By: Diane Benjamin
There are two types of people in government:
- Those who think their position demands they “make progress”
- Those who think their job is to create an environment so people can create their own “progress”.
One uses your money for their vision, the other allows you to create your own vision. Unfortunately there are very few who don’t feel entitled to your money.
“Progress”, like the Coliseum, frequently creates more problems later. Not only does it require taxes to pay the bond when citizens were promised it wouldn’t “cost them a dime”, it wasn’t built ADA compliant. The Illinois Attorney General forced taxpayers to fix it. Just the PLAN cost $120,000: https://blnnews.com/2016/11/16/coliseum-failure-from-the-start/
Construction of an elevator on the outside added millions to the cost of the building. That’s “progress”.
How is the underpass the Normal Progressives want ADA compliant? Will people in wheelchairs be able to navigate the slope? If you didn’t watch the video of Monday’s Normal Council meeting, you missed this picture:
This was the original plan taxpayers funded for an overpass. It was ADA compliant with both stairs and elevators, The Progressives threw this plan and your money away for an underpass instead. $1.4 million was spent just to study an underpass. https://blnnews.com/2017/02/22/normals-lavish-lunacy/
Where is this going?
LeRoy
Their progressives decided the town needed a dog park. They should have learned after doing the Replex, but they didn’t. Former-Replex-Director-Charged-With-Stealing-Public-Funds
The dog park was not built ADA compliant. Do the town leaders think they are above the law? Is every taxpayer not entitled to use this “gift” from the progressives?
I filed a FOIA request with the Attorney General’s office, not LeRoy. According to the documents received, the dog park cost $18,900.00. The cost to make it ADA compliant is $16,445.75. PROGRESS!
What their lawyer Steve Mahrt (former Town of Normal lawyer) didn’t say it the $18,900 was just for the fence: https://www.leroy.org/file/1656/minutes-051517.pdf
Note who voted NO. Ask him why!
See all the documents received from the Attorney General here: Leroy Dog Park ADA – Attorney General
The last correspondence is from October 2019. Steve Mahrt is requesting doing less ADA work because the cost exceeds 20% of the “primary function area”. Evidently LeRoy already owned the land, but that cost should have been included, not just the fence. Deceptive?
Somebody should let the AG know the “facts” aren’t quite right. The legal fees just keep mounting.
There is one other problem on page 4. Mahrt answered initial questions from the AG, this is the last one:
Seriously? Nobody complained? I’m betting the person who contacted me and filed a complaint with the Attorney General either “formal or informal” complained!
Congrats LeRoy, your progressives gave you a dog park, attorney’s fees, and now spending so all residents can use the park. How much is Steven D. Mahrt charging per hour?
The original letter from the Attorney General is dated August 9, 2017. Was the dog park worth it?
Watch the progressives in Normal.
Which Trustees think they are entitled to your money for an underpass?
You can bank that Chris Koos, Kevin McCarthy, and Chemberly Cummings are a YES.
Your can bank Stan Nord is a NO.
Where do Kathleen Lorenz, Karyn Smith, and Scott Preston stand? Ask them!
Who you vote for matters. If you want to keep your money, avoid progressives.
Ask the Council members whether or not they plan to vote for the Sports Complex while you’re at it.
that is pretty much a forgone conclusion. Koos wants it/Tari wants it so it will be!
$1.4M just for the underpass study? that in itself stinks to high heaven. could not some of the people the town employs have performed the study? i’ve heard that google thing is pretty useful. also, i think the plan diagrammed above makes perfect sense, but hey, no one asked me.