The Township Board (City Council) has granted Supervisor Linda Abernathy's request to put another tax increase for City of Champaign Township on the ballot.
Township Supervisor Linda Abernathy said the increased tax income would allow her to increase benefits to 50 disabled people receiving general assistance/transitional assistance from the current $150 per month to the state-recommended $223 per month. The additional funding would also allow her to create a $42,000 emergency assistance fund whereby extremely poor residents could receive a $225 grant once a year to deal with an economic crisis, effective July 1, 2009.
Abernathy asked voters in November 2006 to approve a 5-cent increase in the district's overall tax rate. But voters rejected that proposal by a 2-1 margin.
She said she proposed a smaller increase this time around because she recognizes that residents are feeling the economic pinch.
"People are feeling the burn, the pinch," she said. "I wanted to do something minimal enough to survive the shortfall, but not so extensive to turn the voters off."
At least she reduced the amount of increase she was requesting this time.
Hopefully the voters of Champaign will turn down this tax increase just as overwhelmingly as they did last time it was on the ballot.
Linda Abernathy ran out of money when she switched from a voucher system to cash payments. Go figure, you open your doors, hand out cash and run out of money.
Maybe we could eliminate Abernathy's salary and just leave the cash on the doorstep of her office for folks to come pick up.
From the NG article, "Abernathy was forced to remove 80 able-bodied general assistance recipients from the rolls on Feb. 1, 2007, because of the district's declining financial picture."
Able bodied ???? Maybe Abernathy should read the help wanted adds to these people. There are jobs for people that want them. Go into any store, they are crying for help, and these are NOT minimum wage jobs. The taxpayers voted this down before and they will again, until Abernathy shows that She can run the office in a fiscaly responsible manor. The same goes for the City Council and the Champaign County Board!
"until Abernathy shows that She can run the office in a fiscaly responsible manor. The same goes for the City Council and the Champaign County Board!"
And Unit 4, too, Vote NO! for the sals tax increase!
Gregg makes a good point about giving money to "able-bodied" people....while we see help wanted signs everywhere.
If Mrs. Abernathy deems the current amount of township welfare to be such an insignificant pittance, why don't we just eliminate coterminus townships, since they certainly serve no useful purpose.
I'm all for eliminating coterminous townships. Instead of the City Legal Department and Finance Department providing support services for the Township, including trying to lobby for legislation designed to bail Ms. Abernathy out, perhaps City staff should be working with the Illinois Municipal League to get rid of coterminous townships. And I think there's only a shortfall because of Ms. Abernathy's Santa Claus approach to tax money. We still don't have an answer as to how money went missing from the township safe--until she can explain that, and her other budget woes, without looking at the ceiling for divine inspiration, the taxpayers shouldn't give her another additional dime.
Abernathy's accountability skills are exceeded only by the uselessness of City of Champaign Township government.
Post new comment