Comments on the “Building to Nowhere”

Grafton Township Trustee Betty Zirk extolls the virtue of a new town hall to electors at last year's annual town meeting.

Really.

That’s what Bruno Behrend, Illinois Review calls the $3.5 million ($5million including interest) new administrative building that Grafton Township Trustees yearn for so badly in his comment on my article about the Thursday night Grafton Township Board meeting.

You can leave a comment on McHenry County Blog about the situation herehere.

Posted by: RketeK-2A | Friday, February 12, 2010 at 09:55 AM

Are the Townships still viable in this age?

I know Bremen went through the same issue of building monuments and slush funds.

Maybe its for future Section 8 housing, for the future unemployed in that Twp.

Posted by: X None of the Above | Friday, February 12, 2010 at 10:17 AM

Kind of like Palatine Township using the Road and Bridge fund to finance the townships senior citizen bus.

It costs $200K a year to operate, so what tax levy do they use?

TOWN FUND….. NO
ROAD and BRIDGE……YES

Problem: antiquated IL law requires 1/2 of a Township-wide Road and Bridge property tax levy that is collected within a municipality, to be RETURNED to that municipality; in Palatine Township — with a tiny unincorporated area of less than 7% of the population — that works out to about 48% of the property tax levy being returned to 8 municipalities.

So to raise $200K they have to levy a tax on all property in the amount of about $400,000.

STUPID?………YES.

Particularly, when they could levy $200K through the Town Fund and receive 100% of that money — because there is no such provision governing that levy.

And these officials like to say they are “fiscal conservatives”?

Posted by: Phil Collins | Friday, February 12, 2010 at 10:38 AM

I hope that some conservative mayors and town trustees are preparing to run for township trustee, in that township, in 2013.

Posted by: John Bambenek | Friday, February 12, 2010 at 11:29 AM

Even better, start a petition to abolish the township altogether.

Posted by: B Honest | Friday, February 12, 2010 at 03:42 PM

As a former Township Supervisor who attempted to cut his own salary, I have come to the conclusion that Townships must be abolished.
Posted by: HKruse | Friday, February 12, 2010 at 12:18 PM

Let’s face it. If you were in office, you would try to bring in those who were on your side of an argument, like Mr. LaPorta did with Ms. Fender. Don’t say you wouldn’t? So what’s your point in this blog, to side with Ms. Moore? Even your blog has an agenda, just face it.

Posted by: X None of the Above | Friday, February 12, 2010 at 03:51 PM

Shameless mishandling of tax policy such as this only lends credibility to the argument to abolish them.

Townships are best positioned to give taxpayers the best return on their tax dollars — but not with policy-making idiots like we have in Palatine Township.

Posted by: Bruno Behrend | Friday, February 12, 2010 at 05:34 PM

B Honest,

Well Duh! I can’t speak for this blog, but most who comment here DO have an agenda, and it’s to keep taxes and debt low, government small, and more of our income in their pockets.

The agenda of those opposing Ms. Moore seems to be building yet another unnecessary monument to bond dealers and debt-churners that make up the Illinois Political class.

All over Illinois, people are considering leaving the state because of their obscene property taxes. The state is spending itself into oblivion, and Cal reports on another “building to nowhere” promoted by local hacks who don’t give a damn about taxpayers as long as a few of their friends get a bond and building spliff.

Your arrogance mirrors those in the R party who can’t get it through their heads that the state is careening toward bankruptcy.

An official who creates an unnecessary paid position for the purpose of gaining political power is the worst kind of public official, and a poster boy for an effective Recall Process.

Stop pretending it’s only about patronage positions. A moral person would have accepted political defeat and moved on. The antic(s) outlined in this post are the reason the Republican Party is dying in Illinois.

Don’t forget, you can comment here or here or both places.


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