FANATICAL 5 TRUSTEES LOOK HIGH AND LOW FOR IMPROVEMENTS, CONTINUE TO WREAK HAVOC IN SAUK VILLAGE

Since being elected to office as the end result of dismal voter turnout of only 9 percent, the Fanatical 5 Trustees continue to stifle growth and improvements in Sauk Village. Infrastructure repairs and improvements promised during their campaigns never materialized, Public Works continues to leave orange fenced open holes throughout the pothole riddled streets, and the glut of stores and businesses continues to exemplify the poor condition of vacant homes continues to plague the Village.

That was their plan all along. In what smacks of a revenge plot, the Fanatical 5 Trustees came into office in May, 2019. Since that time they have effectively stopped all progress in Sauk Village. They conspired to fire Dr. Alicia Straughter, the HR Consultant hired for Sauk Village and was also handling Union negotiations, and Joseph Wiszowaty, who was working dual roles as Economic Development, Grants Administration and writing, and assisting with housing and community development and administered and applied for IHDA grants for addressing high grass and demolition of abandoned homes in Sauk Village.

Straughter, who was making $85.00 per hour was limited to working 17.45 hours per week. At $1483.25 per week, Dr. Straughter had to pay her own taxes and insurance. For the approximate $77,000 per year, Straughter was operating in key areas of Human Resources and compliance as well as handling Union negotiations. With representing clients such as SEIU Local 1, and others, Straughter was qualified to work in that dual role.

The actions of the Fanatical 5 Trustees was quickly exposed. In the May 24, 2019 edition of the South Suburban News who did a special report piece on the actions of the Fanatical 5 Trustees, it was pointed out then how their actions affected ongoing progress and interruptions in programs in place under the Burgess Administration were being affected. Today, residents are asking "What happened to the grass cutting program?" The answers were there. All residents had to do was recall the numerous warnings. Apparently, the residents felt this was mere speculation however ask the status of these programs today, and nobody in the Fanatical 5 can tell you.

This chaos came about shortly after they forced out Wiszowaty, who was instrumental in bringing the Gas & Wash to Sauk Village, selling of the old Laundromat property, and brought several new business into the Village such as the re-opening of Sugar Shack, Zee-O-D's Pizza, and BFF Banquets. The HR Consultant and the Economic and Community Development results producing personnel in the Mayor Burgess Administration were effectively forced from their positions in the Village by the Fanatical 5 Trustees. within a week of their being sworn into office.  Can you spell VINDICTIVE?  Neither can they!!

Once completely empty storefronts were transformed into gaming establishments that not only filled once vacant space, but also generated a constant revenue stream to Village Coffers through gaming revenues. And though viewed as negative businesses, Sauk Village by contrast has fewer establishments than neighboring communities such as Crete and Steger. But the Fanatical 5 Trustees were never about bringing IN revenue to begin with, as they had NO PLAN, NO CLUE, and NO KNOWLEDGE, NO EXPERIENCE definitely, NO EXPERTISE in any of these areas.  If they had, this town would not have deteriorated to this level in 63 years!!

Their answer? FORCE a Village Administrator on the taxpayers of Sauk Village at $90,000 a year PLUS BENEFITS, and be willing to SUE THE MAYOR AND TAXPAYERS COSTING $35,000 IN LEGAL FEES TO GET ONE, to perform ALL THESE DUTIES (Impossible!) and effectively take away day to day operations from Mayor Burgess, whom the residents overwhelmingly voted for, whom for $20,000 a year PART TIME PAY was effectively holding department heads accountable, paying off outstanding debts and turning around the dismal conditions of Sauk Village.

Since being elected to office in May, 2019 the Fanatical 5 Trustees have NO ANNOUNCED PLANS to improve the obvious poor conditions or fill these key positions that were once working for the betterment of the Village. They can't answer the status of current Grants or IHDA funding, they can't tell you what's going on for Public Services nor for Economic Development because THERE IS NONE, NADA, ZILCH!!!

As for Public Services Committee Chair Bernice Brewer who has held that chair SINCE BEING ELECTED in 2017 has not held A SINGLE COMMITTEE MEETING. So getting any straight answers to why potholes continue to grow, as streetlights continue to fail, and fire "hydrates" replacements go unaddressed doesn't seem to see the numerous orange fencing holes and displaced parkways throughout the Village. Nor has Trustee Brewer addressed any of these items with Public Works SINCE BEING ELECTED TO OFFICE. But then again, she'd actually have to FORM A MEETING AND COMMITTEE in order to do that and stay off her friend Bob Murphy's Facebook page.

Now that they have "waisted" a year with their vindictive governing, the Fanatical 5 Trustees have consulted their personal taxpayer funded law firm to ask their selected Village Administrator to RESIGN, only to turn around and officially FIRE HIM in at a recent Board Meeting.  If that is not FUBAR, we don't know what is!

Covering up their own mistakes
At the Village Board Meeting Agenda held via Zoom video conferencing meeting on June 9th, 2020, the Village Board will seek another Human Resources Consultant as the Fanatical 5 Trustees hold talks to bring in yet ANOTHER Village Administrator. Recall that the Village Insurance Carrier MANDATED an HR person be brought into the Village back in 2015 to stem the ever increasing lawsuits brought on the Village through its haphazard hiring and firing practices, and its treatment of its employees at the unqualified hands of the then Hanks Administration. Realizing it is repeating the mistakes of years past, the Fanatical 5 Trustees must now re-adhere to the mandates put in place by the Village's insurance carrier.

WHEELS COME OFF THE BUS: CONSPIRACY AGAINST PROGRESS

Victory at what cost? It's Costing YOU

Opinion Editorial
Shortly after their election victory in April, 2019 the newly elected and the one chosen by a “coin flip” trustees Debbie Williams, Sherry Jasinski and flip-flopper Gary Bell conspired and created a scheme with Trustees Bernice Brewer and Linda Todd to:

• First- get rid of Mayor Derrick Burgess’ hires and shut down the progress the Village made from 2017 to 2019. ---CHECK! 
• The second part of their plan was to get things back to the “old ways” on how things were done at Village Hall.  ---CHECK!
• The third part of their scheme was to bring in a hired gun someone who could lay down the law and be the antagonist to Mayor Derrick Burgess. ---UM...WELL....

The new Fanatical Five Trustees, as they have been collectively called by residents (the new BOBBLE HEADS), settled on Christopher Williams, the former Village Administrator from Hazel Crest.  Christopher Williams worked at Hazel Crest and as a Village Administrator for five whole

Social Media Post:  July 18, 2019  Note- Trustee Rodrick Grant
was the only "NO" vote to hire Christopher Williams

months before they brought him to Sauk Village.   Christopher Williams clearly did not have the requisite experience to do the job.  Mayor Derrick Burgess had clearly seen this fatal flaw from day one.  Not to mention Mayor Derrick Burgess, who earns $20,000 per year to serve as Mayor was running the day to day operations of the Village just fine for two years at that salary in order to save Sauk Village money.  Never the less, the Fanatical Five led by Debbie Williams hired Christopher Williams for a Salary and benefits exceeding $112,000 per year.  Additionally, they even allowed him to work less than 8 hours per day and less than 5 days per week without questions nor accountability.  

Mayor Derrick Burgess tried to reason with the Five Trustees stating he did not ask for a Village Administrator to which Sherry Jasinski smugly chimed in during the election “you’re going to get one anyway”. Burgess attempted to block the measure vetoing the ill-written Ordinance that they passed to create the position to no avail as the 5 Trustees over-rode his veto. 

Social Media Post:  August 10, 2019
So PROUD the small minded
political opposition was on the hollow
judicial victory that cost taxpayers
TENS OF THOUSANDS!

Then these five trustees, led by Debbie Williams the whole time, sued Mayor Burgess to force the mayor “from interfering with the hiring of the (Trustees’) new administrator…” (Christopher Williams).  Of course all this cost taxpayers of Sauk Village tens of thousands of dollars to fight the Mayor.  The five Trustees prevailed in court and Christopher Williams was imposed in August of 2019.   Debbie Williams said following her hollow victory in August, 2019: “What we need is a ‘Kumbaya’ moment, because we need to get the politics and the personalities out of the village. It’s hurting us.”- Courtesy Chicago Tribune August 11, 2019. No kidding Debbie!  You’re the biggest political mess that has dropped on Sauk Village.  You’re an opportunist who will not just simply go away!  But that’s ok we will remind the residents of what you really and truly are! 

Now, what did Mayor Burgess say after the court room follies in August, 2019:  “What else can I say?” Burgess said Friday of the judge’s decision. “It is what it is.” He said he was willing to work with the new village administrator, but did not agree with the way he was hired, and expressed concern about what it might portend for Sauk Village’s future.  “I hope it doesn’t become a political bonfire, which it seems like it might,” said Burgess, who has repeatedly criticized what he views as the new board’s efforts to take power from him and diminish his authority as mayor. - Courtesy Chicago Tribune August 11, 2019

Even then Mayor Burgess knew that the hiring of Christopher Williams would become a “political bonfire…”  The same Fanatical Five Trustees that voted to bring him in as administrator now delivered to him an ultimatum, resign and walk away quietly or they will fire you.   Bernice Brewer, is crying “not me…. Not me…”  Brewer and her friends even tried to play the “race card”!  But Let us remind you residents, taxpayers and voters of Sauk Village this crazy big mouth woman supported Debbie Williams, Sherry Jasinski and Gary Bell during their election in 2019.  Yes she supported Gary Bell, the same person that put out more racist posts on social media that Bernice Brewer sat silent about.  But Bernice Brewer is on her own mad dash for power to clash with Debbie Williams once again over that elusive office of Mayor.  It slipped through Bernice Brewer’s fingers in 2013 and was denied Debbie Williams daughter by a two to one margin in 2017.  They thought they had this in 2019, but clearly this message speaks for itself.    

The biggest victim of the scheme to defraud the residents of Sauk Village by Debbie Williams and her crazy cohorts of bubbling buffoons and their insane peanut gallery is truly the Taxpayers of Sauk Village!  You voted for this big sloppy mess that literally “fecal mattered” all over themselves.  There is no recovering from this one the taxpayers of Sauk Village!  You screwed up ROYALLY with these clowns in this circus!   You got hoodwinked AGAIN by Debbie Williams, now you’re going to pay the price. 

Social Media Post from Wednesday, May 13, 2020
COMPLETE VINDICATION for Mayor Burgess!

The residents voted for CHANGE in 2017, but in 2019 these Trustees conspired to stop all efforts of Mayor Derrick Burgess had promised, “Getting Sauk Village back on a pathway to progress”.  Burgess and his team worked very hard for two years from 2017-2019 to do just that despite the scheme that some fell for in 2019 which brought us the Fanatical Five.  Derrick Burgess was right all along!   We told you so!  And I’m not hating to tell you this time. 

Steve LaRock

Editor of the Sauk Village, Illinois Facebook Page

Oh, PS-  If you believe a FAKE name on Facebook is providing you with factual information, think again!  If you like FAKE NEWS, the antics of Lynda Washington a rejected candidate for mayor and rejected Trustee and you like bullshit?  You'll really love the fake Bob Murphy page!

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION SOUGHT IN SAUK VILLAGE

Christopher Williams- Village Administrator

***Criminal Fraud Investigation Sought*** 

Calls and inquiries to the US Attorney, Cook County States Attorney and to the Better Government Association (BGA) to begin a criminal investigation for ghost payroll by Village Trustees are being made as Village Administrator Christopher Williams is paid for over 35 days of work missed at the apparent direction and/or knowledge of Fanatical Five Trustees!  Ghost payrolling is when employees are paid but have not actually worked or did not exist.  The Administrator's contract calls for no such time off, as all employees have to wait 12 months for vacation time and are not afforded 35 personal days when hired.  Taxpayers paid out $16,019.06 in salary and benefits for absentee Village Administrator.  No other Village employees are allowed to take such paid time off nor have any been permitted to do so like Williams has been allowed. 

Christopher Williams was given a contract by the Trustees to serve as Village Administrator to the tune of $112,000 with beneifts, yet Williams has not worked a single 5 day week since he began in July, 2019.   The same Trustees who gave us Williams are the ones saying they want to “watch the money”.  Mayor Derrick Burgess was forced by Court action brought by the Village Trustees to allow Christopher Williams to serve as Village Administrator.  Burgess had not had a Village Administrator for the first two years of his term saving residents some $224,000.  Burgess did not appoint Christopher Williams and has stated that Williams lacks the requisite experience to do the job.  Burgess was working full-time at a part-time salary of $20,000 per year.    

Trustees who fought to hire Christohper Williams have refused to answer which one of them allowed him 35 days off with full pay?  Many residents have been asking who gets 7 weeks paid time off from the day they start?  

Exacertbating matters, the Fanatical Five Trustees (led by ringleader Debbie Williams, Linda Todd, Sherry Jasinski, Bernice Brewer and Gary Bell) said they couldn't afford Mary Klopp's annual salary of $9,600 who had performed many more duties including the "dreaded" time-consuming Community Center Rentals.  The burden shifted to the overtaxed current Village Clerk causing delays in getting minutes timely completed which has resulted in the Illinois Attorney General to issue rare binding opinions claiming Village Trustees are in violation of the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

FANATICAL FIVE TRUSTEES ACTIONS COSTING TAXPAYERS

$119,254 Missing In Action

$119,254-Administrator Missing in Action Where are you?  Taxpayers want to know!

A controversial closed and non-transparent hire In July last year on the heels of the Village Trustee election which saw opponents to Mayor Derrick Burgess swept into office which included Debbie Williams, Sherry Jasinski and Gary Bell.  The trio formed a coalition with Trustees Linda Todd and Bernice Brewer to not only shut down the progress made by Mayor Burgess but to also bring in their own Village Administrator to do their bidding.  They found an inexperienced and grossly incapable candidate in Christopher Williams who had only a few months of work experience in the Village of Hazel Crest.  Williams’ employment was terminated in Hazel Crest under the guise of “consolidation” but some of Hazel Crest’s Trustees and officials privately indicated there was much more to that story.   Mayor Burgess was brought to court by the Fanatical Five Trustees to impose their new administrator upon the Village.   The court did impose Christopher Williams on the taxpayers, despite Mayor Burgess’ fervent objections to avoid having more cost imposed upon the residents and not having the right to make his own appointment. 

Make no mistake, Christopher Williams does not work for or answer to Mayor Derrick Burgess or even the taxpayers of Sauk Village for that matter he is, however, at the beck and call of the Fanatical Five Trustees led by their ringleader Debbie Williams.   Christopher Williams was hired in at an expense to the taxpayers of $90,000 per year and we wonder if there is a relationship with Trustee Debbie Williams due to their very close relationship.  So far Christopher Williams has yet to give the taxpayers of Sauk Village a 40 hour work week since he was hired.  He has taken days off, despite the fact that he has not earned any “vacation days” according to the Village’s own policy.  Christopher Williams clearly does not work on Wednesdays at all, and during other “work days” sometimes shows up as late as 11am and leaving at 3pm.  Christopher Williams sequesters himself off all day in his office popping out to use the restroom or poke his head up around lunchtime.  

Union negotiations have been non-existent with the United Steelworkers for Public Works.  Many day to day tasks have gone undone at Village Hall, ignored and pushed to the side under Christopher Williams as the Fanatical Five Trustees placed him in charge of the “day to day operations of the Village” over Mayor Derrick Burgess’ objections.  In fact, Christopher Williams has given virtually no reports of any substance during Village Board meetings.   

Clearly taxpayers are not getting what they are paying for in Christopher Williams, nor have the Fanatical Five been delivering on their campaign pledges to those who voted for them.  Taxpayers are paying Christopher Williams $90,000 in salary and a total cost to residents of $119,254 with benefits but clearly are not getting what they deserve.  The Fanatical Five are allowing gross violations of Village policy as it applies to all other employees, but it appears it's just fine for Christopher Williams.  

The new regime, the Fanatical Five are now costing taxpayers of Sauk Village $20,000-$30,000 per month in legal fees each month but are not being transparent when it comes to the invoices to show what it is they’re actually doing.  Now the Village faces action by the Illinois Attorney General because Christopher Williams is serving as the Village's Freedom of Information Act Officer and clearly is not doing the job well.  Mayor Burgess had gotten that amount down to $7,000 per month saving taxpayers $312,000 from 2017 to 2019, but that all has come to a screeching halt and the savings out the window. 

TRUSTEE BREWER GETTING PAYOFF FROM TAXPAYERS

Bernice Brewer

 Village Trustee Bernice Brewer has claimed she wants to “follow the money” but what she didn't tell taxpayers of Sauk Village she was going to follow it into her own pocket!  Over the course of the last nearly three years Brewer has been in office, it’s clear she can barely pay attention, has not held a single meeting for the Village's Public Services Committee, a committee which was established by Mayor Burgess in 2017 to address streets, sidewalks, street lights, dead trees, and developing a plan for Lake Michigan water.
  

Village Trustees voted Tuesday night to pay Brewer off to settle a Freedom of Information Act request that she engaged lawyers to file on her behalf.  Trustee Rodrick Grant was the only “no” vote.  The request dates back to when Village Clerk Marva Campbell Pruitt was acting as FOIA Officer for the Village right before she abruptly resigned from that duty.  In the prior two administrations taxpayers footed the bill to have Village Attorney’s respond to simple FOIA request for documents and paid $165 per hour to fulfill those requests.   Following Campbell-Pruitt’s resignation from her FOIA duties, the FOIA duties fell upon Mary Klopp who was earning only $9,600 per year she received no extra for their duties as FOIA officer and fulfilled every request made according to the law. 

Village officials are now paying the Village Administrator $90,000 and he is using Village Attorney’s to fulfill FOIA requests costing taxpayers an additional $165 per hour which is a massive waste of taxpayer dollars.

Brewer, who has been on the Village Board continues to complain about virtually everything offering no solutions, has aligned herself with four other Trustees Debbie Williams, Linda Todd, Sherry Jasinski and Gary Bell comprising what we have termed the “Fanatical Five” Trustees, effectively the new “Bobbleheads”.  Each of the Fanatical Five team apparently has a personal and political axe to grind on Mayor Derrick Burgess which makes sense that they would want to effectively shut down any progress the Village was making and complete opposition to anything the Mayor has wanted to do.  It had taken them 6 months to put a budget together and approve because they wanted the Mayor's part-time assistant Mary Klopp because they claimed there was not $9,600 in the budget even though the Fanatical Five have spent some $20,000 plus per month paying Village Attorneys to handle routine FOIA requests.

AXES TO GRIND:

Debbie Williams- She is "big mad" at Derrick Burgess for many reasons, but most recently her axe to grind is because she lost her re-election as Village Clerk in 2017 to Marva Campbell-Pruitt and her daughter lost as mayor to Burgess as she attempted to take over Village Hall.  Funny how soon residents forgot because some of those same people voted for her as Trustee in 2019, but they will be reminded in 2021 when she runs for Mayor, again!  Debbie is trying to be “they mayer” by routinely bombarding Village Administrator Chris Williams with nonsense and trying to micromanage him like he is her personal puppet.  This woman still does not know how to “swim in her lane” like she was once told.

Sherry Jasinski-  Sherry had the biggest axe to grind!  Mayor Derrick Burgess cut her loose as the Village's Community Development Director.  Talk about a "do nothing" Director, Sherry was paid some $69,000 per year and also was cleaning Village Hall on Village time on many occasions under a no-bid contract which ended in 2017.  Of course she has an axe to grind!  

Linda Todd-  She's drinking, traveling and golfing buddies with Sherry and her clique so she's going to go along with her "friends".  She is effectively a patsy and cannot make up her own mind because she doesn't want to piss her friends off.  Oh and her brother also works for the Village too so she's got to make sure that her little brother is all taken care of.  After all if you did not know someone at Village Hall, drink with them you could never have gotten a job working in the Village, back then "they took care of their own... kind".  They just never said "kind" but that's how it was folks.

   

Gary Bell-  Well he didn't get to be Fire Chief and was not allowed back on the fire department, was cut loose from ESDA and refers to "certain people of color" as "those people" and "golden ghetto" and "TNT- typical nigger trama" (Quoting a post he made on social media) yes that's how he spelt trauma!  So instead of working toward progress he joined forces with the fanatical five to shut it down.

Now it appears that the Fanatical Five are looking for payouts at the taxpayers’ expense!  They want a “forensic audit” which is not likely to show any wrong doing, unless they go back and look at the record of previous administrations.  If you want to “follow the money” Brewer, here are a few items you can look at if you’re looking for dirt.  Maybe someone (maybe many) will go directly to jail and not pass GO:

1.     Bullet Proof Vest Grants which were not purchased until far later with illegal reports to DOJ

2.     Fire Engine Grant Money from 2008-2009 and the lack of segregation co-mingling of funds

3.     COPS Grants from 2009 and 2014 and the lack of segregation co-mingling of funds, where are all those police officers? 

4.     OSLAD Grant Money from 2015-16 and the lack of segregation illegal co-mingling of fund

5.     Illegal “borrowing” of funds from the water fund, no public votes from 2008-2016

6.     Illegal “consensus” meetings held by the Trustees from 2013-2017 under David Hanks’s regime and Debbie Williams as clerk

7.     Theft of Village funds by Village Clerk in 2013 for a “personal trip” to Washington DC

8.     Employees being paid outside of the terms of Collective Bargaining Agreements 2009-2016

9.     Sherry Jasinski’s over-paid IMRF Pension

10.  No Surety Bonds for the Trustees as required by the Village Code

11.  Routinely amassing over $1 million in unpaid bills due to malfeasance

12.  Ongoing Litigation in US District Court by long-time employee and Police Sergeant Rebecca Sailsbery who was berated by then Mayor David Hanks during public meetings he hosted to attack her character and her sex. 

13.  A 14 year Contract Extension on a No-Bid Garbage Contract

14.  Disgraced Village Treasurer James Griegel indicted and convicted by the Feds for embezzling funds from the Village with no follow up forensic audit of the Police Pension Fund or Village Funds?  No forensic audit of the Police Pension Fund to find out where the actuarial data is for pensions being paid out.  Hmmm something really shady here.

Funny ALL of the above had NOTHING to do with the Administration of Derrick Burgess but they want a forensic audit?  Let's start with the REAL problems here and address those first!  So Trustee Bernice Brewer and your Fanatical Five Wrecking Crew, if you want to do a forensic audit to find out the TRUTH about “where the money at”.  I suggest you start here with the above.  Maybe you can find out why the broken fire "hydrates" as you call them Bernice are not fixed, or the broken streetlights, or potholes are still not fixed.  Do something!  Better yet how about just resign now and save the taxpayers of Sauk Village some money and a headache of hearing your screechy voice every week. 

SAUK VILLAGE HOUSING MESS - Where did it all begin

 SAUK VILLAGE’S HOUSING MESS - WHERE DID THIS ALL BEGIN?

Election Night 2019:  Sherry Jasinski (far right

with beer in hand) and her running mates.

by Joachim Mahomes

Was keeping housing standards and housing prices extremely low done by design?  

RENTERS:   Have renters in Sauk Village wondered why the home you live in was ever allowed to pass inspection with mold, failing plumbing systems, improperly wired electrical systems and heating and air conditioning that did not work?  Do you like paying your landlord "top dollar" when you are getting substandard conditions?

HOMEOWNERS:  Homeowners have you wondered why you had been forced to live next door to slums where grass was growing 8 feet tall, cars were parked in back yards and homes deteriorated while tenants lived in these homes?  Why vacant and abandoned homes have been permitted to fester for 10 plus years?  After all this did not happen in the last 3 years right?  

Well we wondered also, so we needed to take a look at just when this started.

Jasinski showing how much she really cares!

QUESTIONABLE HIRING:  With all the pontificating that Trustees Sherry Jasinski, Debbie Williams and Gary Bell did when they were candidates for Trustee about the so-called “questionable” hires by this mayor, we need to take a look back.  Let’s rewind the clock back to January 10, 2006 when now Trustee Sherry Jasinski was very quietly and non-ceremonially promoted to “Acting” Director of Community Development and her step-father former Trustee James Schultz sat on the Village Board of Trustees and actually seconded the motion for her appointment and then voted for her while she lived under his roof (and still does).  Yeah we're sure there was no conflict of interest (even thought she lives in your home) but most certainly was nepotism just like what is going on in the Village's library, we digress.  The position was never posted in 2006 so anyone else could apply and they hired Jasinski, who held a job in the Village’s Building Department and had no International Code Council certifications as a Code Enforcement or building inspector, yet she was doing the job (or at least was getting paid for it).  Begs the question, how did she get her job in the first place?  Maybe it was because her step-dad was on the Village Board at that time along with another Williams who is Debbie Williams' daughter!  Maybe it was just all about taking care of your friends and their families?  This appointment stank to HIGH HEAVEN but nobody said anything at that time.  You can draw your own conclusion.   

NO HOUSING STANDARDS: From January, 2006 to the Great Recession of 2008, Sauk Village’s Housing stock and prices were at their peak.  Homes were selling for well into the $100,000 to $150,000 range.  New home construction in the Carolina, Deer Creek, Lincoln Meadows and Plum Creek and subdivisions saw buyers paying as much as $350,000 for a new home.  Mostly African-American buyers were moving into Sauk Village while many white families began the “white flight” to Indiana and other suburbs getting top dollar for their homes building wealth and kicking the dust off their heels of Sauk Village.   Those who stayed had mortgaged their homes stripping the equity completely with loose mortgage terms and when the great recession hit they were “stuck” or they simply walked away leaving abandoned homes throughout the Village. 

Jasinski hugging an investor "friend"following a meeting

COLLUSION WITH SLUMLORDS:  

As the Great Recession struck the nation and the South Suburbs, including Sauk Village, home values declined from 2008 to 2010 decimating the housing market with massive oversupply.  As homeowners struggles to sell these homes, banks were slow in offering modifications and many simply walked away from their homes.  Sauk Village had over 700 vacant and abandoned homes according to the village's ex housing guru.  Sauk Village’s Community Development Department did nothing and I mean nothing under Sherry Jasinski from 2008 to 2010 as the collapse unfolded under her watch.  The Village eliminated inspections on homes as two Code Enforcement personnel were put on layoff status on August 24, 2010.  With massive inventories built up, the market was ripe for investors to pick up bargains and gobble them up they did!  For virtually pennies on the dollar, investors bought up homes that once sold for $150,000 for as little as $5,000.  

ILLEGAL CERTIFICATION PROGRAM:  With virtually no housing standards, no inspection several unscrupulous people colluded to offer “certification” as an alternative to “inspections”.  The Village being a non-home rule community, the Village cannot have a “certification” process.  These same individuals who are complaining now about inspections today are the very ones who agreed to this process.   Imagine having your buddies in the HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical business performing your inspections for you or better yet doing your own “certifications” and giving the Village a worthless piece of paper saying “it’s all good”.  That was what was going on and allowed in the Village under Sherry Jasinski from 2010 until 2018.  Recently it was stated by one of these individuals that they colluded with Jasinski and agreed to accept the certification program even though they knew it was not legal for the Village to do.  Yet they went along with it.  

DOUBLE DIPPING   Trustee Bernice Brewer, a big mouth on the Village Board who coined the phrase “double dipping” as it applies to Sauk Village.  Brewer sat on the Village Board and said nothing as Sherry Jasinski was getting paid $70,000 per year and collecting a check for a no-bid contract for cleaning Village Hall and the Police Station for years.   So working for her mom, who was the front person and owner of Mop Heads, Sherry Jasinski was getting paid for that along with another Village employee and friend often seen on work hours cleaning Village Hall.  That friend-to-the-end deal came to a screeching halt under Mayor Derrick Burgess and the contract was put out for bid.  Mop Heads decided they had cleaned up enough.

COLLUSION AMONG THE TRUSTEES  Seems that the new coalition of the “Fanatical Five” Trustees Sherry Jasinski, Debbie Williams, Bernice Brewer, Linda Todd and Gary Bell have been colluding against Mayor Derrick Burgess and the residents of Sauk Village.  They have formed an unholy alliance with slumlords and investors to undermine, divide and keep property standards and values down in the Village.  Why you ask?  Investors and slumlords love low prices because they can gobble up crap-hole properties bubble gum and band aid them up and rent them out Section 8 for top dollar!  If Sauk Village actually enforced higher standards, they could not buy up homes for cheap and make big money.  So the new coalition of Trustees who have become buddies with the investors and slumlords have done all they can to lower the standards and keep home prices low.

CONCLUSION:   Sauk Village you are getting exactly what you didn't vote for!  When only 4.5% of the people voted for this nonsense which has become the Village Board and 91% of the people eligible to vote did not even bother to vote.  Do not be surprised when stuff like this goes on.   

2019 Sauk Villager Person of the Year

2019 SAUK VILLAGER PERSON OF THE YEAR. 

This year it is an honoree deserving of distinction!   We are pleased to announce this year’s recipient is the entire Administration of Mayor Derrick Burgess from January 1, 2019 to May 14, 2019.  Mayor Burgess and his Administration worked hard to bring about his plan for the Pathway to Progress to fruition since his election in 2017.

Mayor Burgess made changes in his administration including the Community Development Department, Police Department and the Finance Department.  The Village had suffered long and hard for the prior 10 years (2007-2017) as property standards and code enforcement declined as property investors and slumlords began running ramshod through the village unchecked and unchallenged, the Village’s finances went improperly managed resulting in repeated audit findings year after year running up massive inter-fund deficits, and a police administration that lacked leadership, direction and community engagement.  Mayor Burgess made known his plan for change in his Strategic Plan for Progress when he entered office in 2017.  He committed to those changes in 2017 and continued in 2019.

Mayor Burgess’s Administration accomplished many things up until May of 2019 here are just a few: 

1. Completing a Comprehensive Plan, the very first since 1999 saving the Village $135,000 as this was funded through a local technical assistance grant;

2. Initiated the LogistiCenter Phase 1 Transportation Engineering Study to extend roadway and rail into the Village’s industrial Park saving the Village $350,000 receiving an Invest in Cook Grant;

3. Added a $13 million commercial development Gas-N-Wash to Sauk Village the village’s first Commercial Development since 1998 and the one of the only fuel station built South of I-80 in Cook County in decades! 

4. Since Mayor Burgess’ Administration took over in 2017 and until May of 2019 they have collectively received and managed $1.7 million in grants.

5. When residents opened their property tax bills all saw a decrease in their bills as a result of the decrease in the property tax levy by the Village Board of Trustees in 2018.

6. Refinanced old Bonds to save taxpayers money despite the fact that the Village had no bond rating!  Also issued $2.5 million in new Tax Increment Financing Bonds to finance long over-due improvements to retain businesses in the LogistiCenter and Sauk Pointe Industrial Park, as well as completing over-due infrastructure.

7. Sauk Village received the Government Finance Officers Association's Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the Fiscal year 2018-19 budget.   Sauk Village had received 16 of these awards the last one being in 2008.  The budget was balanced and met all of the requirements for the award according to the GFOA.

We congratulate Mayor Derrick Burgess and all of those involved in his Administration from January 1, 2019 to May 14, 2019 which did included:

Derrick Burgess, Mayor

Rodrick Grant, Trustee

Cecial Tates, Former Trustee and Liaison for Veteran's Affairs

Elizabeth "Beth" Zupon, Former Trustee

Ronald P. Carter, III Former Trustee

Joseph Wiszowaty, former Director of Community & Economic Development

Mary Klopp, former Assistant to the Mayor 

Malcolm White, Police Chief

Alan Stoffregen, Former Fire Chief

Allen Vavrik, EMA Coordinator

Anthony Finch, Village Treasurer (Interim Finance Director)
Judith Sutfin, Former Director of Finance
Tonya McCoy, Assistant to Community & Economic Development
Kevin Weller, Public Works Director
Maggie Jarr, Village Planner
Dr. Alicia Straughter, Former Human Resource Consultant
Timothy Lapp, Former Special Counsel to the Village
Judge Michael Stuttley, Attorney and Hearing Officer
James Czarnik, Robinson Engineering
Charles Durham, Kane McKenna & Associates
Mary Thompson, Kane McKenna & Associates

Thank you to each and everyone for your contributions from January 1st to May 14, 2019!  Your hard work and dedication to Progress were clearly being seen by the Residents of Sauk Village.  Since May 14, 2019, the Progress clearly has come to a halt.

Congratulations to all those named above for these achievement!

By: S. LaRock, Editor in Chief