LOWER TAXES, LESS GOVERNMENT, LESS REGULATION
Your Homer Township Republican Organization stands for simple conservative values – Lower Taxes, Less Government, and Less Regulation. We sponsor Local Township and Municipal candidates that stand for these same core principles. We swept the last local election in April of 2021 running on these very same principles. Thank you for your support. Now it’s time to support you, the taxpayer.
Homer Township Government
Homer Township Supervisor Steve Balich and the Township Board, Clerk Vicki Bozen, Trustees Mike Bonomo, Matt Connelly, Rob Rivera, and Angela Adolf, with the assistance of CPA and newly elected Assessor Carmen Maurella, cut over $260,000 from the Township Property Tax Levy with a 5-0 vote at the Monday, December, December 13th, Township Board meeting. Road Commissioner, Brent Porfilio, reduced the Township Road District Levy from $5 million to $1.7 million, a 66% reduction in your 2022 Property Taxes!
The Village of Homer Glen Government
The Village of Homer Glen has a problem. The previous Board of Trustees voted to pass the very first municipal property tax to cover their scheme to take-over the Township Highway Department in December of 2020. A proposal to take-over the Township Highway Department, hatched by Mayor Yukich and former Village Manager Karie Friling, passed by a vote of 4-2 (Former Trustees Gray, Caprio, Backal, and Sweas, plus current Trustee Rogers voting YES, with Trustee Pazmino voting NO). At the same Board meeting, in order to fund this folly, the Village Board passed a historic first ever $1.5 million Municipal Property Tax by a vote of 4-2 (Former Trustees Gray, Caprio, and Backal, plus current Trustee Rogers voting YES, with Trustee Pazmino and Former Trustee Sweas voting NO). This was a grave mistake. This “take-over” of the Township Highway Department was ill-conceived and the Village had no means to fund this irrational idea. The given logic was “Homer Glen is a large enough municipality that needs its own Public Works Department”. Possibly sound logic, if only they could now afford it.
Fast forward to last night… It is clear that the $1.5 million levied last year is woefully inadequate. On Monday, December 20th, the Village held a Special Board meeting to consider a $2.3 million municipal property tax increase on top of last year’s $1.5 million (a $3.8 million proposal)! Thank goodness that you, the voters, elected new Trustees, Nicole La Ha, Jennifer Consolino, Rose Reynders, and Dan Fialko, and led by existing Trustee, Ruben Pazmino. All 5 successfully avoided any additional tax increases last night. How this transpired is truly a proud moment for the new Board members and a shameful moment for the Mayor and his clique.
A procedural maneuver to remove the $2.3 million tax increase from the agenda was successful! The proposed tax increase was officially thwarted. A new proposal to place a temporary wage increase and hiring freeze was under discussion. Mayor Yukich and Trustee Rogers threw a fit and unprofessionally stormed out of the meeting! Trustee Pazmino was voted in as temporary chairman to continue working through the remaining agenda. The newly elected Board of Trustees continued to do the work of the people of Homer Glen. Passing the temporary hiring and wage increase freeze until the Village’s financial situation is resolved. They also passed a gaming ordinance to keep Gas & Wash competitive with other large fueling stations in the area. They ran on NO NEW TAXES, LESS GOVERNMENT, and LESS REGULATION… and last night, they stood by these convictions. The 5 fiscally conservative Trustees believe that increasing your property tax is the worst method of raising municipal revenue, but it happens to be the easiest. They will be looking at every expense to see where they can save taxpayer dollars. The new Homer Township Highway Commissioner has offered to coordinate a brain-storming session with the Homer Glen Village Board to explore every possible cost-cutting measure in their new Public Works Department. If I were the Mayor, I’d take him up on this offer!
Conclusion
In April, you all did the right thing… elected fiscal conservatives to run your local governments. Now, I urge you, get involved… speak out… and pay attention to the upcoming April 2023 Consolidated elections. Elections matter.
