KANKAKEE, IL. (ECWd) –
According to January 23, 2017, Board Minutes, the Kankakee Valley Park District Commissioners have been receiving “two free rentals for non-manned facilities.” Who knows what else they may be receiving?
As we have discussed in numerous other articles about other park districts in Illinois, there seems to be some kind of misguided interpretation of exactly what “The members of such governing boards shall act as such without compensation‘ [70 ILCS 1205 Park District Code] actually means.
On page 4 of the minutes, Commissioner Skelly said “we [commissioners] should sacrifice as well” and “Not a bad idea to show that everyone is tightening the belt. We will still offer two free rentals for non-manned facilities to commissioners.” Update: that last sentence leads me and others to believe these commissioners are, or have, received more than the two free rentals mentioned.
Here’s an idea: Immediately cancel everything previously or currently given to commissioners (you were never authorized to receive it to begin with) and follow the law as the legislature intended; Act as commissioners without compensation.
The saddest part of this whole compensation issue is that it is people like this board, and many others, who think they can subvert the law and give themselves freebies on the backs of the taxpayers. How sad is it that the Senate has to entertain a Bill to stop what should have never been happening to begin with? SB0953 Shameful and embarrassing is what it is.
This is not limited to Park District Commissioners, as many others receive far more than the KVPD Commissioners receive; this same issue plagues Park Districts, Library Boards, Community College Boards, and many others across the state. It also includes boards that are already compensated, like County Boards who think they can continue raping taxpayers without letting them know they are getting raped – DuPage County Board comes to mind, where they think $27,000 per year for health insurance per person, a $500 per month vehicle allowance, life insurance, and dental insurance are not compensation and doesn’t need to be included in their compensation setting resolutions. I would bet the Attorney General would see it the same way we do if asked to provide an opinion on the subject – otherwise, it would open Pandora’s box for massive pilfering of public funds by all of the public officials across this state “working without compensation.”
2 Comments
Theodore P. Hartke, PE, PLS, President, Hartke Engineering and Surveying, Inc.
Posted at 19:00h, 05 MarchRantoul Illinois Park Board members have been accused of using the public golf course as their own private club. I think you could talk to Jack Anderson about what is going on and his reasons why he wants to dissolve the Rantoul Park Board: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2016-11-21/rantoul-park-district-may-get-mulligan.html
jannie
Posted at 13:49h, 05 MarchI couldn’t get what sort of “rentals” they were talking about – shelter house or what. I don’t think this should be a “perk” as a commissioner could walk around at any time and look at in what condition the shelterhouse was in, etc. I believe that may have been the idea at one time to allow for board members to see how/what condition various facilities were and how they were being utilized.