By: Diane Benjamin
http://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3733
Before the 7:00 meeting the Council is holding a Work Session. At 6:00 they will discuss raising the gas tax. The Town wants more money for Connect Transit, a service most will never use and those that need it no longer can.
Expect other items, the “professional staff” and Koos need to jam through before getting kicked out next year.
At 7:00: http://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3732
The State of Illinois (that wants to raises taxes again because they don’t have enough money to satisfy their insatiable spending habits) gave Normal $375,000 to add to Constitution Trail. Tonight the Council will spend $280,736.15 of it.
The Town will also spend $250,000 for analysis and design of the water system for Rivian. The documentation claims water quality issues exist because the system isn’t looped. It also claims future development along West College warrants it. (This wasn’t an issue for Mitsubishi or Diamond Star?)
The financial statement from 3/30/2020 will be released. The Council will also hear the financial trends report. PDF page 75 claims everything is fine, evidently COVID only affects private businesses.
Expect your property taxes to increase in the future anyway.
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The mayor and half of the board are up for re-election. Pay attention to the discussions and how everyone votes.
Connect Transit is a mess. The busses are too large to serve the people who need it. They removed service from lower income areas in BN and refuse to provide service to Midwest Food Bank and the Landings Trailer Park. They spend money on themselves instead of returning service to those who need it, remember the $160k shower upgrade. The buses are so heavy they destroy our roads costing taxpayers even more. There are only a few people on busses seen outside of an ISU route. Connect’s excuse for the huge buses all over is their parts inventory is easier if all of the buses are the same. It is amazing so many private mechanics, service stations, and dealerships are able to stock parts to repair and service a huge variety of vehicles. Connect’s excuse would be an embarrassment and grounds for firing if it were used in the private sector. Raising taxes just because another community did is the logic which has earned Illinois the highest overall taxed citizens in the nation. Whoever supports this logic does not have local taxpayers’ interest in mind. Throwing money at a problem is not fixing the problem!
Oh and never forget Connect’s disrespect and unsympathetic concern for our older and disabled Veterans who use the fixed route buses to get to the VA Clinic. Our clinic is the only one in IL and the 2nd in the US without a bus stop near the entrance.
I don’t know about the legal side of this, but it would be nice to see them hold off on anything related to Rivian until the Tesla lawsuit is finished. Is Rivian really going to make it through that lawsuit unscathed? Considering what the lawsuit is about, I don’t see how. It would be fitting if Normal spent all that time and money with them, only to have them close up because they stole from Tesla. It would stink for the citizens of Normal, but fitting nonetheless.
THERE IS WAY TOO MUCH WASTEFUL SPENDING by KOOS and HIS CREW!!!
Koos and the gang are not holding back on more reckless spending. It appears they know they’ll be voted out and are just trying to ram through as much as possible before the transition of power. While we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves, it will be important for future new leaders and emerging voices to keep an eye out for political boobytraps left by Koos when he departs office.
“boobytraps left by Koos”
I think you mean, Brad McMillian and A.J. Zimmerman.
I fear they will burn bridges, line their friends pockets with last minute frivolous contracts, and leave Tiritilli with as big a financial mess as they can just out of spite. If Reece goes along with this, she and everyone one else involved should be sued personally for malfeasance.
regarding the ct buses, mrs. c and i play the over/under game whenever we see one. the game is based on 4 passengers. i don’t recall under ever losing.