Finances Topic on Final Day of Grafton Township Separation of Powers Suit Testimony

I was really zonked when I got home yesterday after the last of five tiring days of testimony which seemed to me could have been condensed into far less time.  And staying up late to write up the fourth day of testimony and the County Health Department’s attempted money grab (shades of the Republican Party Cat Tax).

But, what do I know about what the attorneys were trying to prove?

Both sides certainly proved they didn’t like the other and can’t get along without a playground supervisor.

In fact, hall discussion at one point centered around the possibility that Judge Michael Caldwell might lay down rules and appoint a referee to enforce them. Maybe he could call it a “conservator” with the person’s goal being to conserve taxpayers’ money.

If there is any left.

During the morning Supervisor Linda Moore’s attorney John Nelson, who is also Winnebago County’s Harlem Township Attorney, led Trustee Betty Zirk down the township’s recent expenditure path.

He pointed out that Grafton Township’s levy is about a million dollars.

He then subtracted General Assistance, which is $80,000.

“That leaves $920,000, right?”

Betty Zirk

“True,” Zirk replied.

“There’s $200,000 for elected officials’ salaries, right?”

“True.”

“That leaves you with $700,000.

“The assessor requires $540,000.

[That took the total down to $160,000.]

“Legal bills were $34,000.

Zirk: “I thought it was $39,000.”

“That’s for April. That’s $75,000 for the first two months of the fiscal year.

[The amount remaining was then at about $89,000.]

“Where do you think Grafton (Township is going to get enough money to get through the year)?”

“They’re going to be a deficit this year with all these legal bills we’ve been getting. It’s a disaster,” Zirk answered.

“The fund has approximately $611,000, but that’s money that is owed, true?”

“True.”

“The township road commissioner has been left holding the bag on that. He’s paying the interest, right?”

“True.”

Nelson then spoke of the April 13th Annual Town Meeting at which the electors put the kabosh of the Trustees’ and Administrator’s desire to procure new township office space.

Trustees Betty Zirk and Rob LaPorta after the vote to remove resolutions that would have allowed votes on new township offices. To their left is Township Administrator Pam Fender.

Both Trustee Rob LaPorta and Zirk had testified that, as electors, they voted with the (overwhelming) majority. (But they don’t look happy at the results in the photo above.)

“I voted with them (the electors) that we were to (unwind the sale of the township hall to the road commissioner).”

Trustee Betty Zirk helped sign in over 700 Grafton Township voters who attended the Annual Town Meeting.

“(You voted) to remove building a town hall from the agenda?”

“True.”

“You never really voted against the town hall, just about removing it from the agenda.”

Nelson then turned to the amount borrowed from the township’s road fund.

“The amount actually owed is a $700,000 figure.”

Zirk:

“I don’t exactly agree with that figure. (It’s) $611,000. We had to pay a real estate commission (to Marc Munaretto) of $67,000 based on a $1.2 million offer.”

“There’s an $89,000 dispute with the road commissioner,” Nelson continued. “Let’s say the road commissioner wins that dispute.

“$160,000 minus $75,000 minus $89,000, if (the Board) lost that dispute.”

“We should have had a $700,000 carryover,” Zirk said.

“Didn’t you just testified that we just got $611,000 net?”

“That’s why…It’s because we’re having a dispute over the figures,” Zirk replied.

“(That’s) why we want an audit. We’re having problems with our figures and we’re not sure about the actual amount in the bank and (can’t) really figure out where we are.”

Betty Zirk explaining details of the new township hall to the 2009 Annual Town Meeting.

Taking a new budget tack, Nelson said,

“Last year (you spent) $86,000 on legal services that (results) from litigation against (the suit brought by Dan Ziller, Jr., et al which stopped the building of a new township hall) and an extra $40-44,000 taking it up on appeal and losing, right?”

“That’s right.”

“It looks like you and the board are looking at deficit spending?

An unhappy township board decided to attend last Thursday's meeting called by Supervisor Linda Moore to approve posting of the coming year's budget, a legal requirment. Here Gerry McMahon expresses his displeasure at attending the meeting by walking out the first time.

“We will be with all these legal bills, right,” Zirk agreed.

The next township board meeting is Thursday, June 10th at 7:30 PM at the Huntley Park District Recreation Building.


Comments

Finances Topic on Final Day of Grafton Township Separation of Powers Suit Testimony — 14 Comments

  1. Cal, you penned a real boring entry about the last day of court. Last week you got lost on your way to the Huntley Park District. This week you claim to be tired from “five days of testimony” even though that testimony was spread out over a couple of weeks. Cal, your age is getting the better of you. The hefty legal fees that Grafton Twp. is facing is all because of Linda Moore and pals. I hope you come to your senses and stop supporting Linda Moore.

  2. I think that we should just fire the two “children” – Linda and Pam, and the whole village would be one happy family….These two ladies need to go sit in the corner with big dunce hats on,,,just like in the old times when two people could not get along.

  3. D Waltz,

    Pam and Linda huh? Why Pam? The problem here is not two women, it’s one child who pouts and takes people to court when she doesn’t get her way. Her name is Linda Moore and it’s been proven over and over that she is incredibly difficult to deal with let alone work with. Look at the whole trial and think about how the previous clerk quit because of Linda Moore. Pam has been demonized by Linda’s supporters because they need someone to point the finger at. Get rid of Linda and things will run much smoother I’m sure.

  4. And lady is not a term that describes Linda Moore in any way except to describe her gender.

    lady

    noun
    1.a woman who is refined, polite, and well-spoken: She may be poor and have little education, but she’s a real lady.
    2.a woman of high social position or economic class: She was born a lady and found it hard to adjust to her reduced circumstances.
    3.any woman; female (sometimes used in combination): the lady who answered the phone; a saleslady.
    4.(Used in direct address: often offensive in the singular): Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. Lady, out of my way, please.
    5.wife: The ambassador and his lady arrived late.
    6.Slang. a female lover or steady companion.
    7.(initial capital letter) (in Great Britain) the proper title of any woman whose husband is higher in rank than baronet or knight, or who is the daughter of a nobleman not lower than an earl (although the title is given by courtesy also to the wives of baronets and knights).
    8.a woman who has proprietary rights or authority, as over a manor; female feudal superior.Compare lord (def. 4).
    9.(initial capital letter) the Virgin Mary.
    10.a woman who is the object of chivalrous devotion.
    11.(usually initial capital letter)
    a.an attribute or abstraction personified as a woman; a designation of an allegorical figure as feminine: Lady Fortune; Lady Virtue.
    b.a title prefixed to the name of a goddess: Lady Venus.

  5. Pam…finally!!! I think that now your name is tarnished, as it should be. You have been acting like a child and been provoking this with Linda for a long time. Now you are in the hot seat…how does that feel?

  6. Why stop at two? Get rid of the entire township government and let city and county governments fill in the gaps.

  7. Not A Grafton…

    Please look at the picture more broadly…are they both acting responsibly? Both sides are taking smack about each other, neither one is keeping silent about the goings on in court. There should be a gag order in place. Both are spewing info on line, in stores, and all thoughtout the village. I invite you to sit on the chair at the village square, your ears would ring!

  8. I see my first post has been deleted…isn’t this free speech? I will try to put it a little nicer…

    A certain Village Trustee has not been ” a model citizen” since taking office. Now, not just a few priviledged ones see this, the whole village does. I agree with Iodin…get rid of all of them, start fresh.

  9. So out of all the people in Linda’s Inner Sanctum (“the green shirt party”) – you know, the one’s who had all the answers and shouted everyone else down at the annual meeting – not one soul checked the numbers about unravelling the sale of the old shack. Not even the “I don’t know what Robert’s Rules are, but I can spell Robert” moderator, who overruled anyone not in his family tree. Any chance the taxpayers will see audited books before the next election, Linda? The trustees have been asking – is the ink dry on the new books, Linda?

  10. I wonder if Grafton Township electors have become acquainted with Illinois Senate Bill 3010. If there is any money left after Ancel Glink and the Township officials get paid, a new playground might get purchased, even though the electors (residents) don’t want it and have voted against it. The governor is close to signing it, if he hasn’t already done so.

    Residents should be sure to learn how their State senator and representative voted and when the Township officials first learned of that legislation.

    Some have referred to SB 3010 as an “end-run” around taxpayers. They are being kind to the legislators…

  11. SB 3010 only allows the building, purchase or leasing of a township hall by ordinance or resolution if the funds are currently available and are not the proceeds from specified bonds. In other words, you have to have the cash in hand, which Grafton doesn’t. See below:

    SB 3010- Amends the Township Code. Authorizes a township, by ordinance or resolution, to build, purchase, or lease a township hall, a multi-purpose senior center, or a combined township hall and multi-purpose senior center within the township without referendum approval, if the township hall, multi-purpose senior center, or combined township hall and multi-purpose senior center is paid or provided for with funds that are not the proceeds of specified bonds. Authorizes any township whose boundaries are coextensive with the limits of an incorporated city, by ordinance or resolution, to build or purchase a township hall without referendum approval, if the township hall is paid or provided for with funds that are not the proceeds of specified bonds. Authorizes a township, by ordinance or resolution, to purchase, erect, equip, remodel, or renovate a community building without referendum approval, if the community building is paid or provided for with funds that are not the proceeds of specified bonds. Effective immediately.

  12. Linda Moore doesn’t seem to need any provoking. She acts like a child all on her own. If she doesn’t get her way, she packs up her toys (or is it phone lines) and goes home.

    Take off your green shirts and look at it through non-rose colored glasses. Linda Moore does not care about rules or residents.

    I hope the judge puts her in an orange jumpsuit and makes her do community service since she hasn’t served the community she’s supposed to since being elected. Her actions are more than immoral, they are illegal. What part of removing township records is acceptable or legal?

Leave a Reply

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