Here we go again with Rec-less Spending! We can’t believe anything Wood River tells us. The city was hiding a plan that the mayor has worked on for months that shifts money around to pay for the proposed rec center.
I sent a FOIA request trying to get information, but the city refused to release documents for weeks. The documents weren’t released until late Friday, September 18th after my attorney threatened an injunction to delay a special hearing scheduled for September 21st.
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This is what happened. In 2019 the city told residents a 1% Sales Tax was needed to build a detention pond to control flooding and other projects. However, the city already had funds available in an existing Business Tax District and didn’t need the money. The city approved plans on September 21st for the existing Business Tax District to pay for the detention pond in a new Business Tax District instead of the 1% Sales Tax. The city is using funds they always had, but didn’t tell us about, to pay for the detention pond.
The detention pond was just a decoy to get the 1% Sales Tax approved. This frees-up funds in the 1% Sales Tax to pay for the rec center. This is a classic Bait and Switch! I suspected something was happening in April during a special budget meeting when a member of the council mentioned the existing Business Tax District would reimburse the 1% Sales Tax for land that was purchased to construct the detention pond. At a special Roundhouse presentation in July the park and rec director asked the late councilwoman Gale Ufert if she would continue to oppose the rec center if it didn’t cost anything.
She paused, realizing it was a loaded question, and answered “No”. I knew something was up, so after the meeting I asked Gale if she knew what was going. She told me she didn’t. And, now that’s exactly what they want us to believe. This is Voodoo Economics! The city plans to repair just three streets per year, and that’s with funds from the state, not the city.
A resident filed a lawsuit against the city after tripping on our sidewalks and suffering severe head injuries. A resident got stuck and fell out of a wheelchair when using a sidewalk near the Roundhouse. We need flood prevention, our sewers, streets and sidewalks repaired. A new rec center shouldn’t be placed ahead of these vital needs. The city will spend virtually all the 1% Sales Tax money and now the Business Tax District funds on loans without our approval, but our property taxes become the security to guarantee these loans. Call City Hall at 251-3100 and tell them to stop the spending on the proposed rec center and start a long-term plan to properly develop our city. This deception must end! November 3rd, Vote YES!
Bill Dettmers
Wood River Stop “Rec” less
Spending/Save the Roundhouse Campaign
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