Dolton residents were skeptical at Tuesday's board meeting, questioning whether the financially strained village could afford to purchase the home and maintain the streets surrounding it.

The Dolton Village Board unanimously voted to acquire Pope Leo XIV's childhood home, attracting pilgrims and raising local excitement and financial concerns.

Officials in Dolton, Ill., called the purchase a rare opportunity. But some residents questioned whether the village, grappling with a deficit and potholes, could afford it.