and I also think they do a great job. At issues is the savings possible due to the economies of scale.
4. Read the City’s actual proposal. They publicly say “no reduction in services,” but the TRUTH is that they are mandating a 35% reduction in services to create their “40% savings.” But they’re concealing this 35% reduction in services by burying it deep inside their proposal. Doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence in the Mayor and City Council’s integrity, does it?
5. There are too many levels of government in Illinois that increase the cost to taxpayers. Any plan to lower costs or consolidate governmental units to save money is welcome and positive.
6. As long as the due diligence has been done to the satisfaction of both entities (City of Naperville and Naperville Township), and assuming that there will not be a reduction in services to the Township along with the change, then I think the idea to cut costs is a brilliant one.
7. This seems like a no brainier. Let’s start saving taxpayer dollars instead of wasting all our hard earned money.
8. This is misleading. The 43% savings is only on the line item for the road levy. On a house of $500,000 assessed valuation the savings would be about $15. Also, the services that would be provided by the city would be substantualy less that what the township provides.
9. First, Naperville is not covering all the unincorporated roads. Second, the sum of the roads covered by the township and the City might be larger that the whole area covered by the Road Commissioner.
10. I did not realize all of the township residents (both incorporated and unincorporated) pay for the unincorporated services. This is an archaic system of government. Even though this will have minimal impact on my tax bill, we still need to consolidate services and eventually eliminate some of the unneeded levels of government.
11. The cities estimation of cost it will incur is completely inaccurate.
12. What about duplication of services in DuPage, Wheatland, Winfield and Lisle Townships that serve Naperville? I just searched online and found there are 1,433 townships in Illinois and that every county has the option to adopt or remove townships. Let’s be thoughtful and get started.
13. Same level of service for significant savings…. Yes!
14. The cost savings is based on incomplete and misleading iformation.
15. In looking at the numbers, there are some discrepancies and I don’t believe the savings would be 43% (which would only be $10 to the average) and the service would not be sufficient for 1 acre lots.
16. Too many taxing districts. Any unincorporated area within Naperville city limits should be incorporated.
17. It’s not fair that they have services such as free mulch and pickup when the taxpayers foot the bill while paying for themselves. They are a spoiled bunch!!
18. Still don’t understand why we have townships? Let’s all just be the city of Naperville? Why do I need to pay taxes to both the Township(Wheatland) and the city.
19. Higher costs of township services are borne by all township taxpayers, even tho we don’t receive them.
20. Why not? If the city can get it done at the same level or better cheaper. Let it be done!
21. How can the township possibly service the scattered township roads efficiently. I see those polished red trucks driving around all of the time and all I can think about is what do these employees do all day other than wash the trucks and drive from one small parcel of land across town to another. The township road commissioner actually delivers free mulch to the unincorporated residents just to find something to do for his guys. Seriously, is this the most efficient form of government? Just do the math, the township costs per mile are about double what the city’s costs are per mile. The myth that township government is less expensive is just that…a myth, when the township spreads their cost across a large enough base, the charge seems small for each household, but it’s the biggest rip off in property taxes today.
22.. Consolidation is good, unfortunately it will cost some people there jobs.
23. An employee at Naperville TWP said the road/highway commissioner will be retiring in a couple years. Consolidation is not going to happen over night, but the process needs to get moving. Attrition will help make it work efficiently.
24. These multiple layers of government are massively wasteful. Those in leadership in the townships don’t want this because they want to preserve their well-paid government positions.
25. We should definitely abolish the townships. It’s outdated.
26. Also, Naperville Township has about 900 homes. There are about 40,000 homes in the city. If those living in the township want to keep it, let them pay 100% of the bill instead of benefiting from the entire city full of residents paying for their services.
March 3, 2016
1. Where can I find more information before I answer….
2. Save $800K, that seems like a good deal for both.
3. I don’t think the city can provide the same level of services the township provided.
4. We purchase property in unincorporated areas with intention of receiving high quality services that are important to us. We believe the timeliness and level of care will decline if the township connects with the City of Naperville.
5. Should have been done years ago.
6. I don’t know what to think regarding “yes” or “no,” but doesn’t it seem like taxation without representation for many residents? I do think that a town hall meeting facilitated by an independent party to begin the discussion with the facts might be a good start if held in the auditorium of one of the high schools. What’s the timeline on all this?
7. Will they be using the current equipment the Township uses or have to purchase new equipment?
8. We have enough roads to maintain. We shouldn’t be paying city tax along with township. Let them do it.
9. The number used to make comparison includes repairs and the city does not. Not apples to apples . Very deceptive. Also roads are better carred for in unincorporated areas for cheaper than incorporated.
10. This is an efficiency move that should benefit the citizens of our city.
11. No more grandfather deals from the Pradle days. If repairs anywhere are needed, go back to the 3-5 bid system on major capital projects, only inviting the most reputable to participate.
12. Why would anyone vote against this?? Everyone will have the same level of service and we save $800,000 in waste?
12. Certainly this current campaign season highlights the need for change and consolidation at every level of government. Sadly, change is most likely from the bottom up (locally) and not in Washington, but we need budget reductions as well as less fraud, waste and duplication of services at every level. Why are we so afraid of change that we cling to fiscal irresponsibility, big government and entitlements that are subject to so much abuse and unfair regulations? We need to prioritize. Infrastructure and road maintenance are important. Bid it out. Go, private enterprise!
13. More than ever, now is the time to be fiscally responsible at every level of our over-sized government—federal, state, county, township, and city. Right now I’m all for getting rid of bureaucracy. I also know from experience that good public policy is never good when based on emotion. We need all of the facts. Thank you for taking this survey.
14. The savings to an individual taxpayer is NOT significant.
15. I’d rather pay for the services we currently receive than to have reduced taxes (really?) and greatly reduced services.
16. Your numbers are incorrect. Check your facts before you print a survey.
17. Your services are not provided as well as the township takes care of the residents.
18. These road services are paid for by everyone living in the Naperville township (incorporated and unincorporated properties) so Naperville residents are paying for road maintenance of both city and township roads but township residents are only paying for township roads (and getting close to a $2000 per property subsidy for this service paid for by Naperville residents). This savings is huge tax relief for Naperville residents with no significant reduction if benefits to township residents.
19. So the cost decreases, does the level of services. What is he apples to apples comparison. Maybe the township could deliver the incorporated level for $1mm.
20. You can save cost by not dumping so much damn salt on them. Cost of the salt, the damage the salt does to cars, the road/infrastruture, and the environment is massive. Salt should be banned.
21. Need to drop costs every way possible.
22. Why were we paying more in our taxes if the cost would be actually lower? Are there any circumstances where we’d possibly pay more than if we didn’t take the road services?
23. ?? Who would answer “no” based on the way question is posed?
24. One must be informed that about 40,000 incorporated homeowners are subsidizing about 1,000 non incorporated homes at at cost of about $2,000 per house. Most residents are not aware of this inequality. So stop the separate road costs and save us about $800,000/year and welcome the 1,000 residents to the real world and bring fairness into the equation.
25. The City of Naperville services hundreds of miles of roads, adding 20 or 30 more miles should be very manageable. The township does a very good job of servicing my streets, but I find the city streets to be well maintained as well.
26. Municipalities like Naperville and Aurora have the scale and ability to perform these services at a much lower cost. The older concept of the Township Highway Commission is not viable in an advanced suburban area. Make this deal and reduce taxes.
27. NO! The figures the City has provided are not accurate as they only account for part of the unincorporated areas, they left out 7 subdivisions. Also they have neglected to mention all the money to township just gives the city from the road and bridge fund as well as the PPRT. The township gave back $500,000 to the taxpayers last year, I can’t say that for the city considering the high amount of debt they carry!!
28. If the road district no longer exists for township residents, the township residents will be taxed without representation. If the sticking point is the cost, then the road district should work to decrease their costs.
March 2, 2016
1. Of course they should. The township has a responsibility to deliver the services at the best value for the taxpayers.
2. While I am all for reducing costs and combining resources I am hard pressed to believe that any tax payer will realize a reduction in township taxes because of this agreement. I would also anticipate an increased cost to the City of Naperville somewhere down the road (no pun intended).
3. Makes sense to me.
4. It is not a cost savings, it will be a reduction in the the level of service. Services that will be affected will be minimizing brush pickup to once a year from the present 6 times a year by the township, right of way mowing will be contracted out (no cost savings there – it’s another expense), snow removal will take longer since the township does areas far outside of City of Naperville city limits. Leaf pickup would also be contracted out (no cost savings there – its another expense). Clearly there are some misconstrued figures that are not showing the real picture on this possible endeavor.
5. More work, less money? Someone will have to pay.
6. No brainer.
7. Our township services exceed what my Naperville neighbors receive. More road cleaning, more brush pickup, more leaf pickup.
8. YOUR NUMBERS ARE BOGUS. You will substantially cut services.
9. This program is similar to the intergovernmental agreement that the Naperville Fire Protection District has with the City of Naperville. It pays the City for Fire Services in unincorporated areas adjoining the City. Don Hennessy, former attorney for the Naperville Fire Protection District.
10. What the survey fails to qualify is how the services for unincorporated residents are subsidized by taxpayers in the incorporated sections of the township. About time to level these services across the board and stop the subsidies that provide little or no value to the vast majority of the township taxpayers.
11. Per the Mayor, this means a cut in services to the unincorporated residents.
12. The idea that the township has a separate highway department that is completely independent of the township is rather incredible. I am sure that in years past, this was a great idea – but for an area like Naperville, with the growth we have had and will have, not so good. And for a cost per mile compared to Naperville, it is twice the price. So, yes.
13. Then the Naperville Township Road District should be DISSOLVED. It would have a Commissioner, equipment and crews with nothing to do. The Township Highway Fund Tax Revenue would be administered by the Naperville Township Supervisor & Bd.of Trustees.
14. Just seems to make sense.
15. So long as the services are consistent across the board and the cost savings are legitimate.
16. The Naperville Township should be disbanded and all activities transferred to the City of Naperville or DuPage County in order to increase the saving even more. All duties of the Township can be handled by other agencies, thus effecting substantial savings.
17. Only if the city is going to pass on the savings back to the taxpayers since it is our money. BY that I mean lower our taxes. Do not keep it and use it for something else.
18. At first blush, this sound great; but the devil is in the details.
What happens to the township road commissioner? Is that position eliminated? By what authority under state law?
What about the township road employees?
What happens to the township highway “barn” and road equipment on North Aurora Rd?
How many add’l personnel will be hired by the City, and at what cost?
What hidden costs will be absorbed by the city to make this attractive to the township, until the township road Dept goes out of business, and then the city raises its cost to the township?
Do the township residents like the higher level of service they’re receiving, and are they willing to pay extra, if that’s the case? Shouldn’t they be the only ones to vote on this, because they’re the only ones paying this “supposed” extra cost now.
Lots of questions before any thoughtful, informed decision could be made on this simplistic question.
19. Cost savings for less service. Less service for unincorporated citizens who cannot vote for the Mayor or City Council.
20. If there is significant cost savings to the taxpayer there is no need to have a survey.
21. No state has more levels of government in our country than Illinois. The township is an outdated form of government and is wasting tax dollars. Services or responsibilities could easily be divided between cities and the county.
22. I live in an area serviced by the Naperville Township Road District and feel it is the right thing to do to enter into this agreement to save costs to taxpayers. IT IS ONLY FAIR! The Township Road Commissioner’s salary is too high and the equipment is shiny and new. The area served by the Township Road District is too small to warrant the cost. Our homeowners association is squaking that we won’t have as good of service, but why should we have BETTER service than the rest of the taxpayers who are helping to pay for this. Hope it passes!
Note: All signed names have been deleted from the above comments as we promised all feedback would be anonymous. Several comments featured under the survey post have been submitted with signatures. Feedback will be accepted online through March 31. Thanks for thoughtful responses that aim to provide a solution that is fair to all and focused on facts.
This page of feedback also links to related posts, March 22 to April 2
Open Letter from Mayor Steve Chirico (March 22, 2016)
View from the Board of Directors / Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce (March 24, 2016)
Daily Herald Post April 1, 2016 / www.dailyherald.com/article/20160401/news/160409927/
