Channel 17/39: Boone County Residents Will Get to Vote on a New Animal Shelter

Note the $700,000 is for a new building on Route 76 and $500,000 is to repair and upgrade the old building.

08/18/2014 10:19 PM

The Boone County Board held a special meeting to decide whether or not to put the Boone County Animal Shelter on a referendum. A new shelter would cost more that 700,000 dollars to repair. County board members say they can’t afford that, so they the help of Stateliners.
Boone County Board Chairman Bob Walberg says “If we put the money into a building we will be taking away from other departments. It’s very important that we get the support of the community and ask them if they really want to make this kind of expenditure.”
County Board Member Marion Thornberry would rather see the county take out a loan to build a new shelter. He says new upgrades that the shelter would have, would make paying off the loan easier. He does not think putting it on a referendum would be a good idea. 
Thornberry says "The only reason they want it on a referendum is because when people see the word taxes, they automatically say no.”  
But Chairman Walberg is confident the voters will pass the referendum in November. Officials would like to see the shelter built on Route 76. They also say the tax increase would be minimal.

How last minute is Boone County’s referendum proposal

Well here is a memo to Mr. Terrinoni from June in which the deadline is discussed. Note today is the very last day.

What is the county board’s referendum proposal?

Well unless you are in the”in group” you don’t know much. Below is the resolution which was sent to board members at 10AM on Monday, August 18. (This is all I know about the referendum proposal)

The figure $800,000 is  interesting in as much as the Health and Human Services Committee was recommending building a structure for only $713,000.  Where is the building going to built? The old site or on Route 76 or somewhere else? Are there any preliminary plans for an $800,000 building?

Oh yes—what about the $5.00 increase in dog tags that went into effect in January 2014 for the expressed purpose of improving the animal service building.  That is nearly $40,000 PER YEAR and how will that be used?

BILL PYSSON, Health & Human Services Committee, Boone County Board (Not a member of the “in group”)

 

 

District 100 may have a referendum item on the November Ballot

This may make a minimum of seven referendums—5 for the state and two for Boone County government entities.

The following is taken from the Monday agenda of District 100;  see:  http://www.boarddocs.com/il/district100/Board.nsf/Public

Agenda Item Details

Meeting

Aug 18, 2014 - Regular Meeting of the Board of Education - 6:00 pm

Category

G. Board Action and Discussion

Subject

3. Adoption of a Resolution providing for and requiring the submission of the proposition of the election of School Board Members at Large and without restriction by area of residence within the District on the November 4, 2014 General Election Ballot

Type

Action

Last Minute Referendum request from some of the Boone County Board

Is this an attempt to not vote on the recommendation  from the Health and Human Service to build a new Animal Services Building on Route 76? 

The $713,000 decision is scheduled for vote by the county board at the regular meeting on Wednesday, August 20.  Building costs would be paid by the special $5.OO dog fee that has been collected since January 2014 and from approximately $20,000 due annually from other sources. That recommendation is shown at the bottom of this posting.

Why did Mr. Walberg and his voting majority not raise the question of a referendum in a more timely way? This proposal is just before the deadline to place a referendum? Why a referendum on this issue?  No referendum for $5,000,000 on the new Administrative Building/Courthouse improvements.

There are already five state referendums on the ballot.  Do the voters really want another?

 

From: Julaine Drake
Sent: Friday, August 15, 2014 4:06 PM
To: County Board
Cc: Michelle Courier; Ken Terrinoni
Subject: Special Meeting

Board Members,

I have received signed requests from Ron Wait, Chris Berner, Paul Larson and Denny Ellingson for a special board meeting on Monday, August 18^th at 7:00 p.m. for the purpose of voting on whether to place on the November 4^, 2014 ballot the question of borrowing to construct a new Animal Services Building.

Have a good weekend and see you Monday evening.

Bob

 

Agenda Item Details

Meeting

Aug 18, 2014 - Boone County Board Special Meeting

Category

5. New Business

Subject

5.1    Motion to Approve Resolution to Submit a Public Question for the November 4, 2014 Ballot to Construct an Animal Services Building and Authorize Bonds for the Purpose of Paying Costs Thereof.

The motion to build without a referendum  should be voted on Wednesday, August 20, 2014.

 

 

12. Standing Committee: Health and Human Services

12.1 Motion to Approve Building a $713,000 New Animal Services Facility on County Property along Route 76. (Approved 4-0)

Texas' Perry indicted for coercion for veto threat

 

By WILL WEISSERT

A grand jury indicted Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Friday for abusing the powers of his office by carrying out a threat to veto funding for state prosecutors investigating public corruption — making the possible 2016 presidential hopeful his state's first indicted governor in nearly a century.

A special prosecutor spent months calling witnesses and presenting evidence that Perry broke the law when he promised publicly to nix $7.5 million over two years for the public integrity unit, which is run by Travis County District Rosemary Lehmberg's office. Several top aides to the Republican governor appeared before grand jurors in Austin, including his deputy chief of staff, legislative director and general counsel. Perry himself wasn't called to testify

Read more by clicking on the following:  http://news.yahoo.com/texas-perry-indicted-coercion-veto-threat-224901143.html

 

Here is the NY Times take on the issue:  http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/16/us/gov-rick-perry-of-texas-is-indicted-over-veto-of-funds-for-das-office.html?emc=edit_na_20140815&nlid=53444314&_r=0

Belvidere Teachers Starting Without New Contract

By: Shannon Smith - Email Posted: Thu 4:46 PM, Aug 14, 2014 By: Shannon Smith - Email

BELVIDERE (WIFR) – Teachers are back to work in the Belvidere School District, however they’re without a new contract.

The President of the Belvidere Education Association says he doesn’t want to go on strike or protest. He says he just wants better services for kids, especially special needs students in a new contract.

Mark Luthin is the president and a biology teacher at Belvidere North High School. He says teachers are fighting for smaller class sizes, claiming it hurts the quality of learning for students. Luthin says another sticking point is for the district to attract and keep teachers in the area. He says he doesn’t want it to come to a strike, but if they did, that wouldn’t happen for another six weeks according to state law.

Superintendent Michael Houselog says the district is working with the state to make sure they’re compliant with the requirements for special needs classes. He says the board has offered teachers a raise. Houselog says he is optimistic about coming to an agreement with the BEA.

The School Board meets Monday, however they won’t be voting on a contract. Luthin says he’s agreed to mediation with the district, scheduled for September 3rd.

The above is taken from:  http://www.wifr.com/news/headlines/Belvidere-Teachers-Starting-Without-New-Contract-271303481.html