On April 10, 2018, the DuPage County Board made a unanimous decision to proceed with the dissolution of the North Westmont Fire Protection District. This marks the fifth time DuPage County has dissolved a local governmental entity. The move effectively halts the district's annual tax levies and clears its accumulated debts, which have totaled around $300,000 over the last five years. Furthermore, the county will redirect approximately $11,000 annually in administrative costs toward supporting fire services.
Under the agreement reached with the Village of Westmont, the village will take responsibility for fire and ambulance services within the district's boundaries. Residents in the unincorporated areas of Westmont will continue to receive these essential services while the village fairly distributes the financial burden among its residents.
"This is a prime instance of local governments working together for the benefit of taxpayers," said DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin. "By collaborating, we’ve ensured sustainable funding for crucial public services. I’m proud of both Westmont officials and the fire district representatives who collaborated with residents to develop and implement this innovative approach to fire service delivery."
A survey conducted in 2016 revealed that the majority of residents in the North Westmont Fire District favored its dissolution and preferred receiving fire protection services from Westmont instead. Following this feedback, in June 2017, the DuPage County Board authorized Westmont to create a Special Service Area (SSA) to offer consistent and equitable pricing for fire services across all areas. Westmont officially approved the SSA in December, and it was formally established by the County Clerk in February.
DuPage County has previously dissolved several other local governments, including the Timberlake Estates Sanitary District, the DuPage Fair and Exposition Authority, the Fairview Fire Protection District, and the Century Hill Street Lighting District.
Meanwhile, according to reports from the Daily Herald, the North Westmont Fire Protection District, often referred to as a "paper district," operates without any physical infrastructure such as fire stations or vehicles. Its sole purpose has been to collect property taxes from approximately 561 parcels to fund Westmont’s emergency response services. With the new SSA now in place, these residents will continue to enjoy fire and ambulance services from Westmont at a fair cost.
The initiative to dissolve the North Westmont Fire Protection District began after a 2016 survey showed strong resident support for the idea. The county board gave Westmont the green light to form the SSA in mid-2017, which the village later adopted in December. The SSA became official earlier this year, ensuring that the transition would be smooth and beneficial for everyone involved.
This move reflects DuPage County's ongoing efforts to streamline operations and reduce unnecessary expenditures while maintaining high-quality services for its residents.
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