Bolingbrook residents to vote on garbage fee in April

The village of Bolingbrook announced it has resolved which ballot questions residents will vote on in April.

The village attorney and the state’s attorney’s offices in Will and DuPage counties agreed that a referendum on the village’s garbage fee will appear on the ballot in April’s municipal election, according to a news release.

The issue arose after the Bolingbrook Village Board approved three advisory ballot questions last month regarding marijuana, video gaming and how the village uses revenue from its hotel/motel tax.

But residents and members of a political party led by Jackie Traynere, a 2021 candidate for mayor, filed paperwork to have their own question appear on the ballot. They want residents to weigh in on the village’s garbage fee.

Traynere and her party, Bolingbrook United, are challenging incumbents in village government and aim to make the garbage fee a campaign issue. She has argued for the village to rescind the fee.

Since state law only permits three questions to appear on the ballot during a single election, the village said the advisory question on marijuana will be removed and the garbage question will take its place.

In April, Bolingbrook residents will also vote for a new mayor and three village trustees. Interim Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta, Trustee Sheldon Watts and Traynere are all vying for the top position.

Alexander-Basta took over the mayor’s office after the retirement of longtime Mayor Roger Claar earlier this year.

The election is scheduled for April 6.