By: Diane Benjamin
If you are an insider with the Town of Normal you get deals like a place to live for $120 a year.
Review this story on the “Historic” Sprague gas station: https://blnnews.com/2019/08/21/lets-revisit-the-route-66-gas-station-gift-shop/
Normal is going to spend more money on the building. They are requesting bids for asbestos removal:
https://www.normalil.gov/bids.aspx?bidId=387
You can see the 59 page bid packet below. The description of required work is removing drywall and glazing putty in a garage.
Since this property is rented, the Normal taxpayers get to pay property taxes:
The Town of Normal does many things really well. It also does many things like this for “friends” of the Town.
If you don’t care how tax dollars are used, you will be voting for Council bobbleheads: Lorenz, Smith, and Byars.
If you are sick of being fleeced, you will be voting for: Nord, Tiritilli, and Sila.
If you are sitting out the election (like most people do for local elections), you will continue to get run over by government who doesn’t care about anyone but “friends”.
Not only do WE pay $4259.80 per year for Terri Ryburn’s property tax bill, but we’re subsidizing her “rent,” just like we’re subsidizing the rent for sonya reece to live in her apartment in downtown Normal.
Please get out and vote!
*Nord, Sila, & Tiritilli *
I frequently point out that much of what Koos/Reece/Normal does may be unethical but is not illegal. IIRC (a big if on this one) there is a statute that states if a public entity rents out a parcel of land, the property taxes are to be paid by the Renter, not the public entity. So this may actually Be Illegal. Anybody else good at reading statutes want to look into that? I’m kind of busy for the next couple of weeks. 🙂
The enter is supposed to pay. Illinois doesn’t have prosecutors willing to uphold the law however.
I just read an interesting comment on the new neighbors web site where a Normal resident was complementing those in power in Normal,Mayor and council for filling the hole next to the circle in downtown oops uptown Normal. He stated that the space on the second floor is being rented for city use and that he thought people were being unfair about the rent being paid. Duh, the rent is almost triple the going rate and the first floor is still empty The taxpayers of Normal are subsidizing that building. He was voicing a concern about Nord and the new people running for council. If people like that were in power the hole would still be there was his comment. I don’t know if that person is just ignorant or his income is such that high taxes are not an issue with him. I sure hope that the voters in Normal have opened their eyes about how they are being fleeced. If they don’t vote for Nord, Sila, and Tiritilli the fleecing will continue.
As he notice Trail East and Trail West are still empty under Koos? Maybe there isn’t a need!
Abestos abatement… the way it usually goes once they start digging in more will be found.
The school district when I was on the board it was cheaper to tear down the buildings and build new. So it might be cheaper to demolish the place and build a replica. No joke!
Is the town of Normal paying for the occupant to relocate during the abatement also? I can’t hardly see it being occupied during the abatement.
One big question… why didn’t the Town of Normal inspect the place for abestos before investing any money into it?
Will the occupant in xx numbre of years sue the town for health reasons related to asbestos?
I have questions!
Sheep are meant to be fleeced. It is just the way things work. baaaaa.
Here is something else that seems off about the whole deal. Why are the property taxes so low? If the taxable value is 46,320, does that mean that the county values the property at less than $140,000? The parking lot alone costs more. If the town has already paid more than $400,000 on the property, shouldn’t it be much more valuable?