Hawaii and Reno - County and Peoria Park Board

I said I would get back to you on how much Peoria County spent on sending its administrator and two board members to the National Convention in Hawaii. The JS beat me to the figures but I have an excuse. My 94 (almost 95) year old Mother-In-Law passed on last week and her burial was in a beautiful old cemetery in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Her passing was extremely difficult for my wife who was very close to her as the older of two daughters. Evelyn Borer had been living with us for the past two years and she will be greatly missed. I went into another “bloggers block” but believe you can read me again as I have a lot of material of interest.

Back to Hawaii, the total cost was approximately $6500.00 for all and at least our administrator came back with no tan at all.

In the meantime no one has shown an interest in the cost to the taxpayers by the Peoria Park Board in sending 8 or more Peoria Park Board members and staff on a junket for several days in Reno, Nevada where the object was to watch Bonnie Noble accept on behalf of the Park; a National Gold Award for the outstanding job she did in getting the RiverPlex built, a project that had lost approximately $7,000,000.00 by December 31, 2004.

Ignored in the news was the PPD Budget for 2005 of $44,800,000.00 and raises given to park employees a full percentage point higher than raises given county employees? Ignored in the media is the fact that the PPD superintendent salary was raised to $128,000.00 plus health insurance, vacation time, sick leave, a pension plan and a park vehicle to use. Ignored in the media is the fact that the park took in $11 million dollars of property tax money last year and expect when the new zoo construction is started, when the $5 million dollar Children Playhouse project is completed and the PPD headquarters is relocated maybe not just once but twice, your PPD taxes will go much higher each year for years to come.

Our county administrator makes less than $100,000.00 and oversees a budget of $92 million. The county has balanced the budget every year but 2001 (I voted against the property tax raise because the deficit was incurred during the term of my predecessor.) without a referendum approved tax hike. Yes, I know assessed valuation has gone up raising your taxes, but you have a right to appeal your property tax if you think the assessed value to be too high.

You will be pleased to know that the county will not raise your property taxes this year except by assessed valuation and the 4-H referendum in which you recently voted a small tax hike.

Back to the $6500.00 spent in Hawaii on business, you will be pleased to know the National Convention will be held next year in Chicago. Maybe I’ll get to go. And who knows maybe when we are thru with all the enhancement building in Peoria, the National County Convention might be held right here in Peoria!!