By: Diane Benjamin
I was going to let this story ride to see if it ever showed up on a Normal Town Council Agenda.
Since my FOIA request was denied, I’m going to show you what I know:
Emails received by FOIA:
Since my FOIA was denied, the Town still has buying this property on their radar – $400,000!
This is the property:
How much does the Property Tax Assessor think it is worth?
(13,243 + 54,579) x 3 = $203,466
If this property is really worth $400,000 the property taxes should be DOUBLE!
If exempt organizations buy it, nobody will be paying property taxes.
In 2007, John and Marilyn paid $275,000 for both properties. Information is from the County website: https://mcleanil.devnetwedge.com/
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Oh, John Freese. I hade a great story about him. At one time several years ago the Lutheran churches held a conference at ISU and paid rent for use of some facilities. Apparently he heard a group praying and threw a major fit about children being indoctrinated…complained to the Provost Office about how ISU should not be indoctrinating students. Yes, I agree John, indoctrination is very bad, but people of faith choosing to participate in an event is not indoctrination. Forcing Town Of Normal Taxpayers to purchase/take care of/give you a break for a very political organization focused on indoctrinating young people about climate change (or as I like to call it, government control) is very bad. I wonder why Big R (Pam) is doing favors for him?
The Freeses are ultra liberal. I’m not at all surprised that they approached the town. I had heard from a contact a while ago they approached the town hoping the town would buy it. It looks like Ms. Reece might actually be considering it. Unreal.
Carol and Steve Struck are also two dandies. Got rich off of taxpayer money so seeing them referenced in the e-mail is not surprising. Dear ole Carol always made herself available for any “interim directorship” she could lay her hands on whether it be education or something else. Always made sure she was paid hourly so she could make more money. Her “expertise” cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. Her hourly fees were more than most attorneys with over twenty years of experience. Sweetheart of a personality to go along with it as well.
You’re right, Diane. If the appraisal is accurate (and the Freese’s are pinning their hopes on it), then they should willingly pay almost double the amount of real estate taxes that they are paying. You can’t have it both ways. Unless, of course, you are well-connected. This looks like the typical Town of Normal sweet-heart set-up.
On the unlikely chance that the Town purchasing this property can be justified, the purchase contract should be worded such that any amount over the assessed value would first go towards past underpaid taxes with the Freese’s receiving the remainder.
An ‘off the cuff so I’m sure these numbers aren’t accurate but you get the idea’ example:
Purchase price of 400K, payable 100K to Unit 5; 20K each to Heartland, Normal Township, and Normal Public Library; 240K to the Freeses.
Thanks for exposing this. Everyone needs to write the city and object to any consideration of purchasing these properties. If they need to waste money I am sure my property can be had for twice what it is worth.
The arrogance of Reece, Koos, and their fellow comrades knows no bounds. They gladly waste our tax payer dollars at every turn. I agree with the above comment, and hope everyone writes a letter to Koos and company.
Just type in the names……A few minutes of intuitive Googling will quickly reveal, once again, the tangled web of hard core Marxism and hatred of American values that binds much of McLean Counties elites, academics and elected officials together.
Open your eyes, people! They are coming for everything your own and care about.
It’s my belief that since the High Court has given the Federalist Society it’s biggest win, (Citizens United), we mere corporeal taxpayers will never own anything in America Corporations deem theirs!
Corporations pay taxes, but they aren’t allowed to elect people who know those taxes are merely passed on to consumers?
What does this have to do with the story?