Elmhurst Should Rank Multimillion-Dollar Projects: Official

ELMHURST, IL – An Elmhurst alderman said Monday the City Council needs to prioritize its big building projects over the next few years.

Within the next three to five years, the budget calls for spending $9 million for a rebuilt public works garage, $40 million to $80 million for a new police station, and $150 million for the wastewater treatment complex, Alderwoman Noel Talluto said at a City Council meeting.

"I just don't think Elmhurst can do all of those things in the same years," said Talluto, who heads the council's finance committee. "I think we really need to force some prioritization of those things."

She said the city's staff has done its job and included all of those items.

"If we don't say that we can't do all of those things, they're going to do all of those things. And we're going to have to issue bonds," the alderwoman said.

She said this during a council budget meeting. She asked for the matter to come up again.

"We're going to have to have that conversation as a council," Talluto said.

In recent years, city officials have discussed the possibility of rebuilding the new police station on its current site or somewhere else. They also have talked about having the station and City Hall in the same place.