by: Diane Benjamin
I’ve written before about the McLean County Regional Planning Commission – the un-elected group funded largely by the State who gets their money from the Fed. They claim to “advise” local governments, but their advise always comes with a lot of money. We have lost the autonomy to govern ourselves because the elected can’t resist the government money.
Here is the latest project:
From last months minutes of the McLean County Transportation Committee.
Mr. Schmitt advised that the County was successful and received $800,000 grant funding from the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) to construct the next section of the Historic Route 66 bikeway. The project will continue the bike trail from CH 29 in Towanda north 2.55 miles along old Route 66. The Engineering work will be done this spring, with construction in 2014. Total cost of the project is $1,000,000. The local match for this program is $200,000, which will be shared by the City of Bloomington, Town of Normal and other participating municipalities pursuant to an Intergovernmental Agreement. The County’s share of the project is $49.800 (24% of the match). The section from north Normal to Towanda has been delayed until 2014 because of the High Speed Rail project. If both projects are bid at the same time, it will lower both projects costs.
Does anybody care that the State is bankrupt?
Meanwhile, the local roads continue to deteriorate! Send me pothole pictures – we need a gallery of the huge holes to send local governments a message.
Send pictures to: [email protected]
Both Tari Renner and John Hanson have strong ties to the MCRPC! If you want to end the non-essential spending until government actually does their job, the only person to elect mayor is Lex Green.
In Normal – Chris Koos and the city staff are in bed with MCRPC. To cut the ties – vote for Vic Conner.
