Taxpayers Against the Longmeadow Toll Bridge are leading a groundswell of opposition to the $100 million project planned for northern Kane County citing the environmental damage it could cause to the surrounding area, including a forest with 100-year-old oak trees.
JoAnn Fritz, a member of the Taxpayers Against the Longmeadow Toll Bridge, encouraged people to attend the Dundee Township annual town meeting on April 14 to ask for a referendum on the bridge and to attend local and county board meetings to voice opposition.
Read more here.
The tragedy for VBH concerning the LMP is VBH never had any representation on the LMP Advisory Board. Every municipality affected by LMP was allowed two (2) seats on the Advisory Board, but for some unexplained reason VBH declined to take a seat at the LMP advisory table. While Meroni remains “mum” on the subject perhaps someone on the know can state why.
When I ran for McHenry County Board, I was informed VBH’s absence on the LMP Advisory Board resulted in construction of the LMP through VBH which was not the original plan. The original plan was objected to by Advisory Board members from Carpentersville because LMP went through Carpentersville to Route 59. I have no independent knowledge of this, but this is what I was told.
Although questioned on the subject, R&B Meroni never provided an explanation to VBH residents why VBH never had a say in a major highway project through VBH dividing VBH in half between North and South side. LMP will bring record traffic into VBH re-routing traffic onto VBH ancillary roads. All of us in VBH will be impacted by LMP, including the Kalloway/LeCompte Cup.
R&B Meroni’s only public comment on the subject is she was surprised LMP is being constructed so quickly because Meroni thought construction would not commence for another 20 more years. This is not the first time Meroni’s timing has been off and she has been left with the proverbial egg on her face.
This is the same R&B Meroni who celebrates on SOS website that as R&B administrator she always spent less than what was annually budgeted for VBH R&B. What R&B Meroni neglects to say is funds budgeted for R&B but not spent on R&B were not refunded to VBH taxpayers but spent elsewhere like excessive attorney’s fees and increased pension contribution due to VBH BOT pension blunder. [Save 5 Acres majority BOT supported referendum removing police pension from Il State IMRF program to be locally managed]. Citizens for Stieper estimated this loss to VBH taxpayers about 10 Million Dollars, when you take 3.5 Million loss resulting from transfer and factor in the time value of money or lost opportunity income.
Although repeatedly requested, Meroni failed to furnish a report to BOT and VBH residents regarding the results of the 10 year VBH road project which concluded on 12-31-14. This is because the results are abysmal. R&B BOT administrators met surface road repair requirements in only 1 of the 10 years. Approximately 4.8 Million Dollars budgeted for roads were spent elsewhere. Meroni will likely provide residents with the bad news after the election. [3.7 miles of roads were to be repaired/replaced annually for total of 37 miles of VBH roads over 10 year period]
This 4.8 Million Dollar shortfall is supported by GW-Hamilton’s and Meroni’s new 5 year road plan which will call for almost doubling of tax funds currently allocated for R&B. When President McLaughlin questioned R&B Meroni on where she believes this money will come from Meroni said, VBH taxpayers do not mind paying higher taxes. BOT Gohl chimed in by adding, VBH taxpayers will have to realize there are no “free lunches”. VBH is the highest taxed municipality per capita in the State of Illinois, but in the words of Meroni and Gohl, this is not enough, there are yet more feathers of the goose to be plucked.
As her coup de grace, R&B Meroni votes for Anderson II horse boarding amendment, twice, without recommending these large scale commercial boarding activities be taxed knowing vehicles hauling agriculture materials are exempt from permit and road weight limits. Meroni believes big business should not only locate in VBH adjacent to 5-acre estate homes, but all homeowners in VBH should subsidize these big businesses in the form of higher taxes for increased road repairs/replacement.
I think we can all agree, VBH can no longer afford Meroni on R&B. VBH taxpayer would be better served if on April 7th the VBH voter assigned Meroni from VBH BOT to permanent R&R.
Hear Him, Hear Him !!!