By: Diane Benjamin
The Town of Normal has a LONG history of over-paying for properties and then selling them for much less. (or just giving them away!) I’ve done numerous stories since 2012 detailing some of them.
Here are 3 blatant examples:
https://normal.org/archivecenter/viewfile/item/2115
In 2015 Normal bought 513 N School for $170,000. 509 N School was purchased for $150,000.
The excuse for buying both properties was to return them to single family dwellings. See PDF page 91. The Town knew they would only recoup 50-66% of the purchase price when the properties were sold. 513 N School was sold for $70,000 at the June 6, 2016 meeting.
https://normal.org/archivecenter/viewfile/item/2214
See PDF page 42. 509 N School was sold at the November 7, 2016 meeting for $65,000.
Next, go back to the first link – PDF page 42. 614 N School was bought by the Town in November 2015 for $190,000. The Town sold that property for $45,000 at the June 2016 meeting.
Recap:
The Town of Normal has plans. They have no problem losing your money to complete their plans.
Less then a year later Town was offering early retirement to employees: Normal-will-offer-buyouts-to-some-employees
Add all the below market rate leases and one has to wonder if any Town employees have ever taken an economics course!
This is a link to the minutes from the sale of 509 N School. The sale was on the Omnibus Agenda and was not pulled for discussion: https://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2253
This is a link to the minutes from the sale of 513 and 614 N School. These were not on the Omnibus Agenda, but the minutes do not reflect any Trustee concerns about the huge losses: https://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2132
Who was on the Council and still is?
Mayor Koos
Scott Preston
Kathleen Lorenz
Kevin McCarthy
Understand now why Normal has kept their illegal public comment policy? You are immaterial, the Town only wants your money not your opinion.
Please share!
Caretakers of the people’s money vs communists molding Normal into their vision of a socialist Utopia?
Just like on a national level, we need to stand up and reject the leftist agenda of Koos and Renner.
Anyone who supports our leftist dictators on the city councils should be voted out of office (you know who you are).
Bloomington/Normal’s only chance of surviving the disruption of State Farm and ISU will lie in whether or not the voters elect a conservative pro-business government in the next election.
The leftist wet dream is over. It’s time for the adults to chart a sane course for our area and successfully move us into a 21st Century economy.
I know YOU haven’t forgotten, but just so your readers don’t, they bought out a woman’s mortgage after she went bankrupt trying to restore a Route 66 gas station – and, they let her live there for $10 a month. Another “caretaking” purchase of something that govt shouldn’t be involved in.
Wait until they resurrect the 101 E. Vernon property deal !
MAYBE they’ll buy that unpatented gold claim on the north end of Constitution trail, out by Kerrick elevator also?
And the Town of Normal GAVE $500,000.00 to Nick Africano to have two buildings torn down. Unfortunately, he only had one building demolished. He pocketed the rest of the money. Where’s the outrage? They should have never given him that money. The Town of Normal should have paid the company directly AFTER both buildings were torn down. Nick African needs to repay the Town of Normal at least $300,000.00. I sure hope he and his entire family enjoyed that vacation on our dime.