No Answer From Bensenville Leader On Referendum

BENSENVILLE, IL – A group of Bensenville residents say they have asked the village president to take questions from the public about an April 1 referendum to change the local form of government, which would mean a big raise for himself.

But they said they have received no answer from Frank DeSimone, who was elected in 2017. Now, they are planning a town hall themselves.

Late last year, the Village Board set in motion a far higher salary for the village president to $157,000, up from $38,000 now, plus health insurance for the first time. The raise is conditioned on the voters doing away with the managerial form of government in the April 1 election.

The group of residents, which wants to keep the current form of government, plans a meeting at 6 p.m. March 12 at the Bensenville Park District office at 1000 W. Wood Ave.

Slated to speak is Jason Grant, director of advocacy for the Washington-based International City/County Management Association. The group pushes for the council-manager form of government.

On Feb. 20, resident Janell Taraszka emailed DeSimone asking for a town hall.

"By organizing a town hall, you would provide an invaluable opportunity for open dialogue, allowing you to hear directly from the people," Taraszka said. "I strongly believe that such a forum would foster trust, transparency, and a sense of collective involvement in the decision-making process. It would also offer you the chance to clarify any points of confusion and help guide the community through the specifics of the referendum."

She said DeSimone did not respond.

Not long before the Village Board's referendum decision, it voted to fire Manager Evan Summers after eight years without giving the public an explanation.

DeSimone has not answered Patch's requests for comment since last year.