Beware of Politicians Bearing Gifts at Election Time... especially $4.8 million

OPINION EDITORIAL
by Joseph Wiszowaty

SAUK VILLAGE | Governor Pat Quinn came to Sauk Village at election time to announce a $4.8 million grant as part of his multi-billion dollar clean water initiative Saturday afternoon.  Quinn is in for the race of his political life this November and every vote counts which is why some question the timing of this announcement!  Gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner, who just picked up the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune and Crains Chicago Business, has been doing well in polling.  Polls show Rauner with a slight advantage while other show a dead heat. 

No doubt Sauk Village needs the money!  After all, coincidentally, they have a $4.8 million loan which could be paid off with the money saving the Village $287,000 per year in payments over the next 20 years.  Or they could use the funds to repair and update the 50 year old infrastructure buried in the ground.  But the devil will be in the details as they say!  What can the Village actually use this new found money for,  that will be revealed soon enough.

What I’m skeptical about, can this grant vanish if let’s say a new governor gets in office?  Can this grant get cancelled if Quinn gets re-elected and let’s say the state falls short in revenue and all of a sudden the grant goes bye-bye!  Some say no but I say... we'll see. 

Here’s the question virtually everyone I had spoken to Saturday afternoon was asking?  Why didn’t Quinn come bearing gifts during the water crisis in 2012?  Some even go further saying the reason they come bearing gifts is because they feel the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency allowed the residents to drink contaminated water and now is culpable to such an environmental disaster.  My quick answer…. It’s election time and Quinn needs some votes and he is out in Sauk Village and other areas where he never had to campaign before trying to scare up votes.

Watch for those devils in the details!  They will reveal themselves  showing what this grant can and cannot be used!  Stay tuned Sauk Village, there's more to come.

Speaking of election time, couldn’t help but notice that a certain politician has already begun circulating his petitions for Village Trustee at Village Hall no less and the in the sacrosanct Senior Center Saturday afternoon.  No surprise that Gary Holcomb, who serves as Chairman of the Housing Commission had his nomination petitions out on display during the spaghetti dinner Saturday afternoon.  This is the same Holcomb who published a woman's state I.D. and her son's social security card on a Village social media page.  Let's not forget of course Holcomb is the center of the Watergate scandal where funds have been moved around to pay for lawn mowing Gary Holcomb and his commissioners hired but had no money to pay them!  Now Holcomb wants to be your Trustee.... is this the kind of Trustee you can "trust"?

 

Now another candidate who was getting signatures Tuesday night outside in a corridor at Village Hall was scolded by Village Clerk Debbie Williams for circulating petitions.  I guess we see what is backing who!  Shame on you Gary for exploiting an event for your own aggrandizement to have your petitions signed, very tacky! 

 

Don't worry Sauk Village I'll be looking for all those rascally details and keeping an eye on these politicians here in Sauk Village too!

WATERGATE SCANDAL: Water Cash for Grass

Housing Commssioners: Heidi Parker,
Chairman Gary Holcom and Sharon Nowak

By Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE |  August 15^th has come and gone, and the village still has not received its anticipated reimbursement to cover the funds the Hanks Administration had taken from the water fund to pay those who mowed grass.   It was discovered that Mayor David Hanks instructed Finance Director Mohan Rao to take money from the water fund to pay people for mowing grass in vacant homes.

Many residents have been screaming mad at outrageously high water bills which appear to be going to pay for things unrelated to the village's water system many have been claiming.  Long-time resident Frank Harvey had complained recently that he needed to find work in order to pay increasing water bills.  Harvey turned to the Village's grass cutting program but soon turned out that he was not getting paid for the work he and his son were doing.  Village Trustee Derrick Burgess railed on Hanks during the budget meetings this summer for using $300,000 of the water money to balance the general fund budget.

The grant was actually from the Illinois Housing Development Authority for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund.  Under this grant, the program is intended to assist with the costs incurred by the municipality for “securing, maintenance and demolition of abandoned residential property”



Holcomb and Sharon Nowak
protesting against former
Mayor Lewis Towers now
are under fire themselves

Through a private agreement between Gary Holcomb, Housing Commissioner Chairman and Mayor David Hanks “independent contractors” who Holcomb contracted to mow grass in vacant homes were paid out of the village’s water fund in June of this year.  According to information provided by the Village’s Housing Commission, funds were expected to be in Village coffers by August 15^th.  To date no announcement of any funds have been received by the village.  Village Trustee Derrick Burgess questioned an accounts payable which had 14 checks which were already paid to the contractors out of water funds.  Burgess voted no on the accounts payable while 5 of the other Trustees all voted yes.

It was learned through a Freedom of Information Act request that the Village actually applied for the grass mowing grant and not the Housing Commission of Sauk Village as was previously announced by Hanks.  Hanks informed the Village Board of Trustees at their meeting on May 20, 2014 that the “Housing Commission” received the $75,000 grant for grass cutting.  Hanks also stated at that meeting that the Housing Commission “will employ people in the community” to pay the individuals to cut the grass.    Hanks stated at the meeting in May that the matter would be on the next Committee of the Whole meeting June 3^rd, however, the Housing Commission and grass mowing program were never discussed by the Village Board.  To date the village has not received a penny of this grant.

The Village’s grant application budget, received as part of our Freedom of Information Act request, only allotted for 25 homes and $5,000 for “cutting of neglected weeds or grass” however the village has already spent $7,660 according to checks paid to “independent contractors”.

A former Housing Commissioner questions the Housing Commission’s ability to contract “independent contractors” on behalf of the Village of Sauk Village without the Village Board’s approval.  “We were told we could do it, but I’m not sure how the Housing Commission could contract people on behalf of the  Village legally” former Commissioner Larry Stewart said.

 

"I did not know they were taking money out of the water fund to pay people for mowing grass" Steward said.

A housing commission does not have the legal powers granted to housing authority and only is to enforce fair housing in the Village under Illinois law and the Sauk Village Municipal Code.

The Housing Commission established guidelines for how the grass mowing program would be run including requiring individuals to be “residents” of Sauk Village and submit to background checks and each is to maintain a valid license. Former Housing Commissioner Stewart is crying foul as one person is a contractor, does not have a valid driver license and may have been receiving preferential treatment as he appears to have received a no-bid contact Stewart claims.

HOUSE FIRE SHOULD BE A WAKE UP CALL- WATERGATE SCANDAL GROWS

Opinion Editorial
Joseph Wiszowaty

The Watergate Scandal just got a little worse for the administration of David Hanks.  A few weeks ago it was discovered that Hanks has been siphoning money out of the Village’s water fund to pay for grass mowing in violation of 65 ILCS 5/11-129-11 which states “The fund shall be used only for the purpose of paying the cost of operating and maintaining the water-supply system”.  Village Trustee Rosie Williams tried to justify this action by stating it was “past practice”.  Just because it was past practice doesn’t make it right.... OR LEGAL!

Housing Commission Gary Holcomb, who has published a private residents state identification card and her son’s Social Security card has been running this grass mowing operation and was trying to save face with his contractors apparently went to David Hanks begging for help with getting these folks paid before the Independence Day parade.  We have requested all of the information about this Grant through the Freedom of Information Act and will publish this as soon as we get it.

Yesterday, a garage fire in the Carlisle Estates subdivision  near US 30 and Torrence Avenue found the Fire Departments scrabbling to find a working fire hydrant.   Only one out of four fire hydrants worked on Poplar Avenue according to an eye witness. Fire Fighters were linking hose together to reach far enough to the next fire hydrant which also did not work!  Residents in the area are now worried and are furious that Mayor Hanks has already budgeted $360,000 from the water fund to balance his controversial 2014-15 budget which was passed nearly 2 months late and at the 11^th hour.

Trustee Derrick Burgess questioned if it were legal to take $360,000 out of the water fund and put it into the general fund when state law, specifically, 65 ILCS 5/11-129-11 states the Village cannot.  “The fund shall be used only for the purpose of paying the cost of operating and maintaining the water-supply system”.  Finance Director Mohan Rao said “we can do it...”.  Sure he wouldn’t be the one going to jail for the action, it would be the 5 Bobbleheads going to jail for violating the law!

One further thing that was discovered was that two administrative employees are paid exclusively from the Village’s water and sewer fund.  6 public works employees are paid exclusively from the water fund and 4 exclusively from the sewer fund, while the director of Public Works is paid 50/50 from the water and sewer funds.   Employees who are paid “exclusively” must work exclusively for those specific entities according to 65 ILCS 5/11-129-11.  Apparently the Boobleheads and his disHonor the Mayor didn’t read that law.

Also, let’s take a history lesson which goes back to 1986 during the controversy of Nancy McConathy.  McConathy filed a lawsuit which was settled where the Village of Sauk Village pledged NEVER to pay employees out of the water fund who were not working for the water department.  I believe that what is going on violates the terms of the settlement agreement and 65 ILCS 5/11-129-11 as all of these employees are not working “exclusively” for the water or sewer departments.  They are performing snow plowing, which is a Street Department expense, mowing grass which is not appropriate to be paid from the water or sewer funds, picking up trash, moving picnic tables, and doing other non water or sewer related functions.

It’s time for folks to start asking this Administration the “tough questions” and holding his hands to the fire!  He’s spending your money like a fool refusing to make those “tough decisions” he said he was going to back in November, 2012.

ANOTHER SCANDAL BREWING.... WATERGATE

GARY HOLCOMB (LEFT) AND DAVID HANKS

By Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE |  It appears that another scandal is brewing in Sauk Village, and it appears to be the water again a “Watergate” scandal no less!  No not contaminated water but a possible misuse of the Village’s water funds which are restricted under Illinois law and must only be used for the operation of the Village’s water enterprise operations.

The Village’s Housing Commission apparently went out to obtain a grant through the auspices of the Village of Sauk Village as the Commission is not a separate municipal entity.  The grant of some $75,000 according to published reports for cutting grass through the South Suburban Land Bank serving as an intermediary for the State of Illinois.  The problem is that the Village is unable to draw on those funds until sometime in August. 

 

Housing Commission Chairperson Gary Holcomb indicated in a social medial post on June 27^th “Our Grass Cutting efforts had taken a short break while some clarification as to the method of payment to those who are committed to working with us…  The program is scheduled to resume again next week and the first payment to those  who completed their work thus far was made on Friday, June 27, 2014 which is much earlier than the originally and mutually agreed August 15^th date”  as to the method of payment to those who are committed to working with us to get the neglected lawns into acceptable shape.ons as to the method of payment to those who are committed to working with us to get the neglected lawns into acceptable shape. The program is scheduled to resume again next week and the first payment to those who completed their work thus far was made on Friday June 27, 2014 which is much earlier than the originally and mutually agreed to August 15th date.

Village officials voted 5 to 1 to open an account earmarked for the Housing Commission recently in order to deposit funds received under this grant. 

Village Trustee Derrick Burgess questioned Finance Director Mohan Rao if the village received any funds under this grant.  Rao’s response was no, but that checks were already paid to 14 individuals unknown in the combined total of $7,660 according to the accounts payable.  Burgess pressed the question, if the Village didn’t receive any money how did these individuals get paid, Burgess wondered as did a stupified Village Board? Rao said that money was taken from the water fund to pay for the grass mowing and will get repaid once the grant money is received.

Burgess protested stating that the Village Board never approved the transfer of money from the water fund to cover this.  Rao declined to identify who instructed him to take money out of the water fund to pay for a program which was suppose to be paid out of a Grant.  Rao then said “he recommends” that the Village Board borrow the money after previously stating that the Board did not need to take action as it has already been done.

Burgess has requested all information related to the grant and the 14 individuals who received payment.

Village Trustee Rosie Williams came to defend the administration’s action stating that this was a “past practice” to which Burgess responded no nothing like that has happened with his knowledge.  “In the past we voted to borrow any money from the water fund” Burgess said.  Burgess pointed out that the Village Board just borrowed money from the water fund in November, 2013 to pay payroll and that the money was paid back in March, 2014.

Burgess voted NO on the accounts payable Tuesday night, while Williams, Edward Myers, Jeffrey Morden and John Poskins all voted yes and the measure passed 4 to 1 with  Lynda Washington abstaining on her vote, which goes with the majority under law.  Had Burgess not raised he question, nobody would have been the wiser to the matter.

Immediately following the vote, Mayor David Hanks attempted to call for a motion for the Village Board to borrow the money from the water fund, however, the Village Attorney apparently advised that such a motion would be out of order as it was not on the agenda.

 

One longtime village resident said following the meeting "this reeks of impropriety and someone needs to investigate this.  This seems so criminal.  They raised our water rates and now they're doing these questionable acts.  They were so quick to run to the States Attorney and Attorney General when it was Lewis Towers but now that it's David (Hanks) it's all fine?  I don't thinks so" they said.

EDITORIAL NOTE:  We are preparing a Freedom of Information Act Request so that we can ascertain many things!  We will publish our information as soon as we receive this information.  THIS completely lacks transparency!