THE COST OF LIVING IN FEAR

While the proposed budget for the new Stormwater District is better than the first proposed budget, it is far from acceptable. The new budget reflects expenditures of $902,865 for the first year. Based upon that, the district is asking that a fee rate be set at $3.91 per month for each residence in the county outside of the incorporated LaGrange and Pewee Valley areas. It is disturbing that this budget may pass due to the unjustified fear that has apparently been placed in some of the magistrates by Judge-Executive Murner and his continued desire to increase revenue at any cost.

A review of this budget reflects that $220,000 is included with no specific place or need to spend it. For example, there is $50,000 for grant matching just in case a grant might be offered that must be matched. Another $50,000 is in the fund for “emergency” expenditures even though the county has not experienced sufficient emergencies in the past to justify that. To my knowledge the county has had one environmental spill over the last several years that resulted in an expenditure of county funds. That expenditure did not nearly approach even twenty-five percent of that amount. Yet another $50,000 is in the budget to purchase land (private property) adjacent to streams so the county can control the vegetation along the streams. It should be noted that it cannot be found anywhere that either the Federal or State Government has asked them to do this. Quite simply, I can envision the county buying land from a developer that is not suitable for housing during the process of a subdivision approval. Then the county has to maintain the property and once again, the county should not be in the real estate business. Finally, then there is another $60,0000 for “unprogrammed compliance” included in this ridiculous budget. I have not heard a good explanation of that, likely because one does not exist. This makes a total of $220,000 for which there is no historical data to support the budgeting of this money. It is simply “fluff” that Judge-Executive Murner will try to further use to supplement his General Fund in creative ways.

The county engineer admitted that much of this money is intended to curry favors with state Division of Water. She referred to grant matching funds as “carrots” for the EPA. We should just be concerned with obeying the law – not toadying up to someone at the taxpayers’ expense. Judge-Executive Murner is also concerned with currying favors with the Division of Water to once again help his developer friends and supporters, who need the Department of Water to lift restrictions off of sewer treatment plants here in the county for more construction to be allowed. The same people who oversee Stormwater Management at the Division of Water also oversee sewer treatment, so using your money to “toady” up to them simply helps Judge-Executive Murner once again pay back the developers at your expense.

Next, we have the $364,000 that is included in the budget for satisfying requirements of the NPDES permit. Of that $92,000 is directly related to construction, specifically construction sites of more than one acre in total. All of this money should be collected from the developers –they should just be told that it is "Federally Mandated" as Judge-Executive Murner has told the other residents of the county. The budget even calls for the county taxpayers to pay for the cost of training the developers for compliance with the Stormwater provisions. This is inexcusable. When is Murner going to quit repaying the developers at the taxpayer’s expense? This is beginning to smell like Illinois.

These expenditures clearly reflect that $312,000 could be removed from this budget. That represents over 33% of the proposed budget. That would translate to a reduction in the proposed fee to a level under $2.75 per month. I am sure that this is not nearly all that could be cut from this budget and still allow enough to comply with the Division of Water and EPA requirements. As a matter of fact a review of this budget reflects that there is an allowance for 687 hrs to be charged to the county engineer’s office at a cost of $80 to $120 per hour. Using an average of $100 per hour this would mean that $68,700 would be used to pay expenses of the county engineer. Further, there is an allowance in the budget for one third of the county engineer’s salary. This amounts to even more general fund relief.

I heard Magistrate Diebel say that this budget is “bare bones.” I would hate too see what he considers a fat budget. It is clear that this is not a bare bones budget. Nor is the responsibility for the issue placed entirely where it should be.

This budget is nothing more than a ruse to put more money in the hands of the present administration to spend elsewhere. I believe that if this budget passes in its present form, it will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for voters – especially when they are informed of the “fluff.”

Judge-Executive Murner has done an excellent job of placing fear into the people regarding the possibility of severe fines that could be levied against the county if this budget were not passed. His efforts appear to have worked with many of the magistrates as I have also heard them express fear of the Division of Water. If fear bothers the magistrates so much, then they should be concerned about the upcoming elections because I will certainly insure that the voters are made aware of each vote that each one of them has cast to increase fees and taxes during this administration. For many of them, that list is becoming very, very long. My bet is that the magistrates have more to fear from the voters than they do Judge-Executive Murner or the Division of Water. I believe that the magistrates will be under more scrutiny in 2010 elections than at any time during the last thirty years.