By: Diane Benjamin
Tuesday night the Normal Council will accept the audited financial statements. Once again, required disclosures are not included See page 82: http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2708.
The Government Accounting Standards Board issued a statement in June of 2015 requiring the disclosure of future liabilities for post-employment benefits (healthcare). Since the financial statements being released are as of March 31, 2017, the Town has had plenty of time to comply. The library failed to report the same future liabilities. See page 89.
The auditors also reported the Town spent almost $700,000 that wasn’t budgeted. See page 83.
Jump to page 108. The Town is going to spend $20,000 with a search firm to find a new City Manager. Mark Peterson got the job because he was the Assistant City Manager. Does the current Assistant want the job – Pamela Reece? If she wasn’t capable she should have been fired a long time ago. Is the Town being sexist and misogynistic? Is the Council going to ask?
Page 122 – A report will be given on the financial trends. I keep hearing that both city mayors were told State Farm will be laying people off. Evidently that is supposed to be a secret, it doesn’t appear to be included – but then the packet has few details.
More Town of Normal spending – Page 10: http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2708 (click to enlarge)
Consultants must be hired because Normal doesn’t have a vision:
Normal hands out your money to their preferred non-profit:
Government buying things to give away, part of their “full service”:
Holding tournaments is expensive, too bad taxpayers will never know if they got their money back:
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$20,000, with a “search firm”….. Did they pay a “consultant” $5,000 I wonder to guide them to the proper “search firm”? This is just another example of wasted money and “back scratching”.
WELL. there goes my last comment, guess this is “study” #1 for a new Peterson.
Why is the name of the Jolly Green Giant do they NEED a search firm?? Aren’t these yokels capable of doing an interview or placing an ad is some “journal” or on the internet
HEY! City manager wanted who can do the bobble head really good and like bikes and liberals, and make good cash. inquire at communist central.
See, that’s simple enough! Where’s my $2 for MY time?
Exactly, I could find them one for $2,000, easy, but I’m not one of the “preferred”. They must be really incompetent as you say. I know the type, and many are VERY incompetent except in severely limited areas.
Just stand a big dildo in the corner office.
Much cheaper on overhead cost and will do the job just fine.
1.) For as much as they spend to rent golf carts for, the Town should either buy a few of their own or solicit donations to get some from ISU’s golf course to use. If the BNCVB can’t secure their own use for all they do to host tournaments and events at the courses, why can’t they get them? Or is this moving money around from one account to the other?
2.) If restaurants are benefitting from these tournaments being in town, why aren’t they donating food to be used at the tournament?
3.) When you’re paying umpires to work, usually a healthy amount per game, and covering their housing, why is there a need to spend over $4,000 on a banquet for them?
If you can show me the books that the revenue from hosting their tournament (ex. ticket sales, advertising) covers the expenses, then I’m for bidding on more. If not, is it really worth hosting? I don’t want to see the Town spending many thousands more than they take in for the hope that we’re gaining that amount back in hotel taxes.
The CVB claims an overnight visitor will SPEND $170/day. They claim the economic impact of these tournaments is significant. What they don’t say is that the tax revenue from an overnight visitor might be $15. If the Town is providing meals and housing for the referees, the revenue decreases. Every time the Town provides supplies, the purchase does not generate tax revenue. Additionally, the Town pays the CVB a pretty penny every year for their services. I would hope the goal is to generate revenue not just add the tournament to the Town’s resume.
Remember “we” are “the town” that pays for stuff and I think that 170 a day per person may be a bit inflated as well. I think a big part of it is having tournaments on the resume. As to the costs for the golf carts – TOTALLY agree – you can NOT tell me that none of these people have their own golf carts that could be put to use OR that the clubs couldn’t afford to chip some in for free – I was gonna say I’m sure a few of the “big wigs” have a 2 or 4 seater ATV, but, then realized they prolly don’t….
I was really hoping for more support on the propped up phallus.
Bananas are phalluses. Isn’t this a puppet regime?
Mayor Koos, limp, floppy Muppet. Beaker comes to mind.