Where would sales tax funds really go?
Village of Deer Park funds have been spent at an alarming rate since 2003 when the village entered into a contract to remodel the interior of the Vehe Farm barn. This project is $855,000 over budget since August 2007 and 26 months behind schedule.
In 2003, the village paid $25,000 to engineers to prepare a road program for streets and drainage. This nine-year plan should have started in 2003.
President Scott Gifford says they have never deferred road work for the barn.
Road work, according to this plan, was deferred to a later date from 2003 through 2007 and now again certain members of the board want to defer work in 2008.
President Gifford has been trying very hard to make residents believe that any sales taxes received, if this referendum passes, would be used for roads and drainage, but the village attorney has stated the money could only be used for village infrastructure, and the village board would determine what was infrastructure when they wanted to spend the money.
The attorney also stated this money could be used for bike paths, walking paths and landscaping on public land. On Feb. 20, 2007, the board passed an ordinance making the Vehe Farm public land.
The money from this additional sales tax could be used to do still more work at the Vehe Farm (paths, flowers, grasses, etc.). I am not convinced it would be used for road or drainage improvements. We do not need more public funds spent on the Vehe Farm. Let the Vehe Farm Foundation raise the money to do any further work.
Some board members have not taken their fiduciary responsibility to this village seriously in the past, nor do they represent the majority of the residents when they vote. How can we trust them to spend wisely in the future?
Vote "no" for the Deer Park sales tax referendum.
Mary Lahr
Deer Park