VILLA PARK : City Won’t Back Hike in Sales Tax

City Council members have rebuked a county request to endorse a half-cent sales tax increase, which goes before voters in June. Instead of passing an endorsement resolution requested by county Chief Executive Officer William J. Popejoy, the council criticized county government then unanimously tabled the measure.

Mayor Bob Patchin accused county supervisors of trying to pass the buck in the county’s bankruptcy.

“In my opinion this (proposed resolution for the tax increase) asks us to walk the plank ahead of them,” Patchin said.

At issue was Popejoy’s effort to line up city support for a tax-increase measure that will be on the countywide ballot June 27. The Board of Supervisors, after a long meeting that lasted past midnight Tuesday, unanimously voted to put the tax hike on the ballot.

But the City Council, also meeting on Tuesday night, balked at Popejoy’s request for city support for the ballot measure.

“I certainly don’t want to endorse that half-cent tax increase,” Councilman Bob Bell said. “We’re not making that decision for them (the county supervisors).”

Councilman John Frackelton added: “The Board of Supervisors is asking for our moral support for them to make this decision. It’s their problem. I’d just as soon see us take no action.”

Councilman Barry L. Denes accused county supervisors of taking little action to make budget cutbacks. “So far nothing seems to have been done,” Denes said. “They’ve talked about the sale of assets, but I haven’t seen anything that has really been done. Privatization, they keep talking about it, but I haven’t seen anything of fact coming from the supervisors.”

Patchin also said he believes county government has done little to cut spending since declaring bankruptcy Dec. 6.