Bill aimed at settling Ford Heights debt to Chicago Heights pulled after House floor showdown
In a fiery debate after 6 p.m. on the statehouse floor as a legislative deadline loomed, a decade-long fight between Chicago Heights and Ford Heights came to a head last week as two Democratic lawmakers argued until proposed legislation was pulled from debate.
The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Anthony DeLuca, who represents Chicago Heights, would have allowed the state comptroller to collect debts between local governments if the entities reached an agreement or filed a court order. It would have created a pathway to resolve close to $2 million in unpaid water bills Ford Heights owes Chicago Heights, its water supplier.
Chicago Heights has attempted to collect the money for about a decade, including suing Ford Heights.
But state Rep. Thaddeus Jones worried state intervention could further hike the water bills for the Ford Heights, which already has some of the highest water bills in the south suburbs, after Chicago Heights threatened to turn off the water in 2018.
'This bill does not allow me to represent a poor community that can barely pay their water bills,' said Jones, who is also mayor of Calumet City.
While the legislation is dead, lawmakers agreed to work with municipal officials to settle the dispute over the bill.
The proposed legislation would have allowed the state to deduct the debt from state payments to Ford Heights and forward the deducted funds to Chicago Heights, provided the municipalities came to an agreement or if Chicago Heights won a court order.
Jones worried the court order measure would give Chicago Heights too much leverage over Ford Heights when the village already struggles with costly water bills. In October, Ford Heights attorney Mike Stuttley confirmed residents pay about $60 in monthly water bills, but could not confirm current bill prices Tuesday, or the amount owed to Chicago Heights.
Jones said Tuesday another rate hike to settle the outstanding debt would likely have little effect.
'If they don't have any money, how are you going to force them to pay?' Jones said.
Jones said there are other solutions, such as asking Cook County for help and changing the village system so Ford Heights residents pay Chicago Heights directly for water use. But he said DeLuca pushed the bill without providing enough time for the village's interim mayor, who was recently appointed, to sort out the village's financial situation and make a deal with Chicago Heights.
Freddie Wilson was appointed interim mayor in October after serving less than a full term as village trustee, after former Mayor Charles Griffin was forced to resign after being convicted of embezzling from the village of about 1,800 people.
Wilson won election to a full term April 1, despite other candidates raising concerns about his ties to Griffin. Those concerns included, as of March 21, failing to remove the Griffin from the village's bank account.
Jones said the terms of an agreement made between Ford Heights and Chicago Heights during Griffin's administration has since been lost.
Jones said he has known Wilson his whole life and trusts him to do what's best for the community. He said he planned to initiate a conversation with Wilson about Ford Heights' future.
'It's not easy, but he's going to have to make a clean break from the past,' Jones said.
DeLuca said he knew Jones would oppose the bill, but said Chicago Heights was also 'an economically depressed community … in no position to be carrying that kind of debt.' Chicago Heights is home to about 26,000 people and is about 40% Black and 37% Hispanic or Latino, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
DeLuca said within 15 minutes after withdrawing the bill Thursday, he had Wilson on the phone, and said the mayor was amicable and open to an agreement to pay the debt.
'So that's part of the reason I did it, because I knew it would create some motivation on their part to get this resolved,' DeLuca said. 'He understands that, you know, this issue has to be resolved and come together and get you guys paid, I believe is the way it was said.'
Wilson declined to comment on the debt issue Tuesday, but Chicago Heights has struggled to receive money owed by Ford Heights for more than a decade. In 2014, the city warned the village was in default, before suing them and being awarded a judgment of $1,929,840.
DeLuca said he had not previously reached out to Ford Heights officials, but is in regular communication with Chicago Heights, as this was their initiative. Minutes after speaking with Wilson, DeLuca heard from Chicago Heights officials that they supported a resolution, DeLuca said.
When asked what the next steps are, DeLuca said 'the next step has already happened,' but hopes for continued conversation.
'We're not going to delay,' said DeLuca. 'We're going to move right away and hopefully find a resolution.'
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