By: Diane Benjamin
The Town of Normal used to have their tax history on their website, they no longer do. Luckily I copied it back in 2012: https://blnnews.com/2012/05/30/normal-il-what-is-up-with-the-debt/
Rates were raised last Monday: http://www.normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2689
To translate their Greek:
April 1, 2017 – $1.27 per 1,000 gal, plus $2.50 per month
August 7, 2017 – $2.02 per 1,000 gal, plus $3.00 per month
But they aren’t done:
April 1, 2018 – $2.23 per 1,000 gal, plus $3.25 per month
April 1, 2019 – $2.44 per 1,000 gal, plus $3.50 per month
April 1, 2020 – $2.65 per 1,000 gal, plus $3.75 per month
April 1, 2021 – $2.86 per 1,000 gal, plus $4.00 per month
April 1, 2022 – $3.07 per 1,000 gal, plus $4.25 per month
If you use 6000 gallons now, you pay 7.62 + 2.50 = $10.12 ($121.44 a year)
By 2022 you will pay $22.67 ($272.04 a year)
5 years ago you only paid $9.64 (115.68 a year)
Sewer dollars are in a separate fund so they CAN charge you more. Essential services taxpayers expect government to do are immaterial to the Town of Normal unless you pay more – the fund doesn’t have enough money. By segregating funds, it allows the Town to spend other money frivolously:
- Millions on underpass/overpass studies and planning
- New library
- Renting expensive office space just to get the building on the circle
- Expensive furniture for the new space
- Rebate taxes and grounds maintenance for Rivian
- Rebate taxes for Portillos
This list could go on and on.
The residents of Normal deserve every tax increase the Council wants to hand out because only two guys showed up at the meeting Monday to even discuss the increases. The two attend and speak at most meetings while all other residents think they are powerless.
Your government doesn’t FEAR you. Chris Koos did temporarily when he was almost defeated – he got over it. Just on this one report (linked above) Koos was reimbursed for:
That’s $6,561.07 for 3 trips. Koos must have used up his budget for the year since the Japan trip was paid out of another account not associated with the Mayor or Council.
What benefits did you receive from any of them? In Washington DC he begged for Federal Tax dollars – pretending those taxes don’t come from you.
The citizens in Normal have chosen to live under tyranny. Quit complaining on Facebook, the Council doesn’t care about your social media babble.
The Council doesn’t want to see angry citizens in person. That’s why their public comment policy still restricts your rights and violates the law: http://www.normal.org/854/Addressing-the-Council
Have you noticed the happy Council smiles every time they vote to steal more from you?
The email below was written to the Bloomington Alderman who wanted Modified Wards so guys like him didn’t need to represent individuals. Elections are At-Large in Normal so their Council doesn’t need to either. See this story for the background: https://blnnews.com/2013/11/13/city-manager-mark-peterson-liables-me/
.
![]()
This shows exactly how the Town feels about you!
Yes, fiscal responsibility is an extreme agenda since nobody in Illinois believes in it. The next City Manager will think just like Peterson because the Council agrees with him. Congrats.
.
.
