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MADISON - ST. CLAIR RECORD

Friday, March 29, 2024

Mad as hell, and not going to take it anymore

Letter to the Editor
Letter editor 04

To the Editor:

Collinsville Unit 10 School District and the city entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) early last May. The MOU stated the benefits of leveraging a new private investment proposal by Tax Increment Financing District (TIF).

Paragraph 5 on the agenda for the special meeting on May 2 at 6:30 p.m. listed "Election of board Pres.-Attorney Mundorf."

Also in discussion of TIF 4, Dr. Green said attorney Kurt Schrader recommended the district rewrite the MOU.  

On May 19, Unit 10 received a FOIA request from me in part for improperly asking for legal fees paid and those incurred, but not paid.

This layman felt quite intimidated when reading a lengthy footnote in the response.

It said, "This transmission is intended and restricted for use by the above addressee only. It may contain confidential and/or privileged information exempt from disclosure under federal or state law."

Why would a taxing body respond with a threatening "maybe?"

It went on.

"In the event some other person or entity receives this transmission, said recipient is hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or duplication of this transmission or its contents is prohibited."

I was stymied! Not being a lawyer requester it was beyond my comprehension and I wondered if it was to stifle anyone making a FOIA request.

Secondly, on Nov. 9, 2015, Budget Committee chairman Gary Clark received over $7,000 from the city to be liaison to Unit 10.

Since he is elected to serve on Unit 10 it is likely he falls under the highly technical conflict of interest and liability of Illinois elected officials.

Next, it would have been almost impossible for the ordinary taxpayer of the city and Unit 10 to accurately state objections at the required public hearing at City Hall on May 23. Our more than 14,000 residents could have packed the house, approached the podium and only say, "I am mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore."

TIF is a form of a tax that unknowingly is being fleeced from many uninformed taxpayers.

Bob DesPain

Collinsville

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