Geneva residents will no longer vote this spring on a $68 million bond referendum question to construct new public safety facilities in the city, after the measure was pulled off the April 1 ballot this week.
The referendum question had been unanimously approved by the Geneva City Council on Jan. 13, and was to be voted on in the April 1 election. But, after a calculation error was discovered that would have doubled the projected property tax payment, the City Council decided to rescind the measure on Tuesday, officially notifying the Kane County Clerk’s Office of the change on Wednesday, according to a news release from the city.
Before the City Council vote on Jan. 13 to get the measure on the ballot, the city sent out surveys and held community meetings about the potential referendum, according to the release. During this process, the city used a formula to calculate the potential property tax impact if the measure was approved by voters, the release said.
The city discovered the error after the Jan. 13 meeting, officials said in the news release. According to survey data, the release said, the actual estimate for the potential property tax payment surpassed what residents may have been willing to pay.
If the referendum question was approved, the bonds would have funded the construction of a new police station and Fire Station 2, along with renovations to existing buildings.
According to the news release, the city plans to continue speaking with residents and weighing options for the facilities projects in the future.
mmorrow@chicagotribune.com