New Lenox Boycott At the Pump Lowers Prices at Stations

Mayor asked residents to buy gas in neighboring towns

Mayor Tim Baldermann and New Lenox residents are seeing gas prices come down for a change after a week-long boycott at the pump.

Prices in the town have dropped as much as 11 cents at some stations, while others have not given in just yet.

On Monday, Baldermann called for a boycott of gas stations in his town after prices hovered between $4.14 and $4.21 a gallon while neighboring towns saw significantly lower prices.

"If it was two cents they would have never heard from me," Baldermann told NBC Chicago Friday.

But prices were 12-to-20 cents higher, so he took a stand.

Marty Durbin, executive vice president of the American Petroleum Institute, said the boycott was misguided. He explaining that each station has its own costs of doing business, and that's what led to the price fluctuations and the boycott in New Lenox.

"It's competition," Durbin said.

Baldermann said prices were $4.17 on average in New Lenox earlier this week. Friday morning they were $4.03. The mayor checked neighboring prices in Will County and saw they had gone up from $3.98 Monday to $4.06 Friday.

In the end Baldermann believes his town's prices are higher because it's right off I-80, where people might get off to fill up and get back the expressway.

"My issue is with the corporations," he said.

Contact Us