This year several local governments have been accused of spending tax dollars to promote tax hike referendums.
Below is the law that I think the McHenry County Conservation District violated
(10 ILCS 5/9-25.1) (from Ch. 46, par. 9-25.1; formerly Ch. 46, pars. 102, 103 and 104)
Sec. 9-25.1. Election interference.
(a) As used in this Section, “public funds” means any funds appropriated by the Illinois General Assembly or by any political subdivision of the State of Illinois.
(b) No public funds shall be used to urge any elector to vote for or against any candidate or proposition, or be appropriated for political or campaign purposes to any candidate or political organization. This Section shall not prohibit the use of public funds for dissemination of FACTUAL INFORMATION [capitalization not in the original] relative to any proposition appearing on an election ballot, or for dissemination of information and arguments published and distributed under law in connection with a proposition to amend the Constitution of the State of Illinois.
(c) The first time any person violates any provision of this Section, that person shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor. Upon the second or any subsequent violation of any provision of this Section, the person violating any provision of this Section shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
In the latest edition of its quarterly “Landscapes” publication, MCCD Board President Christopher Dahm’s letter promoting the 33% tax hike referendum makes the followig statements (which I consider non-facutual} about what voter rejection will achieve:
- “Critical habitat will be lost to development.”
- “Without passage of this proposition, our drinking water will be threatened.”
I filed Freedom of Informaiton requests asking for the justification for both statements.
Since the referendum asks for a 33% hike in its operating tax rate, I don’t see how such money can be spent on purchasing more land to protect habitat from development.
And how our drinking water, most of which comes from pretty deep wells tapping water flowing from Wisconsin, will be threatened by the referendum’s defeat is beyond me.
Goverments have seven days to reply to public informatin requests.
On the due date (last Friday), the Conservation District invoked that portion of the FOIA which allows it to take an addition seven days.
Why?
“(iii) the request is couched in categorical terms and requires an extensive search for the records responsive to it.“
The new deadline, conventiently, is after Election Day.
Taxpayers previously paid for 16.900 post cards that do everything but say,”Vote zyes” on the referendum.
That cost taxpayers $5,437.81.
