Welcome to the Sauk Village, Illinois news blog. We hope you enjoy our reports.
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Village quietly settles numerous FOIA Violations Lawsuits caused by Fanatical 5 Actions
Saturday, March 6, 2021
ANOTHER CAMPAIGN FACT CHECKED
FACT: Linda Todd has served on the Village Board since 2017, during that time she has been
condescending, indignant and disrespectful to the current Mayor and certain residents. In fact, in 2019 she joined forces with the four other Trustees to become the “Fanatical Five” Trustees who have put Politics over Progress to shut down everything that Mayor Burgess has worked toward since taking office in 2017. She receives an “F” for the time she has spent on the Village Board because she is does not represent ALL of the people only a select few. ONLY ONE who VOTED AGAINST the Village’s Strategic Plan (Source: November 28, 2017 Village Board Minutes)
1700 Block of Jeffrey Avenue in Sauk Village |
FACT: RACISM! Alive and well isn’t that right Linda Todd? She has served on committees, however, there has been no meaningful piece of legislation sponsored by this Trustee to help heal the division or bring racial equity to the Village. In Fact, she sat on the Human Relations Commission while her neighbor put out racist signs flying a Racist Rebel Flag over an upside down American Flag on their front lawn on Jeffrey Avenue and she has said NOTHING ABOUT IT for 4 years!
FACT: Linda Todd wants to talk about “Unity” when in fact she has done NOTHING to bring UNITY when it comes to working with Mayor Burgess or the majority of the residents of the Village over the last 4 years. She talks about “working” together but her actions speak otherwise. She is a DIVIDER not a UNITER!
FACT: Linda Todd talks about the “steady decline” in the Village… but she has done nothing for 4 years on the Village Board to bring in new business. In fact she initially opposed and VOTED “NO” on the Gas-N-Wash Deal! Voted NO for the Village to make $1.3 million!
Monday, March 1, 2021
BREWER ILLEGAL TAX BREAK FOLLOWING MONEY INTO HER POCKET
Bernice Brewer |
Here we go again Sauk Village! As Sauk Village residents struggle with a pandemic and staggering property taxes, another politically connected official is caught with an illegal tax break. Remember back in September, 2012 when a certain ex-mayor fraudulently claimed a homeowner’s property tax exemption for his homes here in Sauk Village and his other home in Chicago? He was suspended from his job at the time with the Cook County Assessor and ultimately resigned as Mayor. At that time the now ex-mayor returned the $4,100 in property taxes he owed. Now we find another Village official ran for mayor herself in 2013 now wants you to vote her back in as a Trustee. Could this person suffer the same fate or at least the resident of Sauk Village can turn her away at the polls in April? How can residents "trust" her?
Controversial Trustee Bernice Brewer, seems to habitually take on several bad traits of former disgraced elected officials. Brewer lied about her sworn support of a fellow candidate after they were successfully elected and sworn in in 2019. This Trustee joined their alliance with the deposed ex-mayor’s “friends” and are now known collectively called the Fanatical Five Trustees. Our investigative efforts have sadly hit the jackpot once again, and we will see if the supporters of this Trustee who railed on the disgraced ex-Mayor are going to rail on Brewer this time for the same exact thing. The shame is now on Brewer for violating the law and her fate is up to the people of Sauk Village.
In 2015, Bernice Brewer, then referring to herself as Bernice Brewer-Houston, was facing apparent “financial” hardship and allowed her mortgage to become $55,361.76 delinquent on her home at 910 Laura Lane in Sauk Village according to public records. The lender generously modified the terms of the agreement to a modest 40 year mortgage totaling $129,177.44! This elected official then apparently leased out or rented her property and relocated to a double-wide trailer at 187 Blue Jay in Weatherstone’s Mobile Home Park according to a March 27, 2017 Sauk Talk article and according to nomination papers filed with the Village Clerk. However further investigation revealed that the trailer home sold on June 16, 2015 for $28,500 MLS ID: #08599986. Public records also show that Brewer has been claiming her homeowner’s exemption on their non-owner occupied property for the past 4 years while owning and living at another location resulting in reduced property taxes in the amount of $6,100 and about $1500 owed to Sauk Village directly based on calculations. Sound familiar yet?
Sauk Village’s Attorney Burt Odelson was quoted in a recent news article about another crooked politician “You see that from time to time with politicians,” Odelson said. “They vote out of one, and they have a fake home, and they get caught taking a homestead exemption, which is a crime.” Brewer is registered to vote at her address on Blue Jay and not a property she rents out in Sauk Village.
The Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s office has a whistleblowing online program. “When someone gets an undeserved break on taxes, you pay more than fair share. If you know that a property is improperly receiving an exemption, tell us”. Their website is: http://whistleblowing.
How ironic it is that Bernice Brewer repeatedly proclaims at every board meeting, “a Trustee’s job is to follow the money”. Well that was not a hard job for her, as we can see her watching the money fall right into her own pockets for the past 4 years four years now, the entire time they have been in elected office. A violation of the Public Trust worthy of demands for her resignation as many did against the ex-Mayor from 2010 to 2012.
This is the same elected official who advocated that a forensic audit be performed on the Village finances in hopes of embarrassing the current Mayor of Sauk Village the results of which showed no wrong doing but cost the taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars; the very same elected official that continuously requests legal advice from the taxpayer paid law firm that made the quote above; the same elected official who has formally announced their bid to re-run for office and is now circulating her political pack of lies. Many long-time residents do not support this person’s bid for re-election. “If they are always falsely accusing another elected official of fraud while cheating the residents out of our money, why would anyone vote for them?”
Monday, February 15, 2021
Mayor Derrick Burgess Looking Forward To The Future; Lists Documented Accomplishments
Taylor Media February 12, 2021
SAUK VILLAGE | Mayor Derrick Burgess announced last October he was seeking re-election to a second term as Sauk Village’s Mayor. Burgess took office in 2017 and was handed an administration and a community which routinely found itself with over $1 million in unpaid bills, severely mismanaged human resources that resulted in numerous employees suing the village, a mismanaged finance department with repeated and severe audit findings, unbalanced, irresponsible and unprofessionally prepared budgets. Basically, when Burgess assumed the position of Mayor, on day one he inherited an absolute mess. But Burgess was well aware of the difficulties he faced as he had been a Trustee for the past 11 years and three administrations.
What Burgess did not do when he took office was fire everyone immediately. Instead, he chose to work with current personnel to assess their performance and contributions in wake of the new policies, procedures and mandates he set. Personnel changes came later as he learned the source of the mismanagement.
Burgess also grappled with the fact that there was no new commercial development in Sauk Village in over twenty years which became Mayor Burgess’ immediate goal to change. Mayor Burgess and his newly formed administrative team were successful in landing a $13 million commercial development on the Northwest Corner of Sauk Trail and Illinois 394 within the first two years of his administration. This would-be Gas-N-Wash’s largest facility built to date as of April 2019. The Gas-N-Wash development is a 32.9-acre Truck Stop, housing a convenience store, Pops Roast Beef, Dunkin Donuts and Little Mexico Restaurant. The Village realized a $1.3 million profit from the sale of the land and impact fees. This resulted in the Village establishing its first ever reserve fund.
Simultaneously, Burgess and his team worked at reducing the Village’s bills with all its vendors including legal bills from 2017 to 2019; realizing a savings of over $440,000 during that period. With this newly found surplus of funds, Burgess immediately began paying off the Village’s backlog of $1.1 million in unpaid bills while not having to tap into its water fund, a practice that had become the norm with previous administrations. Burgess’ administration adopted the sound financial practice of operating within the Village’s current means. Following this practice, Burgess was also able to reduce the Village’s property tax levy while being able to increase revenue to the grossly underfunded Police Pension Fund. Burgess worked hard at getting the Village’s Finances back in order by addressing years of repeated audit findings. Burgess hired a professional Finance Director who immediately began implementing industry best practices and for the first time in over a decade, this professional was able to prepare a balanced and responsible budget; earning the Village a Distinguished Budget Award in 2018 from the Government Finance Officers Association.
With the promise of improved financial management, Burgess was able to save the Village significant monies by refinancing its higher interest rate bonds to a lower rate and secure $2.5 million in proceeds that would fund and complete long over-due road and water improvements at no cost to Sauk Village taxpayers. “Because we worked hard at putting together a good team who were well versed in multiple fields including Finances, we were able in 2018 to make significant strides toward re-obtaining a bond rating. My plan is to re-initiate that hard work after the 2021 election,” Burgess said.
For decades before and since the housing collapse in 2008, the Village has been plagued with vacant and abandoned homes which had driven down real estate values allowing many investors to gobble up cheap homes to make quick profits. Burgess continues to work to raise the housing standards and home values in Sauk Village by tightening its housing code and holding investors responsible for their properties. Even though Burgess has met severe opposition for this, he continues to seek ways to make needed improvements and will continue to do so after the 2021 election.
At the onset of his administration in 2017, Mayor Burgess presented his Strategic Plan for Progress to the Village Board for adoption. Burgess had begun identifying needed changes in the Village’s nearly 20-year-old outdated Comprehensive Plan back in 2013. His self-authored Strategic Plan for Progress was the Village’s very first plan in decades and was the springboard for the Comprehensive Plan’s successful update in 2017. The Plan was adopted by the Village Board and the Village’s Zoning Board of Appeals and will help guide the Village for the next 20 years.
“With all of the changes we implanted, we were able to finally begin saving a modest amount in our Water Fund” Burgess said. “This has allowed us to begin repairing or replacing broken fire hydrants that have been inoperable for years. This was already identified our 2017 Strategic Plan for Progress and hopefully we can have all inoperable fire hydrants repaired in an efficient and timely manner so that every resident can benefit from it; not just a few” Burgess said.
“I will also be directing our staff and Engineers to prepare plans to repair and replace all inoperable streetlights, cut down all dead trees on the parkways and public areas, and begin repairing our crumbling streets and have it all done by 2023. You just don’t go out to fix a few at a time without a realistic plan that addresses the entire problem; that’s irresponsible and a great waste of money. I stated there are no more excuses for this not getting done. With a balance of new and professional people on the Board, we can look forward to and will get the job done” Burgess said.
Also, during 2017-2019, the Board of Trustees and my administration were successful in securing $1.7 million in grants and assistance for Sauk Village which has not been done since. Additionally, Burgess was able to negotiate an intergovernmental agreement with Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning for a free embedded Planning Staff member who was also instrumental in assisting the Village with completing many projects and facilitating grants from 2019 to 2021.
R to L: Rodrick Grant, Mayor Derrick Burgess, Larry Sapp and Arnold Coleman |
“We have a lot more to do, a lot more ahead of us and we are out aggressively asking for the residents’ support. My team and I are up for the challenge and look forward to the next four years” Burgess said.
Thursday, February 11, 2021
ROTTEN TO THE CORE WITH NO VALUES - The Inconvenient TRUTH of Debbie Williams
The Inconvenient TRUTH of Debbie Williams-
By: Ann Mahomes- When it comes to Debbie Williams talking about "core values" she is nothing but lies! She is rotten to the core. Apparently this is going to become a series of articles exposing the TRUTH about a PROVEN LIAR. The comments in black are verbatim copy of her diatribe she posts on social media, she lies about never goin on. The portions in RED are the response and exposure of the LIES:
TRUSTEE VOTE 5 to 1 TO SHELL OUT $300,000 TO EX-COP
Courtesy Youtube- Former Sgt Rebecca Vela-Sailsbery |
Ex-mayor Hanks relentlessly and misogynistically attacked
Sailsbery publicly during open meetings from 2015 until 2017 when he finally
left office. (CLICK HERE TO VIEW ACTUAL VIDEO) Sailsbery filed suit in 2015 in Federal Court against now ex-mayor Hanks and his former Village Administrator JW Fairman alleging among other
things gender discrimination and retaliation under Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964.
This past Tuesday's Board meeting, Village Trustees
voted to payout $300,000 to settle the case with Sailsbery. Trustees voting
yes were Debbie Williams, Linda Todd, Bernice Brewer, Gary Bell and Sherry
Jasinski. The only Trustee voting NO was Rodrick Grant.
Sailsbery was named as a defendant in lawsuit against the Village No.11 C 7956 (N.D.Ill.Apr. 27, 2012) involving a now former Village
employee, Susan Dobrzeniecki. Current Trustee, Sherry Jasinski, was
Dobrzeniecki’s supervisor at that time and was a witness against Sailsbery and
the other defendants named in the suit including the Village. During ex-mayor David Hanks' tenure, on January 27, 2015 Village
Trustees approved a Settlement with Dobrzeniecki who claimed she was held
against her will and her home searched unlawfully on November 8, 2011.
The Settlement, according to village records, was $290,000. Dobrzeniecki
also filed suit against the now shuttered St. James Hospital seeking more
damages following the Village’s settlement. (https://www.govinfo.gov/
According to public record no disciplinary action
was taken against Sailsbery or others involved in the suit as a result of the Dobrzenieck incident in 2011 nor
after the settlement of the case in 2015. What Sailbery did get was attacks upon her from ex mayor David Hanks as you can view in the attached video.
The settlement payouts to these two employees alone totaled $590,000. Why Trustees Linda Todd,
Bernice Brewer, Debbie Williams, Gary Bell and Sherry Jasinski have you not
said a SINGLE WORD? Taxpayers are footing the bill for a FOOLISH ex-mayor and his antics, and that entire time you sat silent. You are clearly
not watching the Village’s money. Not a
single time from 2011 to 2017 had any of them muster a single word to condemn the actions
of ex-Mayor David Hank, but you just shelled out $300,000 without a care in the
world.
Now imagine what $590,000 could have done for the residents:
·
How many broken fire hydrants could the Village Fix?
·
How many broken Street Lights could the Village Fix?
·
How many dead trees could be cut down?
·
How many Police Officers could the Village hire?
·
How many Youth and Seniors programs could the
Village implement along with the hiring of a much needed Director?
· How much closer would the Village be to securing Lake Michigan Water, if not for these payouts?
EDITORIAL NOTE AND COMMENT: Sailsbery posted on social media "...I have received NOTHING from Mayor Derrick Burgess.... Hell I didn't even get a cup of coffee, lunch, card, email, or letter. ABSOLUTELY nothing!! It was nothing less than being TORTURED in HELL, working 27 years as a Law Enforcement Officer for an with some of the most unqualified, unprofessional, vindictive, racist, unethical, criminals I have ever met, in the most ridiculous and dangerous conditions you could ever imagine. Up to my very last day..."
No cup of coffee, or free donuts either; But, $300,000 isn't a bad "thank you" don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out! We sincerely hope that the $300,000 you got on your way out is in some small way a token from the taxpayers of Sauk Village for your anguish. As you suffer so heavily living in Indiana with your bank account and your retirement pension courtesy of the taxpayers of Sauk Village for the rest of your life! Your anger and bitterness for Sauk Village has been evident for many years, but to blame this current Mayor for all your "WOE" and not getting anything on your way out is disingenuous, and factually NOT TRUE! We truly wish you well in your retirement, really we do. What the taxpayers of Sauk Village should REALLY be asking, WTF? Why are we still paying for mistakes from the last failed administration and the ripple effects continue on?
Oh and P.S.- For all you out there who are going to say "congratulations" to her, remember that when you get your property tax bill for the next 10 years to pay for the increase in your village's liability insurance claims. BETTER YET, remember the FANATICAL FIVE TRUSTEES at election time! Don't let this garbage back in again.
Friday, January 29, 2021
TRUTH ABOUT A PROVEN LIAR
1- She falsely claims that Derrick Burgess “acted as dictator” when he exercised his statutory authority to block the hiring of a Village Administrator that cost you $130,000 for a job that he has been doing for $20,000 from 2017 until Debbie showed up again in 2019. Instead of the Trustees compromising on the matter, they sued the Mayor. The Fanatical Five Trustees brought in their handpicked unqualified and incapable Village Administrator they sued the Mayor to force their guy in. This resulted in tens of thousands in legal fees that you taxpayers are paying! Then in less than 10 months they FIRE the guy with no public explanation! This proved that Mayor Burgess was RIGHT from the START and they failed. This could have been avoided if the Divider-in-Chief had come into office in 2019 humble and willing to work with Mayor Burgess. They had ONE GOAL- STOP ALL PROGRESS MAYOR BURGESS WAS MAKING AT ALL COSTS.
2- Debbie now changes her story to rewrite history and claims she took a “sponsored trip” to Washington DC in July, 2013. But at that time she called it a “personal trip at my own expense….” A PROVEN LIAR! Debbie fought a Freedom of Information Act Request for 3 years despite the FACT that the Illinois Attorney General Issued a Binding Opinion. Then Debbie and the taxpayer funded attorney filed suit against the Illinois Attorney General to continue to block production of documents which proved Debbie was a liar! Then Debbie lies again and says that this was all Mayor Burgess’ fault? REALLY DEBBIE? You’re lying again. FUN FACT: you and your crew fought the ex-Mayor Lewis Towers, the guy you ran with in 2009, on bringing Lake Michigan Water to Sauk Village. So when you are buying bottled water at the store, be sure and thank Debbie Williams and her wrecking crew for that.
3- Debbie is a powerful and productive person? Really at what? Well you’re powerful at spending taxpayers money we will admit that as far as productive, I’m sure you’re the top producer of Avon and Pampered Chef out of anyone in Sauk Village. As far as “lawsuits and union discussions” costing taxpayers $225,000. DAMN! Funny, however, a search of legal fees during 2017-2019 did not amount to near that amount in one year. I think your math and lies are really fuzzy Debbie and are costing taxpayers far too much.
4- Debbie claims her values are not to divide, however, your actions speak louder than words. You are ROTTEN TO THE CORE! You mischaracterize a candidate's statement to pit white against black once in hopes to RALLY the white voters like you did in 2019. You make wild accusations about a black challenging a black in an election. But you make no reference to your “campaign manager” or “Travelgate Companion'' Pat Couch filing a failed and frivolous challenge against Carolyn Farmer, a black candidate for the McConathy Library. You and your foolish friends post on social media “let the residents decide” until it hits a little too close to home.
5- Debbie stated many times “I don’t get on Facebook” but she has spent an enormous amount of time composing hateful messages under alias and now under her own name. AGAIN. She is a pathological liar.
Debbie one thing is for certain, you would not know what INTEGRITY was if it was sitting on your plate of food in front of you for dinner! A pathological liar believes their own lies, you definitely do. Debbie YOU’RE A LIAR and it’s been proven.
The only reason that this election will be “ugly” is because you’re in it! You will continue with your “ugly” LIES and stretch the hell out of the truth to make yourself look better! Why? Because you do not have enough real accomplishments you have done to run on your own merit!
Sauk Village suffered for 8 long years with you in public office before the residents tired of you and tossed you out on your ass! The voters will reject you and your foolish Fanatical Five again!