Homer Township demands return of some road district equipment, property from village

Published by steveba2103 on August 18, 2021

By MICHELLE MULLINSDAILY SOUTHTOWN |AUG 10, 2021 AT 10:37 AM

Homer Township officials said they may have to sue the village of Homer Glen again if Homer Glen does not provide the township with the equipment necessary to maintain about 21.6 miles of roads in the unincorporated area.

Township Supervisor Steve Balich said he does not want a lawsuit, but it may have to come to it if the village will not provide the township the land and equipment it needs.

“I’m very disgusted,” Balich said at Monday’s Homer Township meeting. “But I’m not about to get rolled over by nothing. And I’m not afraid of anything. So if it comes to it and you see that I have a lawsuit going against the village … it’s not because I want to. It’s because I am forced to, and I will do whatever I am forced to do.”

A tug-of-war battle between the village and the township over control of the Homer Township Road District has been going on for the last year when the village announced it was working with former road district Commissioner Mike DeVivo to transfer the road district’s assets to the village. The disagreements have spanned two different township and village boards.

The Homer Township Road District had been maintaining about 135 miles of Homer Glen roads as part of intergovernmental agreements since Homer Glen incorporated as a village in 2001.

The previous township board under former Supervisor Pam Meyers sought to stop the transfer of equipment and assets, but the circuit court ruled in favor of the village and road district in April, and the transfer of assets took place April 19.

Steve Balich Editors note:

The Former Homer Township Road Commissioner on his own as the elected Township Road Commissioner with no vote of the Township Trustees or Special Town Meeting of the electors (people living in Homer Township) gave the entire Township Road District to the Village of Homer Glen for free. This left the Township which includes Lockport, New Lenox, Lemont, and the Unincorporated with nothing, and the Village of Homer Glen with everything at no cost. Taxes from the entire Township Road District went to build the Village of Homer Glen Public Works Department at the expense of Lockport, Lemont, New Lenox, and the Unincorporated.

There was a Referendum asking if the People in Homer Township to dissolve the Road District and make it under the Homer Township Board which failed. Homer Glen, spun this into saying the people voted to give the District to Homer Glen. The words Homer Glen were not even mentioned in the Referendum. Homer Glen moved forward in the process of taking over but ran into a wall when after winning in the circuit court, the Township Supervisor appealed to the appellate court.

Road Commissioner Devivo on his own signed and intergovernmental agreement with the Village of Homer Glen giving the Township Road District to the Village free and clear despite the appeal by Township Supervisor to a higher court. The Agreement was to give the Unincorporated 1 plow truck, 1 bay in the new building the Homer Township Road District built prior to giving everything to the Village of Homer Glen, and other small items.

With 21.6 miles of Unincorporated Roads like Farrell, Cedar, and 163rd the Homer Township Road District does not have what it needs to operate at a basic level. That means taking care of the roads we all use safely. The newly Elected Township Road Commissioner Brent Porfilio created a new Intergovernmental Agreement asking the Village to return to the Township some of what was taken for free, the basic things it needs to do the 21.6 miles of road properly. As Supervisor Steve Balich, said he canceled the Appeal (Lawsuit) the former Supervisor initiated because it was costing the people plenty of tax Dollars and there could be a way to come to a compromise.

Now Township Supervisor may be forced into filing an Appeal (lawsuit) that will cost taxpayers plenty of money. Or the alternative of purchasing land, a building, and equipment necessary to just do the basics for maintaining the Unincorporated Roads. This happens only by raising property taxes.

The solution will be with the new Village Board that stands against raising your taxes!!!

The newly elected Village Trustees: Consolino, Reynders, Fialko, and La Ha as well as past and current Board member Pazmino, seem to understand the problem and hopefully will end the mess created by the past Village Board by passing the New Intergovernmental Agreement with the Township.

The Former Homer Glen Board: Led by Mayor Yukich, Keith Gray, Beth Rodgers, Braque Backel, and Sharon Sweas voted to take the Road District while Ruben Pazmino voted no. The Village went on to give the residents the first ever Village Property Tax. Under the leadership of Mayor Yukich, Keith Gray, Beth Rodgers, Braque Backel, and Sharon Sweas voted to implement this First Village Property Tax while Ruben Pazmino voted no.