The Village has released recordings from the November 20 Village Board meeting. To access the menu of the meeting’s topical audio recording segments, click here.
Five residents made public comments before the board. While they are all worthy of listening to, we recommend readers listen to the third public speaker. A direct link to that recording can be found here.
The entire meeting lasted over four hours, with half of that time consumed with Trustee Selman’s Finance report, including the discussion of the 2015 Village budget and levy.
When the monthly bills for approval were presented, Trustee Messer objected to a portion of the bill from Bond Dickson, the temporary Village law firm, stating the bills were not detailed enough for him to approve. After some questioning of his complaint ensued, he finally admitted his true objection was due to his displeasure with the resignation of the Burke Warren law firm, and unwillingness to pay for attorney attendance at Board of Trustees meetings.
Trustee Harrington stated he did not want to approve the bills either until the board discussed the three candidate law firms that had presented their qualifications for consideration to become the new Village Counsel at a previous board meeting. In the end, Trustees Harrington, Gohl, Meroni, Messer and Selman voted to withhold payment to Bond Dickson, with a partner of the firm sitting at the table providing legal guidance for the meeting.
At the end of the meeting, when the three law firms (primarily selected by these same five trustees) were discussed, it was like a page taken from “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” They were either “too big” or “too small” but none was just right, so the search continues with an unpaid Special Counsel continuing to serve.
One of the highlights, or perhaps lowlights, of the meeting came when Trustee Patty Meroni presented her request for nearly a half million dollar increase in her Roads and Bridges budget for 2015, which would result in an increase in the tax levy. When she began to attempt to explain the significant increase, an audience member began to video record her, and she objected by obscuring her face with a file folder for over five minutes. A direct link to that discussion can be accessed here.
While Meroni’s proposed increase will not increase the levy for 2015, it will negate any cost savings realized from decreased expenses, particularly legal ones due in great part to the efforts of Village President McLaughlin to finally settle the decade long Sears litigation in 2014. In fact, we may have actually enjoyed a decrease in the levy next year based on cost containment efforts were it not for years of mismanagement of our roads maintenance (see “Of Bikes and Blame, Part Two – Peter, Paul and Patty”).
More folly came from Trustee Gohl’s and Meroni’s objection to including a Barrington bank (where a former trustee is or was a board member) among the list of possible banks in which the village could consider depositing funds. That trustee no longer lives in Illinois, and it’s doubtful he’s still actively on the board, but these two felt the need to grouse about something, so they picked at this nit.
It’s time for the minutiae-driven bickering such as this to stop at Village Board meetings.
In the scheme of things, running the Village of Barrington Hills doesn’t need to be complicated unless some choose to make it so on purpose, or if some continue to follow the disruptive political agenda of a phantom outside of Village Hall.
Either way, this behavior in the board room needs to stop because residents are growing weary of it.
Either way, this behavior in the board room needs to stop because residents are growing weary of it.
Weary?! Most residents liken the mentality of our present board of trustees to that mindset of Ferguson Missouri thugs……there is no difference.
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Messer and Harrington prefer a puppet (Burke Warren) to rubber stamp their tactics. They bought that allegiance with $7.5 million in legal fees for our 4,000 resident Village. Never did Messer, Meroni, Gohl, Selman, question Abboud’s legal spending! Now that a law firm with vast Municipal experience is providing independent counsel that protects the people of the Village instead of Abboud’s political agenda, they vote to not pay Bond Dickson.
The absurdity of this situation is so blatantly conflicted. President McLaughlin deserves the stalemate the Village suffers from if he does not demand legal action requesting the State to investigate criminal behavior in the Village. It is time for our Village President to request help from the State and send people to jail for crimes that may have been committed. Or, Bond Dickson should resign and sue the Village for defamation and payment of funds. Messer’s bully tactics are a matter of historical record. The Village Board of Trustees acts in lock step majority representing Abboud’s Save 5 Acres political agenda.
It is shameful that the Village majority of residents allow this to happen. This once proud Village has declining property values and disrespect from all of our neighbors. We must cleanse the Village of corruption and special interest manipulation or continue to suffer the consequences.
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Trustee Meroni speaks “baloney”. The 10 year capital road fund, was a “capital fund” (road replacement/repair) not a “maintenance fund” (plowing, road salt etc.). The increased 22% in the levy was to go to “capital fund” to repair and replace roads. There were sufficient funds on hand to do this according to Abboud. Instead, increase in levy resulting in increase property tax revenue went to attorney’s fees. overfunding pension obligation etc. Meroni said nothing each year when each year 10 year capital road construction goals were not being met. (minimum 3.8 miles of road being replaced/repaired each year)
As President McLaughlin said, having 38 miles of Village road, VBH should have been repairing/replacing 3.8 miles per year. They didn’t and Meroni never told you VBH was failing to meet their obligations. . . . Now she wants a record 47% increase in this line item budget to meet what will be by my calculation a @4.8 Million Dollar infusion of tax revenue overtime to do what should have already been done with what taxpayer reveneue was already raised. Meroni cannot do this in one year, so she will be back next year with the same spin. You know, increased cost of materials, labor and unexpected projects.
Perhaps Gewalt-Hamilton can give taxpayers an estimate of what it would cost to do remaining work to meet 10 year capital plan. Meroni will be at the trough next year asking for even more money (if she is relected). She must, because there is that large of a shortfall due to BOT mismanagement of taxpayer funds under Abboud.
VBH levy is @11 Million Dollars so do not get lost in the levy, it means nothing for this analysis. It is the VBH expenditures you must look at. If it was not for Pres. McLaughlins savings by settling Sears, early retirements packages etc. VBH expenditures would be approaching 9 Million this year, thanks to mismanagement of road funds and disasterous decision to take the pension way from the State and manage it locally. Thanks Fritz!
Why didn’t Gewalt Hamilton provide an annual report of the short fall in meetng road replacement and repairs each year during the 10 year capital road campaign? Why didn’t former President Abboud provide residents with status of 10 year road campaign in the newsletter or in his State of Village Address each year? Why do you think?
Answer, BOT did not want you to know increased levied tax revenue was being spent elsewhere in teh budget. They told taxpayers one thing and did another. Unfortunately I have been around VBH government too long and I was the only one who brought up the 10 year capital road fund; not any of the Save 5 Acre BOT who were hoping it had slipped the mind of the taxpayers. Not me, because I have studied this village’s finances and issues in two personal campaigns for BOT as well as by co-hosting a former very popular VBH blog. They can fool you, they cannot fool me!
Now that they have been caught, Save 5 Acre cronies now want to come up with a plan to be accountable in future years . . They have been caught . . too little, too late! This is not voluntary, they got caught! Time to go!
The price of a compliant Board who allowed Bobby Abboud to spend freely. At least Trustee Messer is on it now by punishing Bond-Dickson. Where was Messer when the Millions flowed out the door with Burke-Warren which at no time did he ever question let alone objected to a bill or more pathetically did not even require itemized billing statememts. BOT approved bills for Abboud based upon being furnished with bottom line amounts only. Now that is a breach of fiduciary duty Joe! That is just one of your many, but I digress!
Residents should be firm, no increase in budget to road and bridges until such time as a full accounting is provided to the taxpayers on prior 10 year capital road fund commitment and until Meroni is removed from roads and bridges and someone who is accountable to taxpayers is installed. Meroni should be assigned as the Plan Commission liason or in charge of Village Hall grounds with a limited budget of course. Roads and bridges is the largest item in VBH budget and I would sleep better at night if someone with at least some basic understanding of finances and road construction were managing it.
I have asked for months for Meroni to come up with an accounting to taxpayers on the 10 year capital road fund. She ignored me and simply thought it was business as usual by just throwing in another $600,000 increase in budget request thinking like “ole times” it would go unnoticed, unchallenged and the taxpayer would be “plucked” again.
Now, after some dissent on the BOT, Meroni would like me to do her job by offering up my financial analysis so she can better understand. Meroni I will do this as part of my “election campaign” but not to “educate you” rather I will educate residents who choose to listen. Better yet, Meroni why don’t you resign from BOT and I will be happy to accept appointment to sit on the Board and manage roads and bridges as well as discuss with Messer many of the legal issues confronting the Board which Messer is obviously confused about. Give me the roads, and I will give residents the hard facts and detailed accounting on “past” transgressions, “present” needs and anticipated “future” demands so that residents can the roads they were promised and deserve.
Hint Meroni, the first thing I would do is split the road budget into a separate “capital” and “maintenance” line item account for everyone to see. We then be in a position to talk intelligently on real costs for these items rather than never ending speculation and political dance due to lack of specifics. If I ask for an increase, there will be detailed written analyis ot BOT and residents rather usual off the cuff platitudes designed to quell dissentors.
April cannot come too soon!
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Holy crap David. You almost had me on your side until the reference that Meroni take charge of the village grounds. It is obvious to me that Meroni would mess up a two car funeral. She is incompetent, untruthful and vile. You give her too much credit.
Rescind that remark please
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THANK YOU DAVID!!!!!! Anyone upset with this direct talk hasn’t been witness to Abboud and Messer politics.
Meroni, dispute these facts. Otherwise, your silence affirms the information. The cost of road repair is higher now because of ignoring maintenance in favor of legal expenditures all while the Village’s Expenditures increased 100% ($4 million) during the Abboud administration. That increase gained us what? Certainly not proper road maintenance.
To the lady who moved with her husband here from Seattle, you are being manipulated by scare tactics. EVERYONE in the Village supports equestrian activity and the ability for you to board your horses at a neighbors’ property in Barrington Hills. You are warmly welcomed in the Village.
But, due to a corrupt process, you are now losing your privacy rights under Home Occupation. You may want to board your horses (great), but do you want heavy commercial traffic on your joint easement supporting 50 commercial boarders next door? Or some other commercial activity? Beware of unintended consequences with this legislation in place solely for the purpose of allowing Oakwood Farms to act “outside the law” with an 8 1/2 year retroactive provision. An absolutely corrupt process! Our new ex-Seattle lawyer couple surely understand the conflicts rooted in this approach.
David’s comments about Roads and Bridges are spot on, and it’s just one of many issues (Sears litigation, Duda, Longmeadow Parkway, etc.) completely bungled by a special interest BOT and ZBA.
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Maroni must resign!
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