Joseph Wiszowaty
The Watergate Scandal just got a little worse for the
administration of David Hanks. A few
weeks ago it was discovered that Hanks has been siphoning money out of the
Village’s water fund to pay for grass mowing in violation of 65 ILCS 5/11-129-11
which states “The fund shall be
used only for the purpose of paying the cost of operating and maintaining the
water-supply system”.
Village Trustee Rosie Williams tried to justify this action by stating
it was “past practice”. Just because it
was past practice doesn’t make it right.... OR LEGAL!
Housing
Commission Gary Holcomb, who has published a private residents state
identification card and her son’s Social Security card has been running this
grass mowing operation and was trying to save face with his contractors
apparently went to David Hanks begging for help with getting these folks paid
before the Independence Day parade. We
have requested all of the information about this Grant through the Freedom of
Information Act and will publish this as soon as we get it.
Yesterday, a garage
fire in the Carlisle Estates subdivision
near US 30 and Torrence Avenue found the Fire Departments scrabbling to
find a working fire hydrant. Only one out of four fire hydrants worked on Poplar Avenue according to an eye witness. Fire
Fighters were linking hose together to reach far enough to the next fire
hydrant which also did not work!
Residents in the area are now worried and are furious that Mayor Hanks
has already budgeted $360,000 from the water fund to balance his controversial
2014-15 budget which was passed nearly 2 months late and at the 11th
hour.
Trustee Derrick
Burgess questioned if it were legal to take $360,000 out of the water fund and
put it into the general fund when state law, specifically, 65 ILCS 5/11-129-11 states
the Village cannot. “The fund shall be used only for the purpose of paying the
cost of operating and maintaining the water-supply system”. Finance Director Mohan Rao said “we can do
it...”. Sure he wouldn’t be the one
going to jail for the action, it would be the 5 Bobbleheads going to jail for
violating the law!
One further thing
that was discovered was that two administrative employees are paid exclusively
from the Village’s water and sewer fund.
6 public works employees are paid exclusively from the water fund and 4
exclusively from the sewer fund, while the director of Public Works is paid
50/50 from the water and sewer funds.
Employees who are paid “exclusively” must work exclusively for those
specific entities according to 65 ILCS 5/11-129-11. Apparently the Boobleheads and his disHonor
the Mayor didn’t read that law.
Also, let’s take
a history lesson which goes back to 1986 during the controversy of Nancy
McConathy. McConathy filed a lawsuit
which was settled where the Village of Sauk Village pledged NEVER to pay
employees out of the water fund who were not working for the water
department. I believe that what is going
on violates the terms of the settlement agreement and 65 ILCS 5/11-129-11 as
all of these employees are not working “exclusively” for the water or sewer
departments. They are performing snow
plowing, which is a Street Department expense, mowing grass which is not
appropriate to be paid from the water or sewer funds, picking up trash, moving
picnic tables, and doing other non water or sewer related functions.
It’s time for
folks to start asking this Administration the “tough questions” and holding his
hands to the fire! He’s spending your
money like a fool refusing to make those “tough decisions” he said he was going
to back in November, 2012.
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