Serwatka May Have Enough Signatures for Referendum

Lakewood Village Trustee Paul Serwatka has been circulating the petition you see below:

The petition that Lakewood Village Trustee Paul Serwatka is circulating.

The petition that Lakewood Village Trustee Paul Serwatka is circulating.

Saturday, he pitched a tent in the park across from the Turnberry Country Club after inviting residents via email to drive by and sign it.

Paul Serwatka at his petition signature gathering post.

Phil Stephan at the Saturday petition signature gathering post.

Earlier, he had gone door-to-door in at least parts of Country Club Additions between Crystal Lake (the lake) and the Crystal Lake Country Club.

Here is the email he sent out last night:

What a day, we had today!

I wanted to take a minute to give an update on our Property Tax Referendum Petition signing, this morning – as well as on the effort over-all.

Shortly after 9:00 a.m. this morning, Lakewood resident, Phil Stephan and I, arrived at Turnberrry Lakes Park to set up the tent, table and petitions, to find residents already waiting to talk and sign the petition.

Not sure what kind of turn-out to expect, this was a most welcome sight!

Residents continued to steadily arrive as we gradually set-up the tent, and they never let up for the entire 2.5 hours we were there!

From the looks of his shirt, Paul Serwatka had a hot day gathering petition signatures.

From the looks of his shirt, Paul Serwatka had a hot day gathering petition signatures.

It was very encouraging to see so many familiar faces and to meet so many new people, as well. And, it was truly, very warming to hear so many words of encouragement and appreciation, from so many of our Lakewood neighbors.

In all, more than 100 residents showed up to sign the petition today, putting our total at nearly 400 to-date.

As our August 3rd deadline approaches, Phil Stephan and myself, along with other volunteers, will continue to knock on doors collecting signatures and we will try to have one more Petition Signing Meeting in the evening this week.

A heartfelt THANK YOU! To all those who made the effort to come out today – and my apologies to those to whom I did not get a chance to speak with more at length.

If you, or anyone you know, would like to sign the petition, but, did not yet get a chance to, please let me know! Either I, Phil or one of our other incredible volunteers will arrange a time for you to do so!


Comments

Serwatka May Have Enough Signatures for Referendum — 21 Comments

  1. Way to go !

    Love seeing people trying to make
    A difference wherever & however
    They can .

    Quite creative !

    Impressed !

  2. When Lakewood TIF district builds low income housing, in order to comply with Illinois Affordable Housing Act, Lakewood will be bound by contract to pay Woodstock CUSD 200 around $9000 per year per new student.

    This will necessarily require a Lakewood tax levy increase in order to comply with this contract.

    In return for signing this contract,Woodstock D200 agreed to forgo litigation against Lakewood TIF validity.

    How shall this paradox be resolved?

  3. Does the plan involve dumping the entire cost onto Woodstock D200 taxpayers?

  4. I would like Lakewood to lead the drive to detach and annex the TIF District into Crystal Lake schools where all Lakewood children attend, and which currently receive all Lakewood property tax dollars.

    What could be more fair than that?

  5. Paul has been an execellent representative of the people.

    His efforts here are an execellent example to all elected officials.

    Our elected officials have an obligation to represent the people and Paul is showing that he truly represents his constituents.

    I just wish our other elected representatives took Paul’s lead and advanced similar petitions and followed through like Paul Swertka is doing!

  6. Susan, I think you know where I stand on that issue.

    I was, the only village board member who stood against, and continues to stand against, the insanity, and in my opinion, downright recklessness of the $66M TIF DIST as well as the appalling intergovernmental agreement struck between D200 and the Lakewood Village Board.

    If you remember, I publicly (and privately) challenged each of the Lakewood Trustees to stand before Lakewood residents and explain their actions and support of this atrocious agreement.

    Of course, my challenge was completely ignored.

  7. I can only think of two equitable solutions to the Lakewood TIF-placed -into-Woodstock-D200-school -District problem:

    1. Detach and annex the Tif district properties into CL school districts which educate all Lakewood children and receive all Lakewood property tax dollars,

    Or,

    2. Dissolve Lakewood Tif district and let property tax dollars flow as nature intended: to the taxing bodies providing legally mandated social services to those properties.

    Lakewood can easily finance municipal service extension to the tif area using vanilla muni bonds, like other municipalities have always done.

  8. Nice work Paul Serwatka.

    I am not sure who is more “in tune” with their voter constituency than you.

    You are leading the way.

    While others are burning up the phones you just keep building.

    It is motivating and refreshing because at some point all the crap that is spewed about you just falls away.

    VR
    GAS BAG

  9. Hats off to Paul for taking the time to do the right.

    Its a shame he didn’t win the SR66 race, but I’m glad to see he’s still in the game.

  10. I’m sure a lot of the people that stopped by, also had plenty to say about the existing board and Vlg. President that was not flattering!

    Mchenry County’s own ‘Hillary Clinton’ Erin Smith has got to go!

  11. susan back up a few more years ….the whole forced annexation by Lakewood to get to rt 47 needs to be challenged!!!

  12. too late to challenge.

    D200 had a legal case prepared, gave it upo for an unenforceable contract (with a ‘loser pays’ clause ensuring no school board challenge later).

  13. Serwatka for County Board Chairman!

    Serwatka for Governor!

    Serwatka for President!

  14. Landon: It reads like a left-handed “compliment” and border-line snark.

  15. Paul just keep delivering punch after punch!

    Soon these guys will all fall.

    Keep fighting Paul!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *