Joliet Township – Are Seniors being hoodwinked?

Will Co. (ECWd) –

Joliet Township Supervisor Dan Vera has a laundry list of questionable activities during his reign as Supervisor of Joliet Township, ranging from ghost contracting, ignoring bidding laws for services, to trying to take over an entire separate public body and then transfer it to the Road District. The township and Dan Vera is currently being sued over the transfer of a Light District to the Road District, an action he had no authority to do.   We also understand there is a criminal investigation into his questionable activities as Supervisor.

In reviewing more financial records it is clear, Vera needs to resign as the way money is being handled is well outside established laws for township government.

Joliet taxpayers are being told they are going to get taxed for helping Seniors, yet of the $136,330.00 that was taken from them last year, 74% ($100,000.00) of it went to something other than its intended purpose. I think most taxpayers would have a problem with that.

According to the 2019-2020 Budget, the Township is collecting $136,330.00 in taxes specifically for Senior Services.

Logic would say if you tell the taxpayer you need it for one thing, you spend it on that one thing.

What does the law say about transfers among township funds?

(a) The legal voters of a township at an annual township meeting or at a special township meeting called for that purpose may, by written resolution by a majority vote of the legal voters present and voting on the resolution, transfer from one or more township funds to any other township fund or funds, or to the general road and bridge fund, or to any fund raised by taxation or bonds upon all the property in the township for roads and bridges, the surplus of any fund or funds over and above an amount necessary to meet township charges and expenses until the time of receiving revenue levied at the next annual township meeting. The fund or funds ordered transferred shall be transferred and paid into the other fund or funds and shall be paid out on proper orders of officers authorized by law to expend the fund or funds.

The agenda for the 2019 Annual Township meeting has nothing on it related to electors voting on a resolution to transfer Senior Funds to the Capital Fund.  That being the case, all indications reflect this transfer did not follow the law.

The employee hired to manage the Supervisors’ financial duties made the request for the transfer in October of 2019.  The document points to the 2019-2020 budget, implying that makes it OK.

The 2019-2020 Budget does show a $100,000.00 expense for Fund Transfer to Capital Fund, however, that does not make it legal.  (see page 11)

Fund transfers are controlled by statutes which must be followed.  No such statute was followed for this transfer, which is consistent of the behavior of this township.

Stay tuned for more exposure to Vera’s actions that are inconsistent with established law.

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