SHAKEDOWN AND PAY TO PLAY CONTINUES AT VILLAGE HALL

OPINION EDITORIAL | With the Village Treasurer James Greigel facing Federal criminal charges of stealing money from the Police Pension Fund along with his heroine, whores, embezzlement and corruption scandal, the Travelgate scandal naming Debbie Williams and Rosie Williams as particiants; both occurring on David Hanks' watch!  Now we find David Hanks getting in on the act too shaking down village vendors for his own personal and political campaign! 

Photo courtesy Social Media

Let's face it blowing up $6,000 is not “American”, at least that was the unanimous decision of the Village Board of Trustees at the May 24^th Village Board meeting.  Why did they take this action and cancel fireworks for their Independence Day celebration?  Well frankly blowing up $6,000 when they budgeted ZERO dollars to start any youth programs to keep kids off the streets or perhaps making the Sauk Village Police Station a healthy and safe work environment is more responsible!  Or, it could be that the three Bobble Heads were shamed into it by the responsible actions of Trustees Derrick Burgess, Cecial Tates and Kelvin Jones!

So what does the meathead “Mayer” David Hanks plan to do now?  He’s planning on continuing to shakedown  Village vendors, ala Travelgate, just like Debbie Williams and her daughter Rosie Williams did to scheme money for their “personal trip”, so that Hanks can blow it up in a 15 minute fireworks show.  So how do you suppose any vendors will recover their money?  You got it!  On the backs of the taxpayers completely circumventing the Village Board's action which already voted “NO” to fireworks!

If you don’t believe anything, believe this!  David Hanks continues to show his immaturity during village meetings just like a spoiled child who did not get his way!  How can anyone respect a person who would intentionally harm the health and welfare of Village employees nor give a darn about the kids of Sauk Village.  His actions speak volumes!  Don’t be fooled by his follies and lies he continues to put out through his surrogates and brainwashed minions.  I have no respect for a man who lies to peoples’ faces, whose actions intentionally hurt people and their welfare (i.e. cancelling their health insurance while they were out on medical leave).  Also and even more troubling for taxpayers and residents taking action without public votes, without the consent of your board and ruling by royal fiat and edict.

Let's not also forget the pattern of lies that David Hanks appears to have in his personal life as (CLICK LINK TO LEARN MORE).  This man is a pathological liar!  Read the facts and do your own research.  Son of a preacher!  Yeah he's a son of a something alright.  Know your history Sauk Village.... KNOW your history!

The rule of David Hanks has been one hundred times more damaging to the Village than that of the previous administration!  Why do I say that?  He has 3 Bobble Heads, Lynda Washington, Rosie Williams and Ed Myers, who support his misguided political agenda!

Original material copyright 2016 Sauk Villager News; all rights reserved. 

POLICE CHIEF ROBERT KOWALSKI CUSSES OUT SENIOR CITIZEN AT VILLAGE HALL

SAUK VILLAGE | After the Village Board and Mayor finished talking about a $1.3 million bike path and the Village’s employee health insurance renewal, longtime resident and former Police & Fire Commissioner Judy Cast, a Senior Citizen again pressed the matter of mold and asbestos in the Police Station. Cast has always advocated for the police officers of Sauk Village since the 1970s raising awareness of many things from police officers qualifying for free cheese because of the low pay to unsafe squad cars to unfair treatment.

After Cast raised the matters again at Tuesday night’s meeting of and unhealthy work environment having mold and asbestos in the Police Station, David Hanks thought back and indicated that the mold in the Police Station has existed since “the 1980s” and instructed his Police Chief Robert Kowalski to include the mold and asbestos remediation in his report next week.

Kowalski apparently took exception to Cast’s questions regarding the unsafe and unhealthy environment following the meeting. Cast and Kowalski were discussing the matter within earshot of many residents, including yours truly, when Kowalski was clearly heard to say “Where the f**k were you during the previous administrations” which caused many turned heads and raised eyebrows.

“I don’t care how they feel about me personally.  We have had a police officer and a police records clerk die very young from cancer, we had a police dispatcher diagnosed with cancer and she still fights it today.  We owe it to village employees to be able to work in a safe work environment” Cast said. “How disrespectful and unprofessional. This man (Kowalski) clearly doesn’t know me and doesn’t know the history of the Sauk Village Police Department” Cast said.  Cast was clearly shaken after the verbal chastising.

A younger resident who was standing nearby overheard the tongue lashing by Kowalski said “that man is the Police Chief?  Is this how he treats women and senior citizens?”

EDITORIAL NOTE: It was recently made public that asbestos was found in the Police Station, built in 1977 in the mastic, or glue, that holds the floor ties down. Asbestos in floor tiles was discontinued in the early 1970s under Federal law, however, it was not banned in the glue itself until the 1980s.

HANKS & HIS BOBBLE HEADS IN CAMPAIGN MODE FOR 2017

Bobble Heads with Towers in 2009 and Today

OPINION EDITORIAL
The 2017 campaign has kicked off in Sauk Village!  David Hanks has been telling people he’s in and Lynda Washington announced before a handful of people in July of last year she was running.  Tuesday night, from the dais at a Public Meeting no less, Ed Myers, a one-time Lewis Tower staunch supporter turned David Hanks staunch supporter, did what no other Trustee in the history of Sauk Village has done and announced he is running for re-election.  Did the Mayor say anything about politicking in Village Hall and at the “sacred” Village Hall chambers!  Not one word!  Way to support your Bobble Head! 

Shouldn’t these three individuals be worried about doing the job instead of keeping or moving up in their positions?  Let’s face it, Lynda Washington is so busy defending David Hanks and advocating for his misguided policies why the hell would anyone want a Bobble Head who doesn’t have a clue about how a budget works, how a TIF district works, in fact she doesn’t understand much about anything except book bags and Harvey Illinois!  Sorry Lynda you just do not have what it takes to be a Mayor!  Things like integrity, character and as Chuck Thompson called you “morally objectionable” and you turn around and vote for him to the Police & Fire Commissioner!  You are a BOBBLE HEAD! 

The Village Budget that both Myers and Washington voted for along with the precious and innocent Rosie Williams was $3.3 million dollars out of balance!  No information was provided about the fund balances, in fact this was absolutely the worst budget that has ever been passed and it took the vote of David Hanks himself to pass it. 

What as laughable Tuesday night was Hanks appointed Ed Myers in charge of getting quotes for fireworks until Trustees Derrick Burgess and Cecial Tates embarrassed them into voting no for taxpayer dollars to be blown up in 15 minutes when the Police Station and Community Center have asbestos in them and there was $0 in the budget for youth programs!  Hanks would rather people go out on street corners and beg for money like a prostitute, despite the fact that the Village taxes the residents to fund such youth programs.  So Myers, Washington and Williams voted for a budget that included $6,000 for a 15 minute fireworks extravaganza but then turned around and voted no for the fireworks!  You can tell it’s election time when the three Bobble Heads (Myers, Washington and Williams) go against their own King and vote no!  It’s a shame they had to be embarrassed into doing the right thing finally!

People of Sauk Village send a strong message to Hanks and his Bobble Heads!  It’s too little too late!  Your days are numbered and it’s time for you to go!  345 more days and counting!  Enjoy your taxpayer funded paycheck for now, you certainly have not earned it!

UNBALANCED VILLAGE BUDGET APPROVED - HANKS BREAKS TIE AGAIN

Rosie Williams (far left) trying to make a point before she

voted YES to approve the unbalanced budget.

SAUK VILLAGE | This past Tuesday, Mayor David Hanks for the second time in the history of Sauk Village voted to break a tie vote to approve his budget which calls for a $3.3 million deficit.  Trustees Derrick Burgess, Cecial Tates and Kelvin Jones voted no while Trustees aligned with Hanks, Lynda Washington, Rosie Williams and Ed Myers voted along with Hanks to pass the budget.

The Hanks Administration presented the Budget to Williams and Myers, who comprise his Budget and Finance Committee on April 12, 2016 but did not release this information to the public.  A request was made to the Village for a copy of the “proposed” budget under the Freedom of Information Act.  The Village claimed it was a “draft” and was not subject to the Act and denied the request through their taxpayer funded attorney, consequently the Illinois Attorney General’s office was asked to intervene and make a determination if the Village violated the Freedom of Information Act for failing to make available a public document.  The matter is still under review by the Attorney General.

Hanks said of this budget on a social media post “This year's budget has gone through more scrutiny and provided more opportunity for public input than any year prior”.  We say emphatically that this statement is patently false.

Here are some observations on this years budget:

#1 The presentation and approval of an Appropriations Ordinance on May 24^th violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act as this was not placed before the Village Board of Trustees nor the public prior to this meeting.

#2 The Corporate Authorities did not hold any public hearing on the Appropriations Ordinance pursuant to 65 ICLS 5/8-2-9  “the corporate authorities shall hold at least one public hearing on that proposed appropriation ordinance”.  Last week the Corporate Authorities held a “Budget Hearing” and not a Public Hearing on the Appropriations Ordinance according to law.

#3 the public was not provided, nor privy to the Appropriations Ordinance 10 days prior to the adoption of this Ordinance.  The Trustees received this very ordinance on Monday, May 23, 2016 and therefore it is not in compliance with 65 ICLS 5/8-2-9.

#4 the Budget is not balanced as there is $13,269,223.28 in projected revenues and transfers and $16,634,917 in projected expenses and transfers according to the appropriations ordinance which means this is not balanced which leaves this budget out of balance and revenues short by $3,365,693.72

#5 the Budget, as proposed spends revenues within the General Fund which are not intended for the General fund.  There is no corresponding expenditure or transfer to the other funds for the corresponding amounts.

#6 Various funds are penalized for having to take up covering the shortfall of the willful negligence of the administrations past and present as money is spent in the General Fund and not their legally intended purposes.  

#7 there is no allocation, nor accounting for the outstanding bills owed by the Village of Sauk Village.  At times the outstanding bills reach $1.1 millions (per the 2015 Audit report).  A balance budget means that “all expenses and all revenues are balanced”.  If this budget was in fact balanced, it would have accounted for paying all of the bills and this budget does not.

#8 This budget is irresponsible as this administration has chosen to hire additional personnel and pay for them out of the water and sewer fund and they will not be performing any services for the water or sewer departments what-so-ever.

#9 This administration continues its irresponsible pattern of robbing Peter to pay Paul borrowing money to make payroll from the water fund and any other funds and it is irresponsible to hire more people that we need to borrow money to pay them.  

 

#10 despite the fact that Hanks and his allied Trustees voted to eliminate the Police Dispatch under the guise of a "cost savings initiative" in the 2015-16 budget, they have approved hiring additional personnel in the latest budget.

As Trustee Derrick Burgess said following Tuesday’s meeting “ this budget is irresponsible, is not balanced and continues to hide the facts from the residents and taxpayers of Sauk Village and is not fair to our employees and employees who were ‘laid off’ and have not been recalled from layoff”.

 

 

GRIEGEL MAY BE OUT.... SOME SAY FINALLY!

VILLAGE TREASURER JAMES GRIEGEL

SAUK VILLAGE |  James Griegel, age 71 was appointed Village Treasurer by Mayor David Hanks following his election as Mayor in 2013 was indicted by a Will County Grand Jury in January and has been charged in a criminal complaint by a Federal Prosecutor for embezzlement of $21,000 from the Sauk Village Police Pension Fund.

Hanks has publicly stated that the Village did not have the legal authority to remove Griegel as he has only been charged but not convicted of any crime.  At Tuesday’s Village Board meeting, which Hanks was absent, a statement was read in which Hanks apparently has once again “changed his mind”.  “Upon being informed of Mr. Griegel's arrest (Monday, April 25, 2016) by the FBI,  I issued a letter to Mr. Griegel that he was being replaced as the Village Treasurer” the statement said.  Residents have been calling for Griegel's removal since his January arrest and discovery that he allegedly embezzled money from the Police Pension Fund.

Some Trustees wonder why Hanks did not take this action back in January when Griegel was criminally charged and then was indicted by a Will County Grand Jury.

“Why now, and why not in January?  The residents could have saved money by not having to pay Griegel for 3 additional months.  Nothing has changed from January to now, but this is par for the course for this administration.  One really must wonder why?” Trustee Cecial Tates said on Tuesday night following the Village Board meeting.

Griegel is scheduled to appear in a Will County Court House today for his criminal indictment for possession of a controlled substance.  Griegel was arrested by the Steger Police Department on January 4th for possession of a controlled substance (heroine) and admitted that he had “two bags” and used it to pay for sex according to the Police Report.

HANKS & WILLIAMS NO TRANSPARENCY

OPINION EDITORIAL
SAUK VILLAGER NEWS

The administration of Sauk Village Mayor David Hanks and his lead Bobble Head Trustee Rosie Williams continue to do everything they can to prevent the public from obtaining information.  Including invoking the taxpayer funded attorney to do their dirty work instead off issuing a simple "form letter" that they could obtain from the Attorney General's web page!  What is more disturbing is that instead of being open, honest and transparent, this dynamic duo have led an effort to keep Village business closed off from the public, conducted in the back office and veiled in secrecy.  Without even mentioning the numerous other occurences about "consensus" votes via email to the village trustees instead of conducting actual recorded votes at public meetings, but we're talking about this budget that they put together with chicken wire from the Hanks farm!  Hanks plops it down and asks the Trustees to hurry up review it and let's ram rod this piece of crap down the taxpayers throats before they taste it.  Mayors in successful communities do not have a budget process so closed so cloaked and so stupid as David Hanks.

This year's budget is yet another example of this administration's lack of transparency.  Hanks submitted his secret clandestine budget to his so-called Budget and Finance Committee on April 12th.  Rosie Williams is the chairperson of the Budget and Finance Committee and her co-chair Trustee Ed Myers.  A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request on April 12th for a copy of the documents submitted to the Budget and Finance Committee by Hanks was refused.  The Village, through their paid legal team, denied the FOIA request claiming that this was a "draft" and therefore this was "exempt" under FOIA. 

The Illinois Attorney General was asked to intervene and issue an opinion on this matter, since the Village's Ordinance #15-012 which created the Budget and Finance Committee states "The Village's Finance Director shall make ever effort to submit to the Finance Committee, on or before March 15th of each fiscal year, a proposed budget for the next fiscal year..."  Any document submitted to a public body, like the Finance Committee, is a public document subject to the act we contended in our response to the Village's denial.

The million dollar question to all of this?  What the hell are they hiding in the first place?  Why not put out for the public to see what numbers you are proposing in your budget?  Over the last several days we heard your numbers discussed in an open meeting!  Then your arrogant head Bobble Head Rosie Williams was heard saying during the meeting "oh look he has a copy of the budget already...".  Well newsflash know-it-all Rosie Williams, the budget I had and was following was from last year that you voted on!  It clearly wasn't balanced then as you voted YES to and from what I heard neither is this budget which you will vote YES to and offered no solutions to the many many problems that the Village faces. 

CHIEF CHANGES HIS MIND & COMPUTER EQUIPMENT STILL NOT BEING USED

SAUK VILLAGE |  Police radio traffic from CalCom yesterday indicated that their phone lines were down, but apparently rookie Sauk Village Police Chief Robert Kowalski didn't get memo from CalCom.

Longtime resident Judy Cast, said she had heard CalCom on her police scanner, called this out at Tuesday's Village Board Meeting.  Initially Mayor David Hanks and Kowalski denied that the phones went down, but later during the meeting after Kowalski walked out into the hallway and was seen on his phone, came back in and corrected himself.

To confirm the fact that the phone lines were down, calls were made to CalCom's Dispatch center and nobody answered the calls for nearly 30 minutes.

This has not been the first hiccup with CalCom and Sauk Village.  It has been previously reported that CalCom could not dispatch calls for two hours in October and that earlier on they could not properly dispatch the Sauk Village Fire Department by properly toning out fire calls.  Sauk Village had it's own dispatchers since the 1960s.   Hanks rushed through the approval of the CalCom contract following the April election when two of Hanks' allied Trustees whom he controlled did not win and voted to approve the contract with CalCom during the lame-duck days of their terms.  Village Trustees allied with Hanks who voted for the CalCom contract are Rosie Williams, Ed Myers and Lynda Washington.

The State of Illinois mandated that dispatch centers serve populations of 25,000 or greater to save money, however, CalCom still is not within the State mandate.

Also Cast blasted the fact that the Village spent over $200,000 on computer equipment for the Police and Fire Departments so that it could work with CalCom's dispatch software and to date the equipment still is not functioning.  None of the money was included in the Village's budget, nor in the Village's appropriations ordinance according to some Village Trustees.  Hanks voted to break the tie in 2015 to pass the Village's budget. 

"This did not save the Village money, who are they kidding" Cast said.