WHERE IS THE AUDIT...AGAIN?

SAUK VILLAGE |  In the footsteps of the criminal charges and a plea agreement for embezzlement by the Village Treasurer James Griegel, the Village has yet to complete and publish its audit reports.  Per Illinois law, the Village's Audit Reports were due October 31, 2016; however, the Village filed for an extension with the Illinois Comptroller's Office until December 26, 2016.  The date has come and gone and now the Village faces fines from the Illinois Comptroller due to delinquent audit reports.

Sauk Village has had a history of delinquent audit reports and Mayor David Hanks blamed it on the Police Pension Board for causing the delay at a meeting November 1, 2016.  The Police Pension Board denied at that time they were the cause for the audit delay. "We require information from the Village regarding payment to the fund for withholding of contributions from the members and pensionable wages for the members.  It took multiple requests, dating back to July (2016), to receive the proper information from the Village.  The final piece we needed to complete the IDOI (Illinois Department of Insurance) report was received on 10/21/16 where it was determined a withholding payments was incorrectly sent to the Fire Pension Fund instead of to the Police Pension Fund."  according to the Pension Board.

The Village Board approved a payment to the Audit firm last week from September, 2016 in the amount of $21,000 which could have been the delay in receiving the current audit report.  It was also learned that some of the Village Trustees, not all, authorized taking over $2 million from the water fund without a public vote, which in previous audit reports it was reported by auditors as being inappropriate to do.  Trustees Derrick Burgess, Kelvin Jones and Cecial Tates stated they did not authorize moving money.  Burgess said according to Illinois law a public vote should occur even if consensus was given to do so.

The Village's Finance Committee, chaired by Trustee Rosie Williams-Biag, has not addressed the Village's audit report nor given the Village Board any updates as to when the Village Board and the public will receive last year's audit as the Village is due to begin a new Audit as the fiscal year comes to a close in April. 

The Village had been denied a grant from the Illinois Housing Development Authority for $75,000 and the Housing Commission Chair said it was due to social media post, particularly "YouTube"; however, the prior Audit Report indicated that Village officials mismanaged the grant and one village official used an ATM card to make a cash withdrawal for the grant which is a violation.

Hanks was so excited that auditors finally completed audit reports form 2009 to 2014, which in many successful communities these are done annually without much fanfare.  

BURGESS STILL WANTS ANSWERS ON $2 MILLION TAKEN FROM WATER FUND

Trustee Derrick Burgess

SAUK VILLAGE |  Village Trustee Derrick Burgess, who is a candidate for Mayor in April, again called on his fellow Trustees to be identified to see who authorized taking money from the water fund.  It appears that the amount that Mayor David Hanks and Trustees he controls have authorized taking from the water fund has grown to well over $2 million based on Freedom of Information Act requests.  Hanks refused to answer the question publicly despite Burgess pressing the matter public again.  Hanks said that the information was supposedly emailed to him, however, Burgess wanted the names of the individuals publicly stated which Hanks refused.  Both Burgess and Trustee Kelvin Jones said they never received such an email from Hanks.   

Burgess said that anytime money is borrowed by the Corporate Authorities, a public vote is required and that the administration is not following the law.

Trustees Rosie Biag, Lynda House, both mayoral candidates in the upcoming election and Trustee Ed Myers, who is running for re-election sat again silent with heads down as Burgess pressed the issue demanding an answer.  "Who gave their consent to do this" Burgess asked multiple times.  Still Hanks wanted to move on with the meeting as his allied Trustees played mute and dumb.

Hanks has called his budgets "balanced", however, has routinely raided the village's water fund with the support of Trustees Biag, House and Myers.  Water funds are intended to fund the water department operations, however, the water funds have been depleted to a dangerously low level according to Freedom of Information Act requests. Trustees Burgess, Cecial Tates and Kelvin Jones each voted "NO" to the Village's Budget in 2015 and in 2016 declaring them "unbalanced and irresponsible". 

The prior Village Board, which Hanks was a Trustee at the time, took action in November of 2010, and passed an ordinance to block the mayor at the time from arbitrarily taking money.  The ordinance, at that time required the Village's General Fund to repay the money borrowed from the Water Fund.  Rosie Biag said at that time "that the Board is informed when funds are borrowed in order to keep a record of what amounts need to be paid back" according to the official village record. 

Hanks himself stated in November, 2010 “that it should be made clear that these funds were borrowed temporarily to meet payroll and it is the intent of the Board to pay those funds back” according to the official record.

RODRICK GRANT FOR VILLAGE TRUSTEE

RODRICK GRANT

RODRICK GRANT FOR VILLAGE TRUSTEE

SAUK VILLAGE | Meet RODRICK GRANT... here  to serve the People!  Rodrick Grant is a candidate for Village Trustee in April.  Rodrick Grant is 27 years old and a homeowner.  Grant is the youngest candidate running for Village Trustee and  if elected would be the sixth youngest in the Village's history. 

Grant is recently engaged, graduated from Western Illinois University with a Bachelors Degree in Business and continued his education earning a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Roosevelt University.  Grant works as a retail analyst for a company in Oak Brook, Illinois.   

"I am running for Trustee in order to bring hope back to a village that appears to have lost its direction. Sauk Village has been deprived of the chance to flourish economically and financially due to inadequate leadership, financial mismanagement and failed policies" Grant said.  "My hope is that I can bring fresh and new ideas to the Village Board" he said.

"I will always be an advocate of the residents.  The Village has been having a hard time getting past the status quo and it's time we began to move ahead" Grant said.

Grant believes that the lack of transparency with the taxpayers money is frustrating to residents and to the Trustees as well.   

Grant is running as an independent candidate for Village Trustee and not on a slate.  "I am

GRANT SPEAKING TO VOTERS

willing to have an open mind and work with whomever is elected" Grant said.  "Sauk Village is too small for political games" he said.

Grant did have a bumpy start as he was one of four candidates who had filed on the first day of filing his nomination petitions.  Originally Grant was picked first by the Village Clerk to have his name first on the ballot, then she wanted to hold an unusual "do-over".  Grant immediately filed a formal objection with the Village Clerk and Cook County Clerk's Office demanding he be reinstated first on the ballot.  Grant did prevail, and remains first on the ballot April 4th. 

"We cannot be so narrow sighted that we cannot see beyond today.  I offer a vision beyond tomorrow and that is what I will bring to the Village Board" Grant said.

Grant will be first on the April 4th ballot followed by Bernice Brewer-Houston and Beth Zupon.  There are three seats up for grabs in April, two of which will be new faces around the table since two others are not seeking re-election.

Grant said he will do his best when he is elected and not making wild promises just telling residents where he stands.  

BURGESS DEMANDING ANSWERS AS $1.8 MILLION DRAINED FROM WATER FUND

SAUK VILLAGER NEWS- Requested this information

through the Freedom of Information Act.  The Village

does not routinely put out information to the public which

necessitates requests for routine information.

SAUK VILLAGE |  Village Trustee Derrick Burgess, a Mayoral candidate, blasted fellow Trustees on Tuesday night for remaining silent while the Village's water fund is being drained without accountability and proper oversight.  According to a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by the Sauk Villager News, the administration of David Hanks has taken $1.8 million from the water fund, including over $600,000 in just the past 60 days!

At Tuesday night's meeting Burgess asked Mayor David Hanks and the Trustees he controls, multiple times “which trustees gave you their consent to withdraw money from the water fund and when,  since there had been no meetings and no public vote requesting the withdrawals” Burgess asked. Trustees Cecial Tates and Kelvin Jones emphatically confirmed that neither gave any consent to move or borrow any money.

However, Trustee Rosie Baig, Trustee Lynda House, both mayoral candidates in the upcoming election and Trustee Ed Myers, who is running for re-election sat virtually silent with heads down as Burgess pressed the issue demanding an answer.  "Who gave their consent to do this" Burgess asked multiple times.  Still Hanks wanted to move on with the meeting as his allied Trustees played mute and dumb.

As you may recall, Burgess, Tates and Jones each voted "NO" to the Village's Budget in 2015 and in 2016 declaring them "unbalanced and irresponsible".  Hanks and the Trustees he controls insisted the budget was balanced.  End of story, let's move on, said Hanks after each annual vote of consent.

The Village Board took action in November of 2010 to block the mayor from arbitrarily taking money

Ordinance Passed by votes of Rosie Williams, David

Hanks, Ed Myers and Derrick Burgess November

9, 2010- But no such action required with the

current administration

from the water fund and passed an ordinance

[1] requiring the Village’s General Fund to repay the Water Fund.  Trustee Rosie Williams said at that time “that the Board is informed when funds are borrowed in order to keep a record of what amount needs to be paid back” according to the official village record.[2]

Hanks himself stated in November, 2010 “that it should be made clear that these funds were borrowed temporarily to meet payroll and it is the intent of the Board to pay those funds back” according to the official record. [3]

"When you don't have a balanced budget, then have to borrow $1.8 million dollars with no public votes by the Board of Trustees, I have a problem with that" Burgess said, "and so would the residents if they knew.  Under Illinois law, a village can "borrow" money from another fund, however, the fund must be paid back before the end of the fiscal year," Burgess said.

"Our Finance Committee chaired by Rosie Baig doesn't report anything on this matter.  But she can pontificate forever about things of minutiae.  The Finance Director is commanded by David Hanks not to attend meetings so he can answer questions.  But he (Hanks) believes we should vote on accounts payables without getting answers?  He's out of his mind" Tates said.

Now the Village's water fund is owed $1.8 million from the Village's General Fund, over $800,000 has been drained off the water fund since the end of October, 2016 until the end of December (a 60 day period.

Burgess's demand for information regarding the accounts payable which totaled over $1 million dollars went virtually unanswered by Hanks as he could not answer where the money had come from to pay for employees' pay raises and retroactive pay for contracts that were voted on at a prior meeting.  Burgess, Tates and Jones voted no on the accounts payable as Hanks refused to provide answers while Baig, House and Myers voted yes and Hanks broke the tie.

---

[1] Ordinance 10-047

[2] Village of Sauk Village official Village Board Meeting Minutes of November 9, 2010

[3] Village of Sauk Village official Village Board Meeting Minutes of November 9, 2010

BETH ZUPON FOR VILLAGE TRUSTEE

BETH ZUPON

Independent Candidate

Village Trustee

SAUK VILLAGE | Meet BETH ZUPON... here again to serve the People!  Beth Zupon is a candidate for Village Trustee in April.   Beth Zupon served as Village Clerk from 2007 to 2009 following the resignation of Liz Selvey.  

Beth Zupon, is 52 and the third youngest candidate for Village Trustee, has lived in Sauk Village for nearly 18 years now.  She is married, is a proud homeowner and currently works as a Vice President of a major bank in Chicago.  Beth Zupon has been in the banking industry for over 30 years and is very familiar with how to balance budgets and how to exercise fiscal discipline.  

Beth Zupon has volunteered for many things throughout the years including Parks and Recreations, Beautification, Ordinance Review Committee, Housing Commission and many other events.  Currently Beth serves as Commissioner on the Zoning Board. 

Zupon believes that the Village needs to be more transparent and fiscally responsible with the taxpayers' money.  Zupon is running as an independent candidate for Village Trustee.

"We've got to do a better job with the taxpayers' money.  That means balanced and realistic budgets.  That means being transparent with what we do.  Don't you think we as a community deserve better" Zupon said.

Beth Zupon will be third on the April 4th ballot behind Rodrick Grant and Bernice Brewer-Houston.  There are three seats up for grabs in April, two of which will be new faces around the table since two others are not seeking re-election.

Beth thinks that the best birthday present she could get is getting elected on April 4th. 

Zupon is ready to do the job and hit the ground running. 

 

BANK ROBBED AGAIN

SAUK VILLAGE  On Friday afternoon, the US Bank located on Sauk Trail and Torrence was robbed by a M/B late 20's. The offender took the money and fled the scene on foot. Sauk Village officers responding located a subject matching the description in the area of Sauk Trail and Orion.  A show up of the offender was conducted and a positive ID was made of the offender. The offender was apprehended by our officers.

The FBI was called and came out since this is a federally insured institution.

After the FBI interviewed the subject it was determined he will be charged federally again because this is a federally insured institution and the FBI's jurisdiction.

This is the second time this bank location was robbed.  The last incident occuring December 28th when two subjects entered the building disguised and fled. Their vehicle was later discovered in nearby Dyer Indiana burned out.

WATER FUND GETTING DRAINED - $2 MILLION GONE

Freedom of Information Act Request

General Ledger- Sauk Village

SAUK VILLAGE |  The controversy goes on with Mayor David Hanks and the village trustees aligned with him as they continue to authorize use of money from the water fund to plug up an unbalanced budget.                                                                                              

Trustees Derrick Burgess, Cecial Tates and Kelvin Jones voted not to approve the budget which Burgess called “irresponsible and unbalanced” at the time.  All evidence seems to indicate that Burgess was in fact correct, the budget clearly was not balanced.  The remaining trustees who routinely support the Hanks voted to approve the budget following the mayor’s tie-breaking vote in May, 2016.

According to a recent Freedom of Information Act request it was revealed that nearly $2 million dollars has been deducted from the water fund.

When Hanks took over as Mayor the Village did not owe anything to the water fund according to a FOIA request from August, 2016. From July, 2016 until the end of December, Mayor Hanks and the trustees he controls have increased the amount they have taken from the water fund from $1.3 million to $1,853,358.76. 

Water fund monies are supposed to be used for water related issues including replacing aging and leaking water mains, broken fire hydrants, etc.  In July, 1985 the late Village Clerk Nancy L. McConathy filed suit against the Village of Sauk Village for improper use funds.  The of law suit was settled following her death in 1986.  As part of the settlement the Village agreed to not use water funds for making payroll of non-water related personnel. The village had previously assigned a title to an employee so that employee could be paid from the water fund.

Mayor Hanks ordered Director of Finance Mohan Rao to not attend Village meetings following the indictment of Hanks’s Village Treasurer James Griegel.  Residents have routinely complained about the lack of transparency at Village Hall including Tuesday night when Judy Cast reiterated “there is no transparency”.  Hanks has also forbid Director of Public Works Kevin Weller from attending village meetings along with Community Development Director Sherry Jasinski.

Residents of Sauk Village voted to change to Lake Michigan Water rather than well water in March, 2012.  To date there have been no new pipes installed to reduce the water loss in the Village.  Water rates have more than doubled or 114% increase from $3.50 to $7.50 per 1000 gallons of water.  An incremental increase occurred which went from $3.50 to $5.50 per 1000 gallons to “break even” and then an additional $2.00 increase was to cover the “debt service” for the permanent air strippers.   The State of Illinois has “forgiven” most” of the debt, however, water rates remain at the same level.

The higher water rates would have allowed the Village to amass a $2 million dollar surplus in the water fund in just over a couple years, however, there is no surplus as it was eaten up by mismanagement of the Village’s finances.  The Village Administration has no plan on repaying the water fund for the so-called loan.

It is not legal for a Village to “borrow” money from the water fund to pay for General Fund services without paying it back (and with no intent to pay it back) within the same fiscal year!  65 ILCS 5/8-1-3.1 “Sec. 8-1-3.1.The corporate authorities may borrow money for corporate purposes from one fund for the use of another fund providing such borrowing shall be repaid within the current fiscal year…”

CLICK HERE TO SEE ACTUAL FOIA REQUEST

CLICK HERE TO SEE FOIA FROM AUGUST, 2016