While once again the bulk of the village board meeting consisted of public comments, the big item of business, outside of paying bills, at the Manteno Village Board meeting was the reinstatement of the 1 percent grocery tax.
“What our Governor J.B. Pritzker decided to do was, is he told everybody that we’re going to get a tax break this year. So what he did was he eliminated the state 1 percent grocery tax, and now he turned it over to each individual village to decide if they wanted to do it or not,” Trustee Mike Barry said.
Illinois villages have been given the choice to reinstate the tax. Previously, the state collected the tax and distributed it to the villages. Now, villages would need to collect it independently of the state if they want the revenue.
“So now, we’re the bad guys because we’re the ones who are trying to get the tax that we’ve already had in place for five, six years now. […] It is a big chunk of change for the village, $325,000, in the financial state that we’re in, would really help out,” Barry explained.
The board voted unanimously to approve reinstating the tax, without much discussion after Barry’s presentation. Barry motioned and Trustee Peggy Vaughn seconded. Trustee C.J. Boudreau was not present.
Speaking of Pritzker and the Village of Manteno, the Office of Governor J.B. Pritzker released a boards and commissions update on September 2, noting that former Mayor of Manteno Timothy Nugent would serve as a member of the Prisoner Review Board, pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate, to be effective September 16.
It was previously reported on August 29 that Nugent would chair the board; however, Pritzker’s release noted an administrative error, stating he will not chair the board but will be a member. Nugent’s anticipated salary would be $148,000 annually.
Word must not have yet reached the townspeople about Nugent’s appointment by the time of the board meeting on September 2, as none of the many public speakers addressed it.
One resident spoke about the grocery tax, though. Francine Fatima asked the board not to approve it. She added she felt the bathrooms in the Square on Second would be fiscally irresponsible, calling it “frivolous spending.”
Mostly, it was concerns from the last meeting that spilled over, with the bathroom brouhaha being the most talked-about discussion item, along with board attitudes.
“At first, I wasn’t easily on board with [Trustee Peggy Vaughn] going down there, putting that mock outhouse in the middle of Second Street down there. But she really had the initiative to go down there and put something up so people could have a vision of what it would look like in the middle of our park there,” resident George Riker said of Vaughn’s efforts to demonstrate what the bathroom could look like at the park.
Riker also criticized the village for not helping Vaughn with her efforts to demonstrate what the bathroom would look like.
“Now, somebody took the initiative to post it on Facebook, which I think was a good thing, because then people got to see that. I seen that, and I’m like, ‘Oh my god, that thing is horrible!’ And at least people voted on it. So, now you know how people feel about it,” Riker said, telling the board to be smarter about their money, indicating they shouldn’t waste it on the bathrooms.
Another resident spoke of the pavilion potty poll on Facebook, with the results being that people overwhelmingly didn’t want it.
Paul Motel, who sought a trustee seat and narrowly lost in the last municipal election, thanked Gesky for voting for the forensic audit and spoke about transparency, noting it was something everyone running for office agreed upon.
Motel urged the board to put forth a sincere effort to be amicable and to “heal the bruised community.” Motel is the chairman of the plan commission.
Among the comments, Emily Hermann encouraged the board to eliminate raffle permit requirements, seemingly chalking up not getting a permit fee waiver to political infighting.
“This expensive permit is stifling my efforts. And I get it. It all comes down to the division of the board on this ongoing political feud,” Hermann said.
Hermann intended to run the Chicago Marathon, while undergoing chemotherapy herself, to raise funds and awareness for those battling Leukemia.
“But I shouldn’t have to stand here and give a lesson of compassion, service, and when we get down to it, freedom. Once again, I will use any time I am blessed with on this earth to serve. You are blessed with more than I am. Don’t let it go to waste,” she urged the board.
The board apparently isn’t against fundraisers, however, as they approved the Knights of Columbus Tootsie Roll fundraiser that will take place September 19 and 20.
Switching from bathrooms to behavior, several residents took aim at Crockett for his remarks at the end of the last board meeting.
Diane Sauerbier reproached Crockett for his “outrageous disrespect and bullying.” She felt Crockett owed the mayor and the village an apology.
Sauerbier wasn’t alone, as Sandy Chiz criticized Crockett for “ambushing the mayor.” Chiz also inquired about a proposed group home, for which there will be a meeting on September 9, and she was concerned that neither Mayor Annette LaMore nor Trustee C.J. Boudreau knew about the public hearing.
There were others, mostly following suit. In contrast, trustee comments were mundane, especially in comparison to last week.
Vaughn had requested all of the town’s police officers to attend a board meeting to introduce them to the community “so the folks at home can see who our officers are and who keeps them safe.”
Officer Josh Spangler, along with two others, attended the meeting. Spangler gave a brief report of the crime statistics in Manteno: 869 incidents, 100 case reports, 122 tickets issued, and 23 arrests.
Crockett, who heads the Public Works and Utilities Committee, asked Public Works Superintendent Jim Hanley to review some projects in town. A county transportation study meeting was coming up, and Hanley addressed some paving delays.
Leahy Street residents will experience some disruption with an upcoming storm sewer project, as directional boring will occur with “a couple of wheelbarrow-sized holes dug in backyards,” Crockett said.
Hanley explained it should be approved by the October meeting, with work coming up shortly thereafter, but seed blankets likely won’t be spread until the spring.
“We just didn’t want there to be any surprises,” Crockett said, keeping things focused on business.
Mums have been ordered for fall downtown beautification — but when it came to offering an apology as one resident requested of Crockett — well, mum’s the word.
Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.