By:  Diane Benjamin

Chris Koos has been mayor of Normal since 2003.  Voters claim to want term limits – isn’t 14 years enough time to enact one?

More reasons exist to dump Koos though.  At the end of FY 2016, the Town was $99,974,191 in debt!  Almost $100 MILLION!  The population reported to the State of Illinois was 54,373.  Source:  HERE

That’s more than $1,800 per person!

This is all the fault of Chris Koos and his grand plans forced on the citizens of Normal.  His hand-picked Council believes they have a right to your wallet.

But this story gets better!

See this:  http://americancityandcounty.com/mag/government_towns_financial_policy

Just a few shot years before Koos decided to decimate Town finances to build Uptown, Normal didn’t fleece the citizens.

Excerpt:

Dec. 30, 1999, was a big day for the town of Normal, Ill. That was the day that Normal, a community of 42,000, made its final payment on a bond debt of $12 million.

The town had instituted a policy of avoiding bonded indebtedness to finance major capital improvements in 1988. Over the next decade, Normal made a concentrated effort to liquidate its bonded indebtedness and followed a “pay-as-you-go” plan of funding major improvement projects with available cash.

To get the Town of Normal in ZERO debt, then Mayor Kent Karraker raises the Town Sales Tax to 1%, a $5 garbage fee was added, and a 4% alcohol tax was instituted.

Local Sales tax under Koos is 3.5%.

A multitude of other taxes have also been added:  http://www.normal.org/129/Taxes-Fees

Garbage is now $18 per month:  http://il-normal.civicplus.com/501/Utility-Rates

Has your income more than tripled since 1999?

The story details everything the Town of Normal accomplished while being fiscally responsible:

Despite the frugal financial policy, the local government has increased its staff, provided additional services — such as a recycling program — and has sustained the infrastructure needs of continued growth. Additionally, it has built an aquatic center that includes a zero depth activity pool; six swim lanes; a plunge pool; waterslides; a diving area and two sand volleyball courts. It also has restored the historic Normal Theater; expanded softball fields with an eye toward hosting national tournaments; built a new police station and a new fire station; expanded the public library; and constructed a linear park for hiking and biking.

Ready for change?

Koos only has one challenger, Marc Tiritilli.

Check out his website:  http://marcformayor.com/

If Koos is reelected, he will know Normal loves higher taxes.  He will give you more!

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