Residents urge careful review of capital referendum; early-childhood advocates present regional plan

Several members of the public addressed the board during the Dec. 8 meeting with messages about district finances and early-childhood services.

Diana Soltis, a St. Charles resident, urged the board to scrutinize long-range capital-improvement plans and the operations budget before advancing any facilities referendum. She recommended examining which projects are truly necessary, exploring procurement efficiencies (for example, bidding projects together), phasing large projects over multiple years, and pursuing grant funding and joint procurement with other districts. Soltis said the proposed referendum could significantly affect taxpayers and urged the district to identify savings and consider incentives for operational staff to reduce costs.

Mark Titer, a retiree, told the board property taxes are a major retirement expense and urged accountability and fiscal restraint. He said many retirees struggle with repeated local tax increases.

David Quires, regional manager for Birth to 5 Illinois, described that organization’s regional needs assessment, a mental and behavioral health report and an action plan designed to improve early childhood education and care. He urged the district to engage parents and caregivers from birth onward and provided materials for board review.

The board listened during the public-comment period and did not take action on the items raised during the meeting. Board members later reaffirmed their commitment to responsible spending and to follow up on questions about proposed agreements and capital planning.