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Trustee's problem shouldn't be ours

Lake Zurich board member Susan Branding seems to be embroiled in a conflict of interest situation.

She owns a business and lives in the village's TIF zone and has had to abstain from voting on issues involving the zone. Her backers seem to feel something is amiss. I guess there is an inference that other members of village government might be conspiring to keep her from casting important votes concerning the TIF zone that might be opposed to their votes.

Ms. Branding is a freshman board member. She knew when she ran for office she was living in the village's TIF district. I can't fathom Branding never gave it a thought that casting votes on the TIF project just might be a conflict of interest. If she was ignorant of the law it certainly impugns her competence to serve as a board member. As the judge always tells defendants at the bar, "Ignorance of the law is no excuse."

She now desires to have her property removed from the TIF zone to allow her to vote on TIF matters. I have no objection to that. The problem with this is it will cost the village $12,000 to do so. As someone whose home market value is already over assessed by more than $50,000, which translates into about $1,000 too much being taken out my pocket annually by township government, I say, no way to the $12,000 expenditure. If Ms. Branding or her supporters want to foot the bill then I'm fine with that. The village's taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for her mistake.

Bob Schayer

Lake Zurich

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