Peoria County Board As a Result of Foolish Spending Is Raising Your Property Taxes

The high spending Democrats, led by wealthy Board Chairman Andrew Rand and a couple of well-to-do Republicans, is not raising your Peoria Countyproperty taxes by 1/4% or 1/2%, but by 2.7%!!

Slightly mentioned by the JS and not at all by the JSEB is why not get out from under the "fallen" Oak trees that literally crushed the replacement and failing Heddington Oaks? The Democrats, using all types of false information such as was given to the Illinois Health Facilities Commission, destroyed the 47 year old Bel-Wood County owned nursing home.

False information? You bet. First among many lies was that a sprinkler system would needed to be installed almost immediately when in actuality, only "plans" to install a new sprinkler system needed to be submitted by April, 2013. Next biggest lie was that the money to install a sprinkler system was granted by the State and Federal Governments, only instead, it was used to pay consultants, engineers for Heddington Oaks and some minor repairs to Bel-Wood. Next major lie was made to the Illinois Health and Facilities Commission that it would cost a massive $29 million to renovate BelWood and ONLY $34 million to build. Heddington Oaks. Of course the Commission agreed it would be smarter to build a new facility. However, Heddington Oaks cost not $34 million but $46 million+.

The next lie was more poor judgment than a lie. The Board approved a 214 bed Heddington Oaks but the Democrats later tried to increase the number to 274 beds. Thankfully, it took a Super-Majority vote to overturn the earlier decision and the vote failed by one. (The reporter from the JS misunderstood what a Super-Majority vote was and printed the following falsehood: "County Board won't shrink Bel-Wood". 12/17/10 by one of the worst reporters the JS ever hired, Karen McDonald) Thank the 6 Republicans whose "No" vote prevented the expansion to 274. Republican Mary Ardapple, Republican??? voted to expand 274 beds quoting "industry insiders note a need for a larger facility" Thank goodness, Ms. Ardappple will soon be off the board replaced by a Republican who, like myself, has been highly critical of Heddington Oaks.

According to a County Board member, beds in use at the 214 bed Heddington Oaks range from 150 to 180 beds!!!

Rand says the facility is NOT FOR SALE. Of course not, who would buy it. The County hasn't even been able to hire an facility Administrator after Administrator Matt Neukirk, who strongly supported HO, resigned his job less than 2 years after he saw the "writing on wall".  I saw that writing LONG before HO was ever approved.

So now the Democrats have slapped a big tax increase on property tax holders, the fect not fully felt until 2018 tax bills land in their mailboxes.

Thank the Democrats, who control all the higher taxing bodies in Peoria County, the County Board, the City, #150 School District and the Peoria Park District.

Yes, I know the City, the school and the park, are non-partisan but nontheless, they are controlled by registered Democrats.

So Rand can rant all he wants. But the Democrat elected officials, abetted by the Peoria Journal Star "Democrat", have put this County in a perilous condition, now and in the future.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR



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