Friday, I got two emails from candidates for the Lakewood Village Board.
It’s the end of the campaign and too late to respond to anything by mail. (Candidates can also campaign on Star 105 radio, in the Northwest Herald, right here or go door-to-door, of course. The latter is what I spent yesterday doing.)
One came from write-in candidate Paul Serwatka. It was stimulated by a Northwest Herald article that focused on a claim by incumbent Gary Sexson that the proposal for a SportsPlex is “dead.”
You can read my article, including emails from Sexson and Village President Erin Smith when I asked both about the claim in Sexson’s campaign letter by clicking here.
Guess who got caught fibbing…
Included in Paul Serwatka’s email was the image that was on his oversized postcard that came last Saturday.
Looks like the Northwest Herald got wind of Trustee, Gary Sexson’s deceptive campaign flyer and confirmed what WE already knew!
See article below and please share this with fellow Lakewood residents. Everyone deserves to know this!
Sports complex not ‘dead,’ Lakewood village president says
This image showing how to write-in his name, complete with the necessary darkening of the oval next to it, was also in the email.
Another came one from incumbent Ken Santowski.
Election
Ken Santowski
First I want to thank everyone who has supported my efforts in the position of Lakewood Trustee. As you all know this Tuesday I am up for re-election. I would like to continue my work as a Trustee. I believe I have worked very hard to keep to keep Lakewood’s expenses in line and keep taxes as low as possible. Every time taxes, fees and costs rise in the village it also affects me; so I don’t take that without seriously thinking about the consequences of my actions (and my vote).
I have had to make some very tough choices throughout the last 8 years. As most of you know I am not ever afraid to tell you why I voted or will vote a certain way. So please don’t ever stop asking. Next Tuesday (April 7th) you will be asked to vote for 3 people to represent you on the Lakewood Village Board. I am asking you to consider electing me to one of those positions; if you think I have done the job well enough and have the ability to make sound financial decisions once again. That’s all I can ask of you. I shall continue my efforts to keep your taxes as low as possible without cutting essential services.
So next Tuesday if you feel inclined to…….. please vote for me. If not vote for one of the other guys. Or vote for nobody. Its your right; its your voice
Kenneth M Santowski
Glad to see this deception is coming to the surface.
Paul Serwatka is certainly ruffling feathers of the status quo as the non-politician candidate!
Go team Serwatka!
The Lakewood village website does not have very good transparency.
Where is the information on the funding levels of all pension funds.
Where are the salaries and benefit reports with employee names.
As usual the taxpayer has to hunt and peck for information, which is impossible for the average taxpayer.
Taxing districts need to do a much better job of explaining to the taxpayer:
– salaries
– benefits
– pensions (Lakewood is in IMRF only not Downstate Police or Fire).
– retiree healthcare
– bonds
– TIFs.
– Bonds
– there more but that is a good start.
If the taxing district simply follows the law, and many don’t even do that, without providing transparency value over and above what the law requires, the average taxpayer is still in the dark.
We need a completely different approach.
Get people on boards who will explain all this stuff to the average taxpayer.
Too many taxing districts are concerned with keeping up with their peers (aka keeping up with the Jones’) and presenting a good image, at the expense of transparency.
The village of Lakewood has on its website a Redevelopment plan for a portion of the the Lakewood Route 47 / 176 TIF.
It’s called the Illinois Route 47 Business District Redevelopment Plan.
The redevelopment plan includes project costs of $1,250,000, which would be part of the $66M TIF, and the covered area includes the Crystal Woods Golf Course on which the Sportsplex would be built.
Guess who got caught fibbing? (none other than….politician and incumbent GARY SEXSON. No surprise here.
Write-in PAUL SERWATKA for Lakewood Village Trustee (and don’t vote for anyone else if you want Serwatka to get in-very important)
Shake ’em up, Serwatka.
It needs to be done!
Vote Paul!
He’s the tax watch dog Lakewood needs!!