Lakewood Write-In Paul Serwatka’s Letter

This letter from Write-In candidate Paul Serwatka arrived in Lakewood mailboxes this week:

Serwatka palm card

Paul Serwatka

Paul Serwatka

Friends and neighbors,

I’m writing to you because our Village Board recently voted to approve a $66 Million Dollar Tax subsidy (TIF District) for a Sportsplex at Rte. 47 & Rte. 176 and make no mistake about it – this is going to raise our taxes again!

I want to stop this!

While I understand the need for economic development, our village of 4,000 people should NOT be offering a giant tax subsidy to a group of developers who want to build a giant “Sportsplex”, but aren’t even putting in one dime of their own money and aren’t able to get any other source of financing for their project.

This is exactly what led to the housing collapse/foreclosure crisis that we are still trying to recover from!

It has been demonstrated time and time again that TIF districts cause tax increases and current trustees have acknowledged that this TIF will take money away from school districts causing these districts to increase their tax levies.

Then, there is the added road maintenance, Policing and Fire/Emergency Medical protection that will be required – not to mention the additional strain on our water and sewer systems.

And, all of this is just the tip of the iceberg…

If this Sportsplex fails (as many fully expect it will) who will be responsible for paying back this $66 MILLION? (With interest accrued, this amount is actually more than $130 MILLION!)

We can stop this all from happening, but I need your help!

I have decided to run, as a “Write-In” candidate, for Village Trustee to stop this $66 Million Dollar

TIF subsidy as well as to stop the board from voting to raise our property taxes year after year. For me to be able to do this, I need you to vote for me, for Lakewood Trustee, on April 7th.

As your Lakewood Village Trustee I will:

  • Fight to stop this $66 MILLION DOLLAR TIF/Sportsplex tax subsidy
  • Fight to stop annual property tax hikes year after yearStrive to be an example of what responsible, accountable government should be

If elected, I will also waive my salary as a Village Trustee.

I am running as a write-In candidate because the Village Board waited to vote to approve this $66 MILLION DOLLAR proposal until AFTER the filing deadline had passed – AFTER all incumbent trustees were safely on the ballot and running unopposed. This really troubled me and I felt compelled to do something about it.

It is important to note that as a Write-In candidate my name will NOT appear on the ballot. In order to vote for me you simply select ONLY the “Write-In” oval/box located beneath the other candidates names – and enter in my name, “PAUL SERWATKA”. (See the sample ballot below.)

Most residents do not bother to vote in these municipal elections, but I implore you to vote on April 7th and I implore you to ONLY write-in

PAUL SERWATKA

I NEED you to do your part – So, that I can do mine!

More information is available at: www.LakewoodTaxFighter.com

And please feel free to email or call me with any questions.

My sincerest thanks,

Serwatka write-in card


Comments

Lakewood Write-In Paul Serwatka’s Letter — 7 Comments

  1. Ha! What a joke!!!

    “I’m so concerned about the people that I couldn’t pull a petition Band collect a coupl dozen signatures to get on the ballot.”

    How can we trust that he has one clue about what he’s doing when he wasn’t even paying attention to why was going on to begin with.

  2. Well, “Nobody”, I think Paul explained it pretty well:

    the Village Board kept this project quiet until after the filing date was past and then — ta da — suddenly they created a $66 MILLION TIF district based on a patently phony study.

    (The “consultant”, whose opinion was needed to create the TIF, has approved every single TIF district he has been asked to approve and has NEVER actually performed a study to confirm that development would not have occurred without the TIF — which is EXACTLY the opinion that he gave.)

    Not only is the TIF bad public policy, but the manner in which it was created stinks of Cook County style dirty politics.

    But I notice you, “Nobody”, had NOTHING to say about the issues.

    Instead you just took a cheap and ill-reasoned shot at someone who is actually trying to do something about the situation, while you hide behind your anonymity and do nothing for the public.

    I think I know who the real joke is.

  3. “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” – Plato

    Best of luck.

    Win, and do good work.

  4. ‘Nobody’ needs to get off the Lakewood Board and become a real “Nobody” again.

    Lakewood, didn’t you learn from the RedTail Golf Course debacle?

    You want to play ball, travel a mile down 176 and play at the expansive Lipplold Park!

    Honestly who comes up with these grandiose ideas?

    Would love to know why the board members (most of which don’t give a hoot about baseball) are pu$hing for this? Hmmm

    If only my super power could cause me to be a fly on the wall when I want to be…..

    Something stinks and I’m hoping Paul Swetaka can get to the bottom of it, or get it voted out!

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