Wheatland Patch is running a story about the attempt of three members of the Wheatland Township Board to build a new town hall.
Cost $1.5 million.
Cast of characters includes a group of uppity citizens.
Sounds like Grafton Township two years ago, except Grafton’s Town Hall was going to cost $3 million.
Keri-Lyn Krafthefer wrote in an email that her firm had “just defeated (Moore) in a case.”
Grafton Township Trustee Gerry McMahon makes a point as fellow Trustees Berry Zirk, Rob LaPorta and Barbara Murphy listen.
Keri-Lyn Krafthefer
Ancel Glink Partner Keri-Lyn Krafthefer told the Wheatland Patch that her firm “won a significant victory on behalf of our clients in Grafton Township against Linda Moore.”
Funny.
Linda Moore
That’s not what I heard Donna McMahon say before the court session last week when Judge Michael Caldwell order that her husband Trustee Gerry McMahon and fellow Trustees Betty Zirk, Barbara Murphy and Rob LaPorta be listed by name in a court order to approve Moore’s attorney John Nelson as Grafton Township Attorney.
Commenting on Ancel Glink, the Wheatland Township’s law firm, Grafton Township Supervisor said it did not work “for the good of the people. They’re working of the good of their own pocketbook.”
Ancel Glink has been paid $313,000 so far, Moore told reporter Robyn Morganhan.
You state in your article ‘ Grafton Township Supervisor said it did not work “for the good of the people.’
I think you should change that to ‘ Grafton Township Supervisor does not work “for the good of the people.’ I’ve yet to see Linda do anything for the benefit of the residents. She has created a blackhole of legal fees with lawsuits she has brought against the township. She has had the judge install her personal attorney in the township, charging DOUBLE his customary rates due to ‘risk that she has created. At this point, the township would have been better off if we had built the town hall. At least then we would have had something to show for the money spent.
“won a significant victory on behalf of our clients in Grafton Township against Linda Moore.”
That’s not how I see it having followed everything from the beginning to present. I guess it depends on how one defines “significant”.
Rehashing the past to include both sides and correct any comments made above – takes too much time on this lovely day. And it would only serve to amuse those who have their own views, selective memories, and agendas.
Peace.
Of course Ancel-Glink tells the trustees they are winning.
The problem is that they believe anything the lawyers tell them.
Now we pay the price for the trustees poor judgement.
Its time the trustees fire them.
How much did the trustees previous attorney, Jim Kelly cost the taxpayers?
“She has created a blackhole of legal fees with lawsuits she has brought against the township”
Public officials have a DUTY to uphold their office. She would have been derelict had she NOT filed suit.
As the judge clearly stated, the TRUSTEES were in the wrong. THEY caused the problem.
Or do you think public officials should ignore unlawful acts?
Derelict… you mean like failing to perform a yearly audit that is required by law?
Derelict… you mean like deleting bus schedules and leaving seniors out in the cold waiting for the bus to take them to their doctors’ appointments?
Derelict… like removing fiscal records from the township office and not bothering to mention it while a computer forensic company was trying to determine what happened to the files?
Derelict… like trying to convince the public to pay off the loan and bankrupt the township?
Derelict… like publishing the name of a GA recipient in the meeting packet and on-line, and doing nothing to remedy the issue once it was pointed out to her?
You are absolutely right, it was Linda’s DUTY to file a lawsuit that has cost this township hundreds of thousands of dollars, since she is doing such a bang-up job on all her other duties!
$300K from one township to one law firm.
Nobody knows the cumulative annual legal bill for all local units of governments in Illinois.
Or at the state level.
That would be a time consuming FOIA request.
And that’s just one type of vendor.
What percentage of government vendors are openly critical of government costs, be it salaries, current benefits, retiree healthcare, pensions, costs of other vendors, etc.
That percentage is probably pretty low.
Most probably don’t want to risk losing their government business by offending the government.