According to the Morris Daily Herald, the Village of Gardner held a meeting to discuss the creation of a controversial TIF district. Commissioner Dick Hileman and city attorney Scott Belt were allowed in, but interested residents and members of the media were excluded.
"In fact, Commissioner Hileman locked the door, effectively preventing neighbors and members of the media from entering village hall."
The circumstances in which public meetings can be closed are limited. Doesn't the the village board have to vote to go into executive session? What is it that Hileman and Belt don't want you to know?
Read the complete Morris Daily Herald article
Read about how commissioner Hileman reacts to criticism, in Thomas vs. Hileman
36 comments:
I am not surprised that these two would do something like this. What is surprising is that the Morris Herald had the balls to report news that reflects so negatively on someone in local public office.
The thugs think they can do anything they want and that they are untouchable.
Gardner residents beware! Morris created a TIF district that siphoned millions of dollars from our schools to build an extravagant new city hall. Our taxes have skyrocketed to make up the difference. Don't let Belt do the same thing to you.
The Morris Daily Herald scoops the Joliet Herald News on shenanagins of local policiticians! That's never happened before. The Morris Daily Herald is usually complicit in enabling and covering up the shenanagins, a la Mike Farrell style. Is the Morris Herald finally getting a backbone?
We don't need Morris-style politics in Gardner.
Well, Belt has control of Morris, now it is Gardner and then Mazon. How much more control are the public going to allow before someone finally sees just what is going on
Belt must be exhausted. After 9.75 hours working on City of Morris stuff, he still finds time to go to a meeting in Gardner. When does he find time to do his hair?
I remember reading a few years ago about an attorney in Chicago billing for more hours in a day.
Open your eyes people and connect the dots. Ex Gardner commissioner, sheriff, democrat guru, states attorney campaign manager,and three MHS football champs attached at the hips. Power, money, and back scratching abilitiy are the keys to the game and now Gardner is the the next one to buy the snake oil. They almost snagged Coal City but stumbled right out of the gate.
Power breeds arrogance.
I am a democrat and I MUST SAY! Local democrats are falling flat on their faces. The people have entrusted them but it went straight to their heads. They somehow have obtained a Republican-like elitist mentality that sickens most true Dems. You people had better learn real fast how to act like Democrats because the next election is just around the corner. Who is running the show in Grundy County anyway? Everyone had better start with some self-accountability and stop listening to the Big Boy. If we don't see some action, we will make the change for you. Go Obama
Gardner CEO says, "Typical Flapper"
A TIF district siphons money away from the schools. This issue affects every taxpayer and every student in the district. Are Belt and Hileman so arrogant that they think Gardner residents have no business asking questions or knowing what is going on in the village?
How interesting that they locked the door behind them!!! Where was the Mayor-----At the meet the canidates night he repeatedly stated that he was running for that position because THAT'S MY JOB!!!!!!! So my question to the Gardner residents is WHO IS THE MAYOR?? Dickie or Scot Belt????
Do Scooter and Flapper think Gardner residents are too dumb to understand TIFs? Or maybe they are afraid Gardner residents do understand, and that is why they want secret meetings.
If the TIF passes, Gardner will have an even bigger city hall than Morris.
Does Gardner pay for Alabama vacations for its city attorney? Or is that a perk that only Morris provides?
The last real democrat that gave a &hi$ about the people was Mary Kay O'Brien from Reddick. It won't be long before some of these crooks will be standing in front of her to answer up to justice. The Morris political scene has been breeding problems ever since the football win in '81 that we have to keep hearing about. You're all just sour grapes to most of us south of the Illinois River and we're the ones that got you into office.
Residents aren't surprised. Mr. Hileman has been an obnoxious and belligerent individual for years. In his tenure with Caterpillar he was used to locking doors to cut deals on behalf of the International Association of Machinists contracts, thereby lining his own pockets in the backroom. We are hoping Belt takes him to Morris with him.
Of course they pay for the vacations to allow shooting of wild animals stuck in pens. Then once a month the big wild game feed is held in the Gardner restaurant. Hello Grundy County, watch your government in action once a month. Lawyers, Judges, Deputies, Union Leaders, County Board members, municipal leaders all in one place to talk about nothing but hunting. Shooting helpless animals in Alabama, snagging fish at cooling lakes, and fleecing clueless taxpayers in Grundy County. Sportsmanship at it's best. Gardner residents should go to their local restaurant once a month, pay the entry fee, then they could talk about the TIF with the Chiefs instead of the Indians.
Be carefull what you say about Flapper. He may sue to silence his critics.
Hey, stop knocking the game feed. I have been there and found it to be very informative. These guys are good guys and they know how to cook. I think we should offer a TIF district to the hunt clubs, maybe it won't cost us so much to hunt then.
Gardner politics is starting to look like Morris. Next thing you know, the Gardner officials will be driving fire trucks through the streets and road drinking.
so the city of morris paid mr. belt over two hundred thousand dollars last year-------now what will the city of gardner pay mr. belt this year???????? hopefully enough so he and the sheriff, judge and states attorney can go to key west florida again!
is it flapper or flubber?
Was the sheriff driving the truck or the mayor?
Scooter's silly secret shenanagins shall surely sink the city.
Sledge, is the sheriff involved with a business that sells liquor? Doesn't the Liquor Control Act prohibit law enforcement officials from owning businesses that sell liquor?
Yellow.... I meam SledgeHammer for Mayor...
The TIF district is going to hurt the seniors.
Talked to Flapper today about this. Everyone should seek him out to hear what he has to say. You can then conclude yourself what an arrogant a$$hole he is. Get him talking about other political figureheads and listen to his analogy of them as well. He all but calls them deadbeats. Someone should record him cause he won't have many friends then.
Local politics is usually all about greed, power and arrogance.
Flapper and Scooter don't like people watching what they do.
Scooter and Flapper think its none of your business what they talk about in their meetings?
Those that were locked out of the meeting “didn't deserve to be in it.” according to Dick Hileman, as quoted in the June 12, 2007 Morris Daily Herald.
This proposed TIF district affects EVERY resident of Gardner.
I considered Dick a friend, but I am really disappointed in his attidude.
Dick doesn't deserve to be a councilman.
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