Open Letter to the Community:
As the Township Road District Commissioner I was first approached by Mayor Chirico and Supervisor Ossyra in late November about their consolidation plans for the City and the Township services. The Mayor spoke about an Intergovernmental Agreement between the City and the Road District for the City to absorb Township services to the unincorporated areas of the City.
He mentioned terminating five employees, transferring the equipment and selling the property and buildings and drastically cutting services to the unincorporated areas. After thinking about it for a few days, I called his office and rejected the offer.
At the February 2, 2016, City Council Meeting, the Council was presented with a document referring to the Task Forces’ Local Government Consolidation recommendations. The document mentioned transferring vehicles and equipment to the City, elimination of personnel, cutting of services, evaluating Motor Fuel Tax disbursements and utilization of bank balances.
None of these are indicative of an IGA but of a hostile takeover of the Road District.
At the Feb. 9 Township Meeting I agreed to meet with City representatives for discussion. We met on Feb. 29 and they gave mixed messages. The City admitted that many of the statements and financial calculations in the Council packet were inaccurate, taken out of context or hurriedly prepared. They asked for more time to prepare a more accurate document and we agreed. We all also agreed at that time not to speak to the press or generate publicity around these inaccurate or false statements and calculations until talks resulted in more detail.
Since then the City has addressed the Chamber of Commerce, Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation, articles in the Sun and in Positively Naperville about the agreement.
To date, I have honored the “no publicity pledge” and until now, not been contacted by any of the media to respond. I appreciate Positively Naperville’s interest in the topic.
The Illinois Citizens for Efficient Government, in January 2012, cited the Cox report, and Paul Hinds, DuPage County Clerk as saying “Townships (inclusive of Highway Departments) receive the smallest portion of Real Estate Tax levy’s (1.63%), share their levies with local cities and towns and Township Highway Departments are the Most Efficient Type of Government.”
The Township Road District will respond at the proper time and with the necessary answers.
Stan Wojtasiak,
Highway Commissioner Naperville Township Road District
March 30, 2016
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 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.
RELATED POST / Feedback from March 2-31, 2016
