Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Police Station Referendum topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Geneva City to ask voters March 17 to approve purpose-built police station on South Street
Summary
Geneva City announced a March 17 referendum asking voters to fund a purpose-built police station on city-owned South Street, estimating an average household tax increase of about $272 per year and stating a project cap of $59.4 million.
Unidentified Speaker said Geneva City will ask voters on March 17 to approve a referendum to build a purpose-built police station on city-owned property on South Street.
The city presented the proposal as the first project in a facilities master plan intended to address aging municipal buildings. "If approved by referendum, this project would create Geneva's first ever purpose built police station," the Unidentified Speaker said, adding that the existing station "lacks adequate workspace, it experiences flooding, the layout hinders daily operations, and it falls short of the standards found in modern law enforcement facilities."
The city said a new station would be designed for today's policing needs and would help Geneva "attract highly qualified officers dedicated to keeping residents safe." The presentation tied the project to a broader facilities master plan meant to ensure the city can continue to provide expected services.
Officials framed the funding challenge as a product of Geneva's limited revenue capacity. The Unidentified Speaker said funding sources include property taxes and a non-home-rule sales tax capped at 1 percent, noting that only about 6 percent of a resident's property tax bill goes directly to the city. The transcript states that half of the city’s sales-tax capacity is allocated to road infrastructure and the other half helps offset operating costs.
The city provided two cost figures: it estimated the average Geneva household would pay an additional $272 per year if the referendum passes and stated a project cost "not to exceed $59,400,000" (presented in the transcript as 59,400,000.0). The Unidentified Speaker encouraged residents to learn more, register for a public tour or watch a virtual tour of the current police station, review referendum details at www.geneva.il.us, and vote on March 17.
There was no vote recorded in this presentation and no opposing statements or competing cost estimates in the transcript. The referendum outcome will be determined by voters on March 17.
