Embattled Elmhurst-Area Agency May Have Point

Elmhurst IL

09 February, 2022

3:22 PM

Description

ELMHURST, IL — The "paper" fire district that covers unincorporated residents between Elmhurst and Bensenville is mired in controversy. It has yet to explain why it gave a $50-a-month travel payment to one of its three board members. Last year, it sent a fake "official ballot" on whether to dissolve the district, giving residents only one side of the issue. And it now faces an ethics complaint that it used public resources for a political campaign. But Paul Guerino, board president for Bensenville Fire District No. 1, may have a point in his arguments opposing state legislation that would dissolve District No. 1 and let Bensenville Fire District No. 2 assume control. District No. 1, which has no fire station or trucks, has one job: Distribute annual checks to District No. 2 and Elmhurst to provide fire service to unincorporated residents. If the legislation passes, Guerino contends the hundreds of unincorporated residents would then be required to help with the costs of District No. 2's pension system. He said the fund has been historically mismanaged. But he provides no evidence to back up that assertion, saying he has heard things. Still, District No. 2's pension numbers are bad compared to many firefighter pension systems. As of 2020, the District No. 2 system was only 19 percent funded, according to the state comptroller's website. That number is the ratio of the system's assets to its liabilities. The percentage is down from two years earlier, when it was 25 percent. Elmhurst's and Villa Park's firefighters' pension systems are 73 percent and 49 percent funded, respectively, in 2020. The Northlake Fire District is at 67 percent. Among area fire districts surveyed, only Woodridge's is in District No. 2's financial territory, at 23 percent. Patch could not reach District No. 2 officials for comment on pensions. However, Bensenville Village Manager Evan Summers, who favors dissolving District No. 1, did comment. Although a separate entity, District No. 2 covers the village of Bensenville. In an email, Summer said he found it telling that every single unincorporated Bensenville tax bill includes a separate line item that contributes to local pensions. "Those in unincorporated Bensenville are not contributing a single penny to the pension," Summers said. "Again, these are the same exact firefighters putting their lives on the line serving both sets of residents. I have to believe that the firefighters' pension would be in much better shape if the unincorporated residents helped fund it. Don't we owe it to the firefighters for the job they do?" He also said, "Ultimately, this is a taxpayer equity issue — if incorporated and unincorporated are both receiving the same level of service — shouldn't both be paying the same tax rate? Logic would dictate that if they aren't paying the same tax rate, then one is unfairly being forced to subsidize the other." The legislation on District No. 1 was introduced by state Rep. Kathleen Willis, D-Addison. Summers has said it is unnecessary to keep an "unaccountable" fire district that provides no actual services other than the distribution of checks. Guerino and other District No. 1 supporters contend unincorporated residents' tax bills would triple under District No. 2.