Ballot measures across Kane, DuPage counties have mixed success

Voters rejected a request to pay more sales tax in Kane County, to fund public-safety related expenses.

However, they approved a plan for the Kaneland Unit School District 302 to borrow $140.3 million for renovations and construction.

Unofficial results showed a variety of outcomes for binding ballot measures in Kane and DuPage counties.

In the sales tax referendum, voters overwhelmingly refused to pay another 7.5 cents for every $10 spent on general merchandise, with 50,959 saying “no” and 16,757 saying “yes.” County officials expect it would raise about $51 million and would be used for public safety, public facilities, mental health, substance abuse and transportation expenses.

School wins

Kaneland voters approved borrowing money to do repairs and renovations at schools throughout the district. The plan includes adding a fieldhouse to the high school so it can convert one of its gymnasiums into classroom space. As of Wednesday afternoon, the measure succeeded 2,925 “yes” votes to 2,410 “no” votes.

Cemeteries, open space

A rate increase request from the Campton Township Cemetery Association failed, with 2,317 votes against it and 670 votes in favor. It had sought to increase its annual levy from about $25,000 a year to $67,000 to pay for upkeep of four cemeteries.

But a request for $17.2 million for the township’s open-space plan was winning by 60 votes, with 1,918 votes in favor and 1,858 opposed. Some of the money would be used to buy more land, bringing the total in its preservation plan to about 2,000 acres. The rest would be spent on staffing, maintenance and improvements.

Kane County Clerk Jack Cunningham said Tuesday evening that the results will be finalized in the next two weeks, as a potential 16,000 mail-in ballots countywide can still arrive and be counted.

In DuPage County, there are more than 67,000 outstanding vote-by-mail ballots, according to the county clerk’s website.

Bensenville

Voters in Bensenville decided the town should continue to have a village manager instead of making the position of village president a full-time job with full-time pay and benefits.

Fire districts

Voters in the Roselle and Kaneville fire protection districts rejected requests to increase the property taxes collected to operate the districts.

The Roselle district is a “paper district,” meaning it has no stations, equipment or workers. It pays the village of Roselle to provide services. The current tax levy is less than what Roselle charges the district for those services.

Library loses

Voters again rejected the idea of building a second library in the Ella Johnson Memorial Public Library District. The Hampshire-based district asked for $15 million to build a facility in Pingree Grove. Last November, the district asked for $30 million to build twin libraries in Pingree Grove and Hampshire.

Shaw Media contributed to this report