LaSalle Insider

I have had the privilege of being your Alderman for 12 of the last 14 years.  It’s been an honor to serve in this capacity.  I hope over this time I have gained your trust.  When you have had a problem and contacted me I hope you can say I was prompt and attentive.  I may not have gotten the answer you wanted but I think you’ll agree I was responsive in a timely manner.  Isn’t that what you want in an elected official?   Someone who is there and won’t lie to you?

As a taxpayer you deserve to know where your dollars are being spent and why.  I have made a habit of asking all administrations why we are doing this and how much will it cost.   Can we afford it?   Where will the money come from?  There have been times when I was in the minority on the Council when it came to some financial decisions but I have always felt that I represent you, the taxpayer, not the Mayor or a particular part of the Council.   Isn’t that why you elected me to begin with?  To make sure our dollars are spent in the best way possible to do the most good?

Let me give you some examples of what I mean….

In 1997 when I was first elected I discovered $27,000 owed to the city but uncollected due to an ordinance which was not acted upon previously.  It dealt with the telecommunications act and taxes being collected and then distributed back to governmental bodies.  Our citizens were paying via taxes on cell phones and home phones but the City had failed to enact the ordinance to have us receive our fair share.

When I discovered this and made it known to the Council we quickly corrected the situation

The Canal Boat was another item I stood alone on.  The majority of the Council and the Mayor were agreed to have the City own the Boat and maintain it.  I could see early on that this would be a financial burden on the taxpayer…one we could not afford.  After years of discussion the City realized the cost was too great.  The CCA would own and operate without City ownership.  If we had this additional financial burden today we would have been the one’s borrowing hundreds of thousands of dollars to “keep the boat afloat”

I have railed against the unnecessary ads this City keeps putting in the paper which are nothing more than paid political flyers paid by the taxpayer.  I have been removed as a member of the finance committee twice because I dared challenge how your money was wasted in this fashion. (I am the only current alderman with a degree in Finance and I am not a member of the finance committee)

I have and continue to monitor taxes we pay as a city for fuel to both the State and Federal government.  We are exempt from sales tax and federal tax as a municipality and had been paying thousands of dollars annually.

There are more but my point is that I feel my most important job is to safe guard our tax dollars.   I hope over the years I have proven to you the voter that I will always have your back when it comes to unnecessary spending.

My wife and I have raised two lovely daughters in this City.  I was born here and have always wanted what was and is the best for all of us.  I know there have been issues where maybe we weren’t always on the same side but I hope you know that I respected your point of view even when we didn’t agree.

There is much work to do to make our City a better place than what it is today.  We have neighborhoods which need attention, a Downtown which needs growth and people who need job opportunities.  Government cannot make these things happen but we can assist in making it easier for others to achieve these goals.  Keeping taxes low, providing good city services, having a strong Fire Department and Police Force will go along way in attracting the businesses and people we need in our area to help it prosper.

We will survive this economic downturn and I do believe our best days are ahead.  I’m asking for your help on April 5^th…I’m asking for your vote so I may continue to represent your voice in City government.  Thank you for your past support and I look forward to working with you to make our City Better!

Remember Election Day is next Tuesday April 5th.  Please come out and make your vote count! If you need a ride to the polls in the Fourth Ward, call me at 815-252-5854.   I am counting on your help, and your vote.

Thank You

Election day is fast approaching.  You can see by the signs in lawns throughout the area that everyone wants your vote on April 5th.   The paper will have ads and Q and A’s with each candidate. Everybody will tell you why he or she is the best choice for their particular race.  Unlike years gone by, this will be a very important decision for voters when they step in the booth this time.  We are facing unparalleled financial problems on all levels of government and those who lead must have the ability to deal with these issues head on.  There is no time to “learn the position” or “get a feel for the job”.  It will take experienced individuals with an understanding of all things financial to help us survive this economic downturn.

Here in LaSalle we have seen our sales tax revenue continue to shrink from month to month.  Monday’s meeting will show another drop in  revenue from that source.  Our current check will be $39,500 less than a year ago for the same month.  For our current fiscal year we are closing in on a reduction $300,000.00!  Remember that this is only comparing fiscal year 2009 with 2010.  2009 was not a banner year is sales tax revenue to begin with.  We need to make hard choices where to cut expenses and we need people on the council who understand that.

I have stood fast on voicing my concerns over frivolous spending.  Unnecessary newspaper ads and hiring interns at $25,000 is not an example of reigning in spending.  Help me continue the fight to bring fiscal sanity to our City.  On Tuesday, April 5th I need your vote ….please help me ..help you

Thank You

I don’t know if you caught the story in the News Tribune on Tuesday March 15th, but if you did are you upset along with me?  The story written by Jeff Dankert  talks about Mayor Harl and his ability to get Route 6 repaired at no cost to the city this summer.   The upsetting part is how he accomplished this task.

Let me back up a bit and give you some history of Route 6 as it cuts across both LaSalle /Peru.  It wasn’t that long ago the State decided to repave the route as it winds through our cities.   The repaving basically just cut  through the center of the road and left the aprons as they were.  This resulted in the road failing sooner than it should.  Anyone who drives this route will tell you it looks like the road to Beirut after the bombing!  The LaSalle City Council has complained to the State as well as any other office who would listen for the past few years.  The continual answer has been to put it on hold until funds are available.

Flash forward to today and the announcement from Peru should anger you because of how this project got done.   Instead of doing things on an orderly and equal format it comes down to “who you know” to get things done.  Now I’m not saying this is a new way in government operations but every time it happens it just angers me more.

Because Mayor Harl is a  friend of Peoria  Mayor Jim Ardis who is  a friend of  Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood  the repairs for Peru got pushed to the top of the stack.  Is this good government or the good old boys network.  I’ll help you and when I need a favor….well you know the rest.

In my world this activity shouldn’t be applauded, it should be examined and exposed for what it is..bad government

Are you with me?