Homer Glen residents source for facts not rumors
Steve Balich, Neighbor Posted Sat, Jan 16, 2021 at 8:15 pm CT|
I am sure you are all aware that our Village is spending time and money on a new Website feature called THE RUMOR MILL. When you realize that you have been caught in a series of sight of hand maneuvers, you over-compensate and deny it then shift the blame to residents that are just trying to shine a light on what is going on inside of the Village Hall at 14240 W 151st St, Homer Glen, IL 60491.
Here are a few examples of the Slight of Hand actions by the Village Administration:
– The new and controversial Comprehensive Plan has been under construction since May of 2019. The Village Manager and 2 Trustees served on the Steering Committee. This work-of-art was unveiled to the residents of Homer Glen on November of 2020 and was discussed at a Nov 19th, 2020 Public Hearing. Dozens of Homer residents objected to portions of the plan that call for increased housing density and proposed Mixed-Use housing developments specifically included Apartments and Quadraplexes. This input was recorded but subsequent official Village’s responses failed to enact any change of position on housing density and Mixed-Use housing developments. By the time the January Planning Commission meeting was announced, The New Comprehensive Planning Document remained UNCHANGED. On Jan 7th, the Planning Commission agenda specifically called for a vote to approve this new Comprehensive Plan. Again, dozens of Village Residents showed up and denounced this plan. Let us face it, the Village Administration was going to slide this new plan past the Planning Commission and rush it to a Board vote. Your outcry stopped this action. Now, several Village officials are claiming that this plan was only a “draft”, and that many of them now oppose increased housing density and Mixed-Use housing developments. Yeah Sure!
– The new Road District and associated first-time Property Tax levy was also rushed through the approval process in November and December. Yes, there were public hearings, but I will bet that most of our Homer Glen Residents were not aware that a first-time Property Tax increase was happening so quickly. This action could have waited. There was no rush to approve any of this. The proposal to build a new Homer Glen Public Works and destroy a functioning Township Road District is a bad business decision which was forced because the two principal parties, the Village, and the Township leaders, would not speak to each other or negotiate a sensible deal. This should have waited until after the April 2021 Consolidated election which could bring a change to the Village and Township leadership. Someone was in an awful hurry to grab your wallet and extract the first ever Homer Glen Municipal Tax ($57 per $100K of Market Value of your home). You know who voted for it.
We are starting a new series of posts called JUST THE FACTS… providing an alternate point of view to the Village’s THE RUMOR MILL. Stay tuned for more.
