Barrington Hills taxpayers to pick up the tab for BACOG

As we predicted, on Monday, January 23, 2012, a majority of the Barrington Hills Board of Trustees voted to bless President Robert Abboud’s unwise gift of office space to his beloved Barrington Area Council of Governments (BACOG).  Over objections raised by two trustees, the Board accepted Abboud’s arguments that BACOG’s imminent financial demise justified his rent free offer, and that BACOG had provided “millions of dollars” in benefits to Barrington Hills, including protection of five acre minimum zoning.  It’s a shame that a majority of our trustees did not see through Abboud’s baloney and his blatant power grab.

To start, the Board should have rejected the move to house BACOG outright, given the unilateral and disrespectful manner in which Abboud promised “his” Village Hall space, free of charge, without first putting the issue to the elected Board or residents.  Of course, no citizen comments were permitted on Abboud’s BACOG giveaway, since public comments are relegated to the end of marathon length meetings and only after trustees have voted.  Not only does this disenfranchise residents, it prevents trustees from knowing residents’ views before they vote.

Abboud also exaggerated by claiming that an immediate economic crisis made the BACOG move to Village Hall emergent, justifying his unilateral promise, and making a rental charge impossible.  The public minutes of BACOG meetings show that the council has been shopping for new office space since at least April 2011.  There was no emergency.  And if BACOG is indeed so strapped for cash, it should consider trimming its bloated legislative agenda and cushy six figure total salary expense for personnel, including Executive Director Janet L. Agnoletti –seated at the right in the photo above, celebrating with Abboud and certain other “COG” members at a prior gathering.  Maybe our tax dollars will pay for the group’s next round of drinks.

Lastly, we hope our readers will see through, much more clearly than Abboud’s trustees, the myth that BACOG’s efforts have preserved five acre zoning in Barrington Hills.  BACOG’s supposed advocacy on this issue has not resulted in any legislative changes to de-annexation laws in Springfield; it has not saved the Village from repeated and costly losses in de-annexation litigation, including the Duda and Iatarola lawsuits; and BACOG has not prevented the loss of hundreds of acres of Village property as a result of these litigation disasters.  This dismal track record speaks for itself, and it belies Abboud’s claim that BACOG has provided “millions of dollars” in benefits to our Village.

BACOG may have an appropriate role.  Its water resource initiative, for example, may be important and valuable.  Although, even the council’s last well testing campaign garnered only a reported 61 samples from the entire BACOG area of seven towns and over 11,000 households.

Let’s be realistic.  Abboud’s gift of rent free office space to BACOG cannot be justified either by BACOG’s supposed economic emergency or its “millions” in value to Barrington Hills.   Message to Bob:  Barrington Hills residents are smarter than that. 

     – The Observer