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Resident urges Westmont to press District 60 on spending, suggests consolidation with District 201
Summary
A Westmont resident told the board District 60 is facing financial trouble and urged the village to encourage consolidation with District 201 before approving additional TIF funds; he cited life safety bonds and a prior district finance officer statement.
At the Sept. 18 Village of Westmont meeting, resident Paras Gautam spoke during the public comment period to urge trustees to scrutinize District 60's finances and to resist calls to provide additional tax-increment financing (TIF) support without exploring alternatives.
"In my opinion, District 60 has a spending problem and their smaller footprint cannot keep up with it," Gautam said. He identified himself as a 16-year resident and a parent of students who attended District 60 schools.
Gautam cited the district's recent issuance of life-safety bonds totaling $8,400,000 and referenced a February 2024 statement by District 60 Chief School Business Official Patrick King that the district "has a solid fund balance that meets the board policy and a stated benchmark of 25 to 30% of revenue." He suggested consolidation with neighboring District 201 to reduce administrative costs and recommended that the village encourage a study of that option. Gautam also referenced House Bill 2966 and said the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) offers grants for districts studying consolidation.
Mayor Nero asked Gautam to follow up with Finance Director Alterback so village staff and the resident could exchange information.
Gautam's remarks were delivered during the public-comment portion of the meeting; no board action on District 60 funding or TIF allocations occurred at the Sept. 18 meeting.
