Also, had to chuckle at the scene of two commissioners asking for public comment in an empty room. As a participant in local government myself, I see this all the time.
It’s recorded, agendas posted, minutes taken, roll call read and its pretty rare there’s a single member of the public in attendance. No excuse for not doing it by the book, though.
And, as the Kentucky audit found, it can be nigh impossible to close one of these down after it’s established.
In fairness, it is believed that Mayor Sexton suffered that bite while he was in Michigan.
- Johnny Pyle Driver - Monday, Mar 7, 16 @ 3:09 pm:
I dunno. I sit through lots of village meetings where special districts are set up for specific sewer projects. The people for whom the infrastructure is built, pay for it, and nobody else. And it’s not like it’s totally unaccountable. The same board that oversees the village oversees the special district. I must be missing something
I was once an appointed commissioner for a state commission that worked closely with a state agency. We held mandated public meetings / hearings several times a year. At one such meeting, at a hotel somewhere along the I-80 corridor, the attendees included, and were limited to, a hearing officer, a court reporter, the Commissioners, several agency staffers, and not a single member of the public. It was a brief meeting.
Once perfunctory matters had been addressed, the hearing officer asked if anyone in the audience had a question or comment before adjournment. At that point a key staffer stood up and said “I have only one question.” Yes, said the hearing officer. And, what is that? The staffer replied, my question is…. “who put the bop in the bop shoo bop, …….who put the ram in the rama lama ding dong?” This was all fully transcribed. The hearing concluded with laughter and all in attendance then retreated to the hotel lounge. And, so it goes.
Watching that video I had to think, man, Illinois could be a lot worse off with special districts. Some of those examples were pretty bad. Yeah, there’s certainly room for reform but at least you can go to the Comptrollers website and look at financial reports and there’s some process for dissolving, no matter how onerous it may be.
I once helped to shut down a single special district. It took YEARS — YEARS!!! I was horrified at the people who were willing to shred their professional reputations in the effort to keep the thing open. Ugh. Ugh.
BTW, John Oliver supported the FCC in regards to Net Neutrality that the biggies of the internet providers opposed and are trying to get around. I shared that episode with others who did not understand NN and that included school board members and others.
and in Illinois we not only have special districts, but lots of elected officials presiding over administrative functions and so much gets lost. also so many are arrogant because they are elected. tell me that anyone would miss a Recorder of Deeds or Clerk of the Circuit Court as an elected.
Too many special districts are set up and benefit the village in general. Special district for sewers? They help complete a village sewer district. Special districts for street improvements? They’re not private streets, anyone can use them. It is because higher governments are unwilling to collect the taxes needed to make improvements. Back to the difference between “can’t” and “don’t want to.”
A couple people are confusing Special Districts with Special Service Areas. A Special District has its own board and is independent. A special service area is an area specifically taxed for a specific project that benefits only that specific area. The special service area then goes away once the improvement is paid for. The special service area is set up and run by an existing local government, they are often used to develop new neighborhoods to pay for sewer, water and road extensions.
What would happen if Oliver wanted to do the same thing to school districts? You’d get similar outrageous results. Local governments can be awful and it is up to state governments to put into place measures, to ensure that they are not.
Democracy can be messy, but what makes it messy can also make it sweet. It is up to each of us, because we are empowered as citizens to do so, to ensure that democracy is passed onto future generations.
Shemp, I just had a conversation about Special Service Areas with a guy who found out that only half his subdivision was being assessed for the services provided. Also, around here SSAs do not go away, because the objective for most is ongoing maintenance such as mowing around retention ponds.
In the Dixon region, we were studying consolidating the Park District into the city. Current state statues make it incredibly difficult, despite all the talk about consolidation.
There is a non-binding referendum on the ballot concerning the possible consolidation, but even if it does well we would almost certainly need legislative action in Springfield to actually accomplish anything.
- illini97 - Monday, Mar 7, 16 @ 2:49 pm:
I thought of this blog as soon as I saw this.
Also, had to chuckle at the scene of two commissioners asking for public comment in an empty room. As a participant in local government myself, I see this all the time.
It’s recorded, agendas posted, minutes taken, roll call read and its pretty rare there’s a single member of the public in attendance. No excuse for not doing it by the book, though.
And, as the Kentucky audit found, it can be nigh impossible to close one of these down after it’s established.
- Homer J. Quinn - Monday, Mar 7, 16 @ 2:59 pm:
“MOSS-keeto.”
- B - Monday, Mar 7, 16 @ 3:01 pm:
In fairness, it is believed that Mayor Sexton suffered that bite while he was in Michigan.
- Johnny Pyle Driver - Monday, Mar 7, 16 @ 3:09 pm:
I dunno. I sit through lots of village meetings where special districts are set up for specific sewer projects. The people for whom the infrastructure is built, pay for it, and nobody else. And it’s not like it’s totally unaccountable. The same board that oversees the village oversees the special district. I must be missing something
- Beaner - Monday, Mar 7, 16 @ 3:47 pm:
Fake Governor Rauner: “…Madigan and the mosquitos he controls”…
- OFFM16@gmail.com - Monday, Mar 7, 16 @ 4:07 pm:
Reminds me of my third Tuesday every month . . .
- Jorge - Monday, Mar 7, 16 @ 4:25 pm:
John is a visionary. The Trump and FCC hits are legendary.
- Keyser Soze - Monday, Mar 7, 16 @ 4:26 pm:
I was once an appointed commissioner for a state commission that worked closely with a state agency. We held mandated public meetings / hearings several times a year. At one such meeting, at a hotel somewhere along the I-80 corridor, the attendees included, and were limited to, a hearing officer, a court reporter, the Commissioners, several agency staffers, and not a single member of the public. It was a brief meeting.
Once perfunctory matters had been addressed, the hearing officer asked if anyone in the audience had a question or comment before adjournment. At that point a key staffer stood up and said “I have only one question.” Yes, said the hearing officer. And, what is that? The staffer replied, my question is…. “who put the bop in the bop shoo bop, …….who put the ram in the rama lama ding dong?” This was all fully transcribed. The hearing concluded with laughter and all in attendance then retreated to the hotel lounge. And, so it goes.
- MyTwoCents - Monday, Mar 7, 16 @ 4:53 pm:
Watching that video I had to think, man, Illinois could be a lot worse off with special districts. Some of those examples were pretty bad. Yeah, there’s certainly room for reform but at least you can go to the Comptrollers website and look at financial reports and there’s some process for dissolving, no matter how onerous it may be.
- Soccermom - Monday, Mar 7, 16 @ 5:11 pm:
I once helped to shut down a single special district. It took YEARS — YEARS!!! I was horrified at the people who were willing to shred their professional reputations in the effort to keep the thing open. Ugh. Ugh.
- Anonish - Monday, Mar 7, 16 @ 5:14 pm:
Not even the League of Women Voters bothered to show up to that meeting. Wow.
- Arthur Andersen - Monday, Mar 7, 16 @ 6:18 pm:
I pay for HBO just for John Oliver. He’s worth every penny. The “Drumpf” takedown last week made me laugh until I cried.
- Nearly Normal - Monday, Mar 7, 16 @ 6:40 pm:
BTW, John Oliver supported the FCC in regards to Net Neutrality that the biggies of the internet providers opposed and are trying to get around. I shared that episode with others who did not understand NN and that included school board members and others.
- Amalia - Monday, Mar 7, 16 @ 6:57 pm:
and in Illinois we not only have special districts, but lots of elected officials presiding over administrative functions and so much gets lost. also so many are arrogant because they are elected. tell me that anyone would miss a Recorder of Deeds or Clerk of the Circuit Court as an elected.
- NoGifts - Monday, Mar 7, 16 @ 7:49 pm:
Too many special districts are set up and benefit the village in general. Special district for sewers? They help complete a village sewer district. Special districts for street improvements? They’re not private streets, anyone can use them. It is because higher governments are unwilling to collect the taxes needed to make improvements. Back to the difference between “can’t” and “don’t want to.”
- Shemp - Monday, Mar 7, 16 @ 10:48 pm:
A couple people are confusing Special Districts with Special Service Areas. A Special District has its own board and is independent. A special service area is an area specifically taxed for a specific project that benefits only that specific area. The special service area then goes away once the improvement is paid for. The special service area is set up and run by an existing local government, they are often used to develop new neighborhoods to pay for sewer, water and road extensions.
- Bill White - Monday, Mar 7, 16 @ 11:20 pm:
When the show aired, the Litchfield Mosquito district You Tube video had zero views. It now has more than 51,000 views.
- PublicServant - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 6:21 am:
And now we know where Dunkin is going to end up after he gets his hat handed to him in a week.
- the Cardinal - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 6:59 am:
GO Litchfield There is your transparency at its finest. Not the fault of those guys the public doesnt participate. they must be doing a great job.
- Phoenix - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 8:03 am:
Clever.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 8:11 am:
What would happen if Oliver wanted to do the same thing to school districts? You’d get similar outrageous results. Local governments can be awful and it is up to state governments to put into place measures, to ensure that they are not.
Democracy can be messy, but what makes it messy can also make it sweet. It is up to each of us, because we are empowered as citizens to do so, to ensure that democracy is passed onto future generations.
- illini97 - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 8:25 am:
-Arthur Anderson-
No need for HBO, really. His pieces are loaded onto youtube, by HBO, every Sunday night.
- yinn - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 8:44 am:
Shemp, I just had a conversation about Special Service Areas with a guy who found out that only half his subdivision was being assessed for the services provided. Also, around here SSAs do not go away, because the objective for most is ongoing maintenance such as mowing around retention ponds.
- Liandro - Tuesday, Mar 8, 16 @ 3:20 pm:
In the Dixon region, we were studying consolidating the Park District into the city. Current state statues make it incredibly difficult, despite all the talk about consolidation.
There is a non-binding referendum on the ballot concerning the possible consolidation, but even if it does well we would almost certainly need legislative action in Springfield to actually accomplish anything.