$625,000 is price Lockport Township pays for Administrative incompetence.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: John Barbush 708-705-1775
Lockport Township Concerned Citizens Lockport, IL.
According to the Illinois Appellate Court, last November 2, 2016, a long and drawn out case since 2000 finally concluded that the claims made by the Township Board (aka The Lockport Township Utility Board) to justify their breach of contract were not true and therefore had no justifiable standing. The Court’s Arbitrator found that after the Township Board had made procedural mistakes and simply breached contract with the firm called Aqua Management Services Corp., the Township had no standing to justify their breach of contract.
The result of the final judgment was reflected in the letter from the law firm representing Aqua Management. This letter was demanding full payment from Supervisor Ron Alberico. The judgment was in the amount of $525,000 to the Township Board under Alberico; and another $100,000 for Court costs and fees to the Township’s Utility Board, also under Alberico’s direction and control for at least the past six years.
A previous Court ruling established that the two Boards are essentially the same single Board under Ron Alberico. However, the management of the Utility Board is supposed to consist of five non-elected resident Township Voters, and appointed by Supervisor Alberico. Instead, the Utility Board was exclusively elected officials.
This requirement is so stated in the 60 ILCS 1/205-100, Township Utility Board “Any person holding an elective or appointive office is not eligible for appointment to the Utility Board, or any such elected or appointive person for one year after the expiration of their term.”
Click to access 3140931_R23.pdf
According to the Concerned Citizens of Lockport Township’s spokesman, Dr. John Barbush, “This Utility Board, made up of inappropriate appointed members of the Township Board according to Illinois Township Code, has been operating with elected officials functioning as Utility Board.” Dr. Barbush continued, “There’s a reason the Illinois Township Code has these rules and regulations. It’s to prevent possible conflicts of interest and inappropriate actions. According to Illinois Code, in regards to the Utility Board, this Board of Trustees is improperly functioning outside of this Code, sadly.”
ftp://ftp.illinoiscomptroller.com/LocGovAudits/FY2012/09911001/12Audit09911001_01.pdf (see pages 59-60 of 78 to see the names of the Utility Board)
Reflecting on the recent allegation of an inappropriate raise of salaries beyond the State mandated deadline of November 16, 2016 and without a vote on December 12, 2016, Dr. Barbush added, “Concerned Citizens believes that 44 years of any one Party in control of the Township Board can never be good for the People.” Lockport Township Concerned Citizens is an informal “grass roots” and Non-partisan group of Township residents of multi-political persuasions who are watching for fair and transparent Township government.
