Why Did Elmhurst-Area Official Get Perk?

ELMHURST, IL — A former official for an Elmhurst-area government entity received regular payments for travel, but it is unclear why.

The agency involved is Bensenville Fire District No. 1, which serves residents in the unincorporated area between Elmhurst and Bensenville.

Just about every month, one of the district's three trustees, George Jefferies, got $50 for travel. In fiscal year 2021, the payments totaled $550.

In the bigger scheme of things, the $50 payments don't amount to much. But it's unclear why any trustee would need travel pay. After all, the entity is considered a "paper" district with no fire engines or a station. Its sole job is to send annual checks to two other entities to provide fire service.

Jefferies is listed as living on Wood Avenue in Bensenville. He is just seven blocks from where the district says the board meets — the Bensenville Park District office, which is on the same street. Under the IRS reimbursement rate, a person would receive $1.16 for such a distance, or $13.92 a year, if the trip is taken monthly.

Patch asked the board's current president, Paul Guerino, about the reason for the travel payments.

"I would have no idea because it happened before I was there," said Guerino, who joined the board last year.

He said no one gets travel payments now.

Jefferies, who left the board in 2021, couldn't be reached for comment.

Although the district's only job is sending out checks, that comes with a price to taxpayers. In fiscal year 2021, the district spent 12 percent of its $265,647 budget on overhead, including $16,000 for professional services, mainly legal fees.

Each trustee is paid $1,000 a year. By contrast, members of school and park boards in Illinois are unpaid.

Last year, a legislator introduced a bill to abolish the district and merge it into Bensenville Fire District No. 2. Fire District No. 1 is fighting the measure.

In April 2021, Fire District No. 1 issued a fake "official ballot" to residents, asking whether they supported the legislation. It gave only its viewpoint on the measure. All but a handful of residents sided with the district.