Lisle Village Board Spends $1.2 Million in 6 Minutes
You might have missed the 6-minute Village Board meeting held Monday evening Feb 18, 2013 while flipping through TV channels looking for "The Bachelor" or "Biggest Loser."
If you landed on Channel 10, you would have found the Biggest Losers in Lisle are the Lisle taxpayers - losing money that is.
Lisle's Mayor and Board of Trustees held a record-breaking short meeting Monday night - only 6 minutes long, including the Pledge of Allegiance and roll call.
With no discussion, Mayor Broda and the Village Board approved and authorized $1.2 Million in spending.
- No discussion regarding the 2013-2014 budget. As of mid-January, there was a projected deficit in the draft budget.
- No discussion regarding the falling sales tax revenues. Napervilles' sales tax revenue is UP; down in Lisle.
- No discussion regarding the falling hotel/motel tax revenues. US Hotels stays are UP, but down in Lisle.
Included in the approved and authorized spending, we find the following:
$1,250.00 Recognition Gift Cards to Chef Paul German Restaurant
$1,400.00 Recognition Gift Cards to Chinns' 34th Street Restaurant
$1,250.00 Recognition Gift Cards to Bombola Pizza Restaurant
$1,450.00 Recognition Gift Cards to Yerbabuena Restaurant
$1,513.00 To Rearrange office furniture
$7,698.21 To remove/save murals
$1,440.00 Dinner Dance Tickets
Meanwhile....
10% of Lisle residents are reported as living at or below poverty level.
REF:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6sEMX9oHcH4
- http://www.city-data.com/poverty/poverty-Lisle-Illinois.html
- http://www.cnbc.com/id/100398330/FourYear_Boom_Expected_for_the_US_Hotel_Industry
- http://napervillesun.suntimes.com/news/15292424-418/sales-tax-rebound-a-good-sign-for-naperville-economy.html
- http://napervillesun.suntimes.com/news/18276891-418/naperville-has-budget-surplus.html
George P
12:35 pm on Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Who were the recipients of the "Gift Cards"??
Better question - why are we taxpayers paying for over $5,000 of "Gift Cards" !?!?!?
Bill
1:34 pm on Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Sure hope those Lisle gov't employees are reporting those gift cards as taxable income as required by the IRS.
Maria
2:11 pm on Wednesday, February 20, 2013
The opening video = 1 minute.
Roll Call/Pledge = 1 minute
Clerk's Standard opening remarks = 1 minute
Meeting minutes, raffle licenses, meeting announcements = 1 minute
Omnibus Vote to Approve Millions in Spending = 1 minute
"Nothing Sirs" all around = 1 minute
Then the CLOSED MEETING.
More illegal TIF Talk and Tax Incentives give-aways in Closed Sesson?
Jane
3:30 pm on Wednesday, February 20, 2013
I see several problem with purchasing and distributing Gift Card as 'Recognition' to village employees:
1. When was this 'Gift Card' policy discussed and approved in an open Board meeting?
2. From what budget to these funds come from? How else could this money have been spent to benefit Lisle residents?
3. How are the businesses chosen? Political connections? Why are other local businesses not chosen?
4. How many residential streets in Lisle still are without sidewalks?
5. Why was their no press release issued by Lisle's Marketing Director and posted on Facebook/Twitter announcing the recipients of the gift cards purchased by Lisle taxpayers?
Dick
5:06 pm on Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Downtown TIF DIstrict?
Did the offer price for the Garfield properties and the Old Village Hall site come with a TIF requirement?
Pat R
1:04 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
$1,236,593.97 in 1 minute!!
Feb 4, 2013 Voucher List for Approval = $571,701.29
Feb 18, 2013 Voucher List for Approval = $664,892.68
TOTAL = $1,236,593.97
Does anyone on that Board review the line-item spending?
http://www.villageoflisle.org/docs/20130218-vbpacket.pdf
Chapman
2:43 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Wonder how much it cost for the attorney to be present for a 6 minute meeting?
Joanne
4:48 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
18 dinner dance tickets at $80/each?
What government business takes place at a Friday night dinner dance to justify this expense? We just read in the DH about the taxpayer outrage of school districts spending thousands to send board members to an "educational conference" in Chicago - but this doesn't even pretend to be about government business or education.... Shame on Lisle.
Maria
5:12 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
And the those tickets were bought and used for a Feb 8 dinner dance event - before Board approval on Feb 18!!!
Jane
11:07 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
If there was ANY government business taking place at this Dinner Dance, the Village would have to issue a public notice and post the agenda 48 hours in advance for an Open Meeting.
Obviously, the event was not OPEN, since it cost $80 per person and was not convenient for the public to attend.
Obviously, there was no legitimate government business taking place at this Dinner Dance to justify any portion of this expense to Lisle taxpayers.
The cost of these tickets should be reimbursed by the recipients of the tickets.
Or will the Village be issuing W-2's or 1099's for this additional income to the ticket recipients?
Jane
11:07 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013
If there was ANY government business taking place at this Dinner Dance, the Village would have to issue a public notice and post the agenda 48 hours in advance for an Open Meeting.
Obviously, the event was not OPEN, since it cost $80 per person and was not convenient for the public to attend.
Obviously, there was no legitimate government business taking place at this Dinner Dance to justify any portion of this expense to Lisle taxpayers.
The cost of these tickets should be reimbursed by the recipients of the tickets.
Or will the Village be issuing W-2's or 1099's for this additional income to the ticket recipients?
Cathy F.
10:12 am on Friday, February 22, 2013
** OUTRAGEOUS **
Frank F
9:14 am on Monday, February 25, 2013
We will all see an increase in our property tax bills to pay for this &%$#@!
Rob
9:37 am on Monday, February 25, 2013
Tip of the iceberg. Lisle has been deficit spending for years while sales tax and hotel revenues decline. While other towns have seen recovery, we still see decline. In the end property tax increases and new utility taxes (that people don't even notice) creep in to make up the shortfall. Residents are brain dead to all of this. Low voter turnout and no candidates running for elections, other than those hand picked by the mayor who got Lisle into this mess. No solution as long as residents are "The Walking Dead".
Maria
11:52 am on Monday, February 25, 2013
I just learned that the Village Board approved the "Gift Cards" for themselves!