Just found an envelop with no return address that was sent before the April 4th local election.
It was also sent to three members in the news media (Northwest Herald, Daily Herald and Chicago Tribune), plus McHenry County’s Sheriff and State’s Attorney, and, for good measure, to the Illinois Attorney General’s Public Integrity employees.
First read the cover letter from someone who did not wish to be identified.
Enclosed was the letter from John Liautaud promoting the candidacy of Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Bob Miller.
The letter that John Liautaud sent to his Trout Valley neighbors.
Trout Valley is pretty unique in the Chicago area as a Village due to its small size and its recent incorporation as a village.
It does not even use its own name for its city address.
It uses a Cary PO Box.
Trout Valley does not levy a property tax, and therefore there is no property tax extension for Trout Valley.
Trout Valley does have an EAV though according to the County Clerk, which was $19,869,023 for 2016.
And it does have a Road and Bridge Transfer with Algonquin Township Road and Bridge, which was $11,113 for 2016 per the County Clerk.
Per Wikipedia Trout Valley was incorporated on March 19, 1996.
Per the Illinois Comptroller website for 2016:
– Revenues were $104,761
– Expenditures were $71,619, broken down to $4,446 for Road and Bridge, $56,373 for General, and $10,800 for MFT Maintenance.
– Population was 537.
– No paid full time or part time employees.
– No EAV (that conflicts with the County Clerk website as reported above).
– There is some additional information on the Comptroller website.
How is it illegal for the Township to provide service to a town in the Township?
Intergovernmental agreements allow municipalities to assist one another.
For the illiterate: Favoritism and free services are immoral at best. Helping out a friend on our dime? A pond silt removal project? That doesn’t sound like any town was getting a benefit. That sounds like pay to play cronyism.
Did anyone bother to get a response from Mr Miller?
Did his election as Road Commissioner require him to work 24/7.
I think not but he did.
Bob got out-politiced, time will tell if the resident of Algonquin Township got a good deal or a bad deal.
Mrs., if you are asking the question in good faith because you want to learn:
Municipalities are responsible for paying for their own social service provision.
They have the privilege of taxation powers to pay for their own services.
They have the right (no matter how small their land area or population)to grant zoning variances to businesses which can devastate entire regions: Example: Oakwood Hills power plant incursion attempt: power plant which would profit only the private owners and Oakwood Hills rulers could use as much groundwater in one day as all of Crystal Lake, cause a cone of depression disrupting private and municipal water service for miles around, and devastate home values in a large radius well beyond Village borders.
Municipalities no matter how tiny have the right to form TIF Districts, which can divert property tax money for 35 years away from school and other taxing districts which extend beyond Village boundaries into the hands of municipal rulers to distribute pretty much at will.
Now do you understand why giving a municipality, no matter how small, free stuff at the expense of a wider group of taxpayers is unacceptable?
My confusion is because the Township includes Trout Valley. I know that intergovernmental agreements exist and that a government can lend you a piece of equipment or manpower or both.
Failing to see how this is different.
We more than suspected as such, but Thanks to Mr Liautaud.
You brought to light that individuals and organizations have indeed, benefitted off of Alg Twhshp taxpayer’s dime.
While Mr. Liautaud wanted to try to convince his neighbors that it was ‘all out of “the goodness of Bob Miller’s heart” we know this was stealing.
Too bad an 83 yr old man has been brought into the fray, trying to live up to Miller’s expectations in exchange for freebies that were all paid for by others.
Gives good reason to go into a deep investigation.
Would the residents of Alg Twhshp may have cause to sue Miller? or would he be arrested?
Or maybe it wasn’t stealing, or political favors?
Please clarify, Anyone that knows, before this goes too deep.
Mrs.:
the township includes many municipalities.
a person who lives in a municipality pays taxes to that municipality, AND that township.
a person who lives in the same township, but who lives in and pays taxes to a different municipality and was not so lucky as to get the same consideration (free stuff) from the township commissioner can be rightfully upset, don’t you think?
Wow this guy is clueless of how gov agencies work together to save us all $$$$ on our taxes.
Like the Non Dedicated Roads all residents pay taxes into the townships and most of the townships have helped within corp limits.
They want payback on their investments.
Wake up Dudes this isn’t 1950s.
The County is going to use our property tax $$$$ for the NDR program, that is not a legal requirement.
$8k to start and should cost us around at least $50k before it’s completely done.
That means dedicated roads will have to wait, not ideal is it.
My pal Andrew voted the NDR pork, as did most of the board at that time.
Like BOcare not a well thought out deal.
We really, really, really need the Dreyfus Civics plan!!!
Yes we do.
Sorry my mistake!
The DNR program is starting at $8 million, and $50 million is the other number.
Problem I have is not the other gov $$$$, but that the program wasn’t inclusive enough of all the DNR roads.
Every gov agency shares funds, and at times equipment and labor.
This anonomus letter nonsense is just more Cal throwing useless rocks.
Smoking gun my ….!
Questioning?
Didn’t I tell you these hicks don’t know what the Dreyfuss civics plan is?
So what’s the point Cal?
Settling old scores some more?
It’s the impending appointment to the county board right?
Wow. Some people are really dense.
Cal is like a watchman on the wall exposing evil and you trolls don’t get it.
The point is – Wise up!
Given for free and still the dense refuse to wise up. For the brainwashed masses: There are good people exposing all different kinds of evils all over these days. Idiots don’t get it and the true evil ones castigate me and the others like Cal who are speaking from love for their neighbors. Speaking of “so what’s the point”… here is something else that you completely won’t understand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA31PrCznjw
I try to document campaigns.