Neighbor News
Voters Send Message To Lake Villa Township: DO NOT WASTE OUR TAX DOLLARS
Measure to purchase failing golf course defeated.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 23, 2017
Press Contact: Emily Miller,
Find out what's happening in Grayslakefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Find out what's happening in Grayslakefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Lake Villa township held a special session on Monday night to allow residents to weigh in on whether to spend $750,000 in taxpayer money to purchase a money-losing golf course that lays mostly outside the Township boundaries.
The measure was defeated 716 to 128, and the Daily Herald reported that following the vote, Lake Villa Township Supervisor Dan Venturi said he was not surprised by the outcome of the vote, but “didn't expect the opposition to be that lopsided.”
“I’m not the least bit surprised that turnout to this meeting was so high, or that the measure was defeated so soundly,” said Representative Sam Yingling (D-Grayslake) whose district includes parts of Lake Villa Township. “Increasingly, Township governments face well-deserved scrutiny for unwise use of public funds and last night’s resounding defeat of Lake Villa Township’s plan to use taxpayer dollars to purchase a money-losing golf course should send a clear message to Townships across Lake County: Residents are sick and tired of townships wasting taxpayer dollars.”
In the last month, stories of wasteful township spending practices have littered the pages of local newspapers. In the last month alone, it was reported that townships in Lake County were found to be buying or trying to buy cell phone plans for personal use, sports memorabilia to decorate government offices, and, last but not least, a money-losing golf course.
Yingling is the sponsor of Senate Bill 3, a government consolidation measure that allows residents of townships across Illinois to decide for themselves whether their local townships are really serving a valuable public function.
“Voters understand that their tax dollars are being spent on unnecessary, big-ticket items, and they’re sick of footing the high property taxes that keep township governments flush with cash,” said Yingling. “If my bill passes, township residents will have the power to put an end to inefficient, wasteful spending that township governments so often resort to.”
Senate Bill 3 passed the Illinois Senate and awaits a vote in the House of Representatives.
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