Wood Dale aldermen have found themselves in the unusual position of defending recent cuts in the tax rate to a group of residents who believe the frugality has come at the expense of city streets.
For the second time in as many months, people living on Oak Avenue presented a petition seeking immediate roadwork on their block, which they claim has become dangerous and deteriorated.
“This street is an accident looking for a place to happen,” resident Janet Rubright said. “Money has got to be found for this.”
Rubright read from her tax bill, questioning the City Council’s decision to cut tax rates while apparently struggling to find the money to begin construction projects. For the last 12 years, the council has cut the city’s tax rate.
“I think the residents are saying, `If you’re going to make the street repairs, we don’t mind if our tax rates aren’t lowered,'” Ald. Marshall Subach said. “They want to see some results.”
Oak Avenue residents will have to wait at least another year to have their street repaired. The city’s current street improvement plan calls for Oak to be repaired by 2003, but aldermen have agreed to go ahead this year with an in-house study of all the streets in town.
