Voters OK Kane open space but nix Yorkville bike paths
By Linda Girardi For The Herald-News April 6, 2011 5:04PM
Updated: September 24, 2012 6:25AM
YORKVILLE — Unofficial results had Yorkville voters saying they did not want the city to take more out of their pocketbooks to fund bike trails.
On Tuesday, voters had the final word in a series of referendums seeking approval to acquire open space, build bike trails, raise a municipal sales tax and consider buying electricity.
In Kane County, 13,618 voters cast yes votes, while 11,365 voters said no to the forest preserve district’s referendum to issue $30 million in bonds to acquire 1,500 to 2,000 acres of open space and natural forested areas to protect wildlife habitats, wetlands, prairies and improve recreational areas.
Yorkville voters, meanwhile, decided they did not want to fund a $1 million community bike trail referendum, which would have raised their taxes by $13 a year. The referendum would have authorized the city to issue bonds to pay a 20 percent share of 13.25 miles of trails that the state would build as part of major roadway improvements along Routes 34, 47 and 71.
Yorkville voters did, however, approve a referendum to increase the city’s sales tax by 1 percent to raise $2.2 million to cover sewer bond payments and avoid having to rely on property tax revenues for those costs.
