Clarendon Hills Clarifies Senior Discount For Vehicle Stickers

CLARENDON HILLS, IL — Discounted vehicle stickers for seniors will be limited to only one per resident in Clarendon Hills. However, one village trustee questioned giving seniors any discount at all.

On Monday, the Village Board passed an amendment clarifying the policy for senior rates on the sticker licenses.

The village offers a 50 percent discount for residents 62 or older with proof of age.

Vehicle stickers for passenger cars are $40 annually, while the cost is $30 for motorcycles, according to the village’s website.

The ordinance was unclear on how many discounted stickers each resident could get. Beforehand, it was written to state the discount applied to no more than two licenses. However, it was not clear if it meant driver’s licenses or sticker licenses.

Finance Director Maureen Potempa told the board the village had been interpreting the language of the ordinance to mean two stickers per household.

However, Potempa said, it was “cumbersome and not always practical” as the difficulty of looking up detailed information held up lines of customers.

She told the board it would help move the lines quicker and keep it fair to all residents if the board clarified the policy.

During the discussion, Trustee Greg Jordan asked why the village even had this policy.

“I say this as somebody who qualifies,” Jordan said. “Why do I, as someone who falls into the sweet spot, need this discount or anybody else in the village?”

Village Manager Kevin Barr replied to Jordan, “There is not a good answer to your question, other than it’s often the case.”

“It’s not a significant amount of money,” Jordan later said. “I’m guessing that this is not something that people who have reached the magic birthday necessarily need.”