Residents and small business owners are invited to two meetings to learn more about the March 20 referendum that will ask voters if Tinley Park should enter into a program to aggregate the purchase of electricity.

The meetings will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 28, at Victor J. Andrew High School, 9001 W. 171st Street; and at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 7, at Central Middle School, 18146 S. Oak Park Avenue.

The referendum question will ask:
"Should the Village of Tinley Park have the authority to arrange for the supply of electricity for its residential and small commercial retail customers who have not opted out of such program?"

The goal of the referendum is to reduce electric bills for residents and small businesses in Tinley Park by seeking competitive bids for lower rates from suppliers other than ComEd.

If a lower rate is available, residents would then purchase their power through a new supplier. However, the power would continue to be delivered and billed through ComEd, so there would be no change in billing routines. Customers would also continue to call ComEd in the event of an outage.

Residents in communities that have already completed this process–including New Lenox, Oak Brook and Oak Park–are now saving $150 to $175 per year. Surrounding towns also placing this referendum on the March ballot include Orland Park, Mokena and Frankfort.

Residents would not be required to participate in the new aggregation. Every resident would receive a letter with the opportunity to opt out of the new plan and stay with ComEd.

Residents can attend one or both meetings to learn more about the aggregation program. For more information, see the FAQs on the Village's website.