Township

Linda Abernathy is working very hard to win allies in advance of her referendum effort in November, and a potential re-election battle in 2009:

City of Champaign Township Supervisor Linda Abernathy accused the town board of racism and partisan politics Tuesday night, after the board voted to freeze the township supervisor's salary for the next two years.

Abernathy said she saw ulterior motives behind the vote because, at the same time as the salary for her office was being frozen, the board voted to grant annual 2 percent salary increases to the township assessor position, currently held by Republican Brian Christie. Both officials currently make $58,994 annually.

Abernathy is black and a Democrat.

"There's always been a racist undertone," Abernathy said about the town board. "They've never really had any real desire to work with the poor."

Wow.

This will put an end to one of the most entertaining, least impactful disputes in our local government in some time - the loud squabble in Cunningham Township over which advisory referenda to include on November's ballot:

A new law, signed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich late last month, prohibits registered voters who attend an annual township meeting from proposing advisory referendums without significant advance notice.

State law now requires 15 or more registered voters from the township to request an agenda item for consideration via written notice to the township clerk. The law now requires that such notice must be given no later than March 1.

That generally means a month in advance. Annual township meetings – where residents who are registered voters of the township get to vote – are generally held the first or second week of April.

Discuss.

City of Champaign Township Supervisor Linda Abernathy, who is asking voters for a property tax increase this fall because she feels she doesn't have enough money to provide general assistance to township residents, somehow submitted a budget which inlcuded several thousand dollars in legal fees despite the City of Champaign providing free legal service for the Township.

Tension was higher than normal as the town of the city of Champaign Township debated their budget for Fiscal Year 2008-09 Tuesday night.

Though the township board eventually passed the budget, debate ensued about a $9,000 line item, of which a large portion was called "a supreme waste of money." An amendment was eventually added re-appropriating the $9,000 of the $688,668 budget. Originally, $3,000 of that money was allotted for professional fees such as membership to the Township Officials of Illinois, while the other $6,000 was appropriated for legal fees, which a number of the Board members had a problem with.

The legal fees were said to be used for outside legal counsel, despite the fact that the city of Champaign currently allows the township to use their attorneys.

"It sounds like there could be a fight on the horizon," said Board member Tom Bruno. "I don't want to suggest we get separate legal counsel if that's not the case. It seems like a supreme waste of money."

Township Supervisor Linda Abernathy said the counsel was not going to be used for any legal action brought up against the city of Champaign but rather to get advice about how to properly run the township and utilize its resources.

"This is not about a lawsuit," she said. "What (the board members) are doing is polarizing the issue."

Sheesh.

The IRV advisory referendum will not be appearing on this fall's ballot in Cunningham Township after being defeated again last night.

It doesn't appear that Urbana voters will get a chance to weigh in on whether they would like to see city adopt instant-runoff voting for city elections.

At a special Cunningham Town meeting Monday night, a decisive majority of those in attendance, 98 to 43, rejected a proposed advisory referendum about whether the city should adopt instant-runoff voting for municipal primary and general elections.

Democratic regulars, along with some Republicans, jammed the 6 p.m. meeting and outnumbered instant-runoff-voting proponents headed by Urbana resident Durl Kruse. Any township resident who is a registered voter was eligible to attend.

I must admit that I find it both a little strange and very admirable that nearly 150 people care enough about an advisory, non-binding referendum effort to show up at a Township meeting on a beautiful summer evening.  The picture of the crowd voting at the meeting is just awesome.

Today's News-Gazette:

The Cunningham Town Board voted Monday night in special session to put one advisory question on the fall ballot but refrained from filling the ballot with two other questions.

The Urbana City Council, acting as the town board, was expected to put three questions on the Nov. 4 ballot to forestall an effort by local activists to force two advisory referendums in November, since three is the maximum number of referendum questions allowed.

The ballot question the board approved Monday will ask if motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians in crosswalks should be restricted from using cell phones.

The other two questions would have essentially asked voters if they support the status quo in regard to the local election system and in providing township financial and assessment information to the public. The board deferred action on the election question until after a town meeting June 30 and directed staff to come up with proposals to improve financial transparency.

Discuss.

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.

City of Champaign Township Supervisor Linda Abernathy still seems to think that her referendum from this February, which didn't mention anything about a tax increase, somehow means that people really want to give her more tax dollars.

City of Champaign Township Supervisor Linda Abernathy is expected to recommend tonight that a tax referendum should be placed on the Nov. 4 ballot to increase the amount of money the township is able to provide to the extremely poor.

Abernathy, in an e-mail to supporters, said she will recommend that the town board place on the ballot a question asking voters to increase the township's tax rate by 2 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The district's current overall tax rate is 3.5 cents.

Discuss.

City of Champaign Township Supervisor Linda Abernathy is asking for another tax increase referenda.

City of Champaign Township Supervisor Linda Abernathy said she's considering pushing for a November tax increase to help the cash-strapped township, after city voters on Tuesday indicated they strongly support helping adults living in extreme poverty.

The question Tuesday asked whether township voters should urge the town board to restore general assistance levels to help people living in extreme poverty. It passed with 70.6 percent of the vote.

"I think it is an absolute victory for the poor in our town," Abernathy said. "I think it does speak to the will of the people in our town. It was incredibly encouraging."

In fact, Abernathy said she's now likely to ask the town board, whose members also make up the Champaign City Council, to place a tax increase on the Nov. 4 ballot. She said she would likely seek to increase the township's tax rate by 5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The township's tax rate in 2007 was 3.57 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, the lowest in the area. Cunningham Township's tax rate, by comparison, is 19 cents.

Good for her.  I doubt it will pass, given concerns about her ability to administer the funds she has.  And I also wonder why she thinks there's any correlation between overwhelming support for Tuesday's referendum, which did not mention a tax increase, and support for doubling the Township's tax rate.  The last tax-increase effort she led was defeated overwhelmingly.  I see no reason, absent administratve improvement in her office, why a future effort would be any different.

The City of Champaign Township has placed a few advisory referenda on the ballot for next week:

Voters in the townships that include most of Champaign and all of Urbana will get an opportunity to weigh on some national issues in the Feb. 5 primary.

Additionally, Champaign voters also will be able to vote on whether they agree with the decision last year to cut funding to general assistance recipients in City of Champaign Township, and whether they think the town board should actively pursue "any and all means available to them" to help those residents living in extreme poverty.

The advisory questions, most of which center around the war in Iraq, were placed on the ballot at the annual township board meetings last April. At those meetings, members of the Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort, a local activist group, and its supporters jammed the annual town board meetings and voted the questions on the ballot.

Pass or fail, these are non-binding.

Here is the NG story on the firing of Champaign-Urbana Public Heath District Director Vito Palazzolo:

The public health board fired director Vito Palazzolo "for gross malfeasance" Monday, rejecting a settlement offer of six months' pay and voting to turn over evidence to the police.

All three members of the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District board – Linda Abernathy, Pius Weibel and Chairwoman Carol Elliott – voted to reject a settlement, fire the director, effective immediately, and turn over financial records to the Champaign Police Department as soon as today.

Neither Palazollo nor his attorney, Traci Nally, returned to the open meeting from a closed session, and neither could be reached by telephone.

The dismissal ended three months of suspension for Palazollo, who had been paid $9,000 a month to stay away from his office.

Elliott read a list of accusations against Palazollo, which included buying equipment without authorization, including a truck worth about $30,000 and two flat-screen TVs; discharging employees without following procedures; charging meals and coffees to the district's credit card while working in town; nepotism, including living with an employee; and unauthorized payment of funds "to one or more employees."

"As of today, he is no longer employed by the district," Elliott said, though she added that Palazollo, like any other employee, is entitled to any accrued vacation or sick time.

"Our action is final," Weibel said, adding the former director is "not entitled to any severance."

I'm glad they've taken this action, but I wonder how much of it could have been prevented by more diligence during the hiring process, and better oversight during his tenure.

Yesterday's News-Gazette editorial regarding the governance of the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District in the wake of the allegations surrounding Director Vito Palazzolo:

The administration of Vito Palazollo may be nearing an end, but that doesn't mean more changes aren't needed. For one thing, this is an opportune time to examine whether it's a good idea to have three people busily involved in other government agencies – the Champaign County Board and the township governments in Champaign and Urbana – also trying to keep tabs on a public health agency with an $8 million budget. The current situation suggests that a very part-time board isn't capable of overseeing such a large, diverse and growing government agency.

Is the CUPHD's Board membership set by statute?  Why is it Linda Abernathy, Carrie Elliott and Pius Wiebel?  What structure would better serve the District and its citizens?

At yesterday's Champaign City Council meeting, the Council voted in favor of several smaller ways to aid the City of Champaign Township:

City council members on Tuesday narrowly rejected providing $26,000 to have City of Champaign Township create an emergency assistance program for the poor.

But council members, who also act as the township board, did approve several other measures to increase city help for the financially struggling township. Those measures include providing short-term loans if needed, discontinuing a $3,000 annual payment by the township to the city clerk's office and appointing the city's finance director, Richard Schnuer, to also be the township collector. City staff assistance to the township will also be provided at no charge.

And:

With her previous cuts to general assistance, Abernathy said she believes she now has enough money to get through the next two fiscal years without deficit spending, before reserves run out.

Abernathy said she could also probably fund an emergency assistance program for at least a year, but decided she would forego that program without the city's help due to the township's financial problems.

Abernathy said she will raise the level of general assistance, starting July 1, to $150 per month.

So the Township is tapping into it's reserves, but raising the level of general assistance anyway?

Here's the News-Gazette story on the presentation that City of Champaign Township Supervisor Linda Abernathy made to the Champaign City Council last night regarding the Township's budget woes:

A discussion of the township's financial condition and possible solutions took place at Tuesday's council study session. While council members heard a detailed staff presentation and peppered Township Supervisor Linda Abernathy and city staff with questions, no final decision about city assistance was made...

Due to a deficit that is rapidly drawing down township reserves, Abernathy implemented drastic cuts on Feb. 1 to general assistance. She reduced the monthly cash benefit from $212 to $100 and ruled that only those who are seeking federal disability assistance would be eligible...

Abernathy's cuts removed 50 poor but able-bodied recipients from general assistance, leaving about 50 disabled recipients on the township rolls who are awaiting a decision about being eligible for Supplemental Security Income...

City Finance Director Richard Schnuer said the township generates about $600,000 annually in property taxes, with its property tax rate of 3.68 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. But spending for general assistance and operating the township supervisor and township assessor's offices is expected to cost about $700,000 each year.

I've attached a scan of the written report presented by Abernathy last evening.  I notice that the report isn't on the Township's website, which I find inexcusable, but that's another story.  Not making information like this readily available to the public only increases distrust of the Township's operations, in my opinion.  If they're not going to share this type of information, people will think they're trying to hide something.

One thing is confusing me, though.  If I'm reading this correctly, the Township is providing assistance to 50 people per month at $100 per person - so they're spending about $5,000 per month or $60,000 per year on General Assistance.  The article makes it sound like there's about 50 more people who are legally eligible - which would cost another $60,000 per year.  Why can't the Township afford to provide $120,000 in General Assitance out of a $700,000 budget?  What am I missing?

In response to all the questions we've been asking lately, someone passed along a copy of the City of Champaign Township's Annual Financial Report from June of 2006 and asked me to post it.

I've haven't yet read it, but I'm hoping it can answer some questions that I have:

• How much does the Township spend on General Assistance?
• How much does the Township spend on Administration?
• How many people receive General Assistance from the Township?
• How many people does the Township think are not recieving General Assistance due to lack of funding?

If anyone reads this thing before I get a chance and can glean the answers or any other interesting tidbits, please share them in comments.

For comparision, you can see some budget numbers for Cunningham Township right here.

The AFR is attached to this post, as is a Memo from Township Supervisor Linda Abernathy titled "Solutions the budget deficit and inability to serve the poor."  

I have some other documents as well, but I want to glance through them before posting them.  These first two should keep us busy for a while.

In a follow-up to a comment discussion from yesterday, Carol Elliott, the Cunningham Township Supervisor, was kind enough to email this report to me, and I wanted to share it with you.

I haven't read it all, but one thing I've noticed is that the Township has at least two funds:  a General Township Fund and a Genearl Assistance Fund.  The General Town fund covers expenses for assessment, administration, etc.

Cunninham Township's General Assistance Fund had about $380,000 and provided assistance to around 72 to 102 people per month, with the total number of individuals covered in any given year falling between 130 and 217.

Does anyone have similar information for City of Champaign Township?  Their website has lots of information about why they need more money, but I can't find anything about their current financial situation and how many clients they're serving and how many they cannot serve due to lack of funding.

Thank you to Carol Elliott for sharing this.

Champaign Township has filed a lawsuit against the County Board and City of Champaign Township regarding the changing of township boundaries by the County Board.  The case is 07 MR 145.  No judge yet assigned. 

For your information:

Please join the City of Champaign Township for a lively informational discussion on the purpose of Township Government, the Obligation to serve the poor and why a Tax Referendum is needed. Please come prepared with questions. The City of Champaign Township Supervisor, Linda Abernathy will be presenting the needs of the township and the long term impact of tax caps.
Monday, October 30, 2006

8 - 9 PM

Champaign County Farm Bureau Auditorium

801 N. Country Fair Drive, Champaign

Details here.

If you live in SW Champaign (Champaign Township specifically) you will be asked at the polls whether certain recently annexed subdivisions should be allowed to leave the township tax rolls to join the City of Champaign Township.

As I understand it, the City will be responsible for road maintenance in these areas. Also, all these homeowners will be seeing a substantial tax increase as a result of being annexed. Those remaining in Champaign Township, which includes Lincolnshire Fields and Maynard Lake subdivisions, will have their property tax base decrease if these annexed subdivisions are allowed to leave the township.

The way I see it, those residents of Ironwood, Copper Ridge and Trails of Brittany all already taking a big hit. It would not be fair to ask them to also pay higher taxes to help fund Champaign Township roads. Vote "Yes" to let them join the City of Champaign Township and at least get one small tax break.