Category Archives: City of Freeport

Freeport Mayor Praises Governor Quinn in Recent Column – How Soon We Forget! Freeport’s New Slogan – Give Us A Crumb and We Will Support You Forever!

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Mayor Jim Gitz of Freeport in his weekly column in the Journal Standard thanked Governor Quinn for repairs to West Street and Park Boulevard. Mr. Gitz must have a short memory. This Governor has done little for Freeport and Northwest Illinois west of Rockford. Thank the Governor for a 67% income tax increase, thank the Governor for doing nothing on a four lane US 20, thank the Governor for the train from Rockford to Chicago (If you live in Freeport, you can take the bike path to Rockford to catch the train.), thank the Governor for creating a business environment in this state that drives existing businesses out of the state such as MetLife, thank the Governor for destroying existing businesses in this state that cannot afford to leave, and thank the Governor for destroying the lives of many citizens of this state who have lost jobs, homes, and families as a result of his destructive policies. Yes, this Governor has created quite a legacy!

More TIF’s, New City Attorney, New Finance Director, and Public Transit for Stephenson County on Freeport Council Agenda for May 19!

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Freeport City Council Meeting Monday, May 19, 2014, 6:00 pm
City Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor
If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

Some items of interest on the agenda:

There will be a Public Hearing on Expansion of Public Transit to Stephenson County. The new service will start on July 1, 2014 with the Stephenson County Senior Resource Center becoming the provider for county-wide service. The fares will be as follows: regular fare $3.00, children’s fare $2.00 (7-11), and no fare for seniors. Read the full memo at http://www.cityoffreeport.org/OrdRes/Council%20Memo_Transit%20Agenda%2020140519.pdf

Resolution for Retiring City Attorney John Mitchell – a city attorney who prosecuted seat belt violations and minor traffic tickets like murder cases!

Appointment of Cynthia Haggard as Finance Director effective June 5.

1st reading of Ordinance for Meadows TIF. This TIF must cover Meadows Shopping Center with the former Kmart store on the south side of Freeport. See previous comments on the excessive use of TIF’s in Freeport and the shifting of the real estate tax burden to homeowners and small businesses.

Resolution to approve Tony Coon as City Attorney with compensation of $2,500.00 per month. The agreement with Mr. Coon states that he will provide traffic, code, and ordinance prosecution for the City of Freeport. The Agreement does not specify how much he will be working each week. It could be less than an hour a week or maybe an hour a month!
Don’t forget that Freeport already has a full time corporation counsel.  40 years ago when Freeport was larger than it is today, the job of corporation counsel was a part time job!
For the Agreement with Mr. Coon go to http://www.cityoffreeport.org/OrdRes/Council%20Memo_Transit%20Agenda%2020140519.pdf

The complete agenda is available at http://www.ci.freeport.il.us/citygovernment/Agendas/A20140519.pdf

Real Estate Tax Bills Are Out – Freeport Rate Pushing 12%!

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Freeport does have one big disadvantage when it comes to economic growth. It is located in Illinois! Illinois is known as anti-business state and high tax state (they go together). Although it may not be totally justified, that is the perception. To make matters worse, the reckless spending and high taxes at a state level must be contagious. Look at the Freeport School District! A tax rate of 6.5% in 2012 and for 2013 it is 7%, and this District had enough nerve to want 1% sales tax increase. While many states such as Texas have no state income taxes, Illinois raised its tax 67% a few years ago. It was supposed to be a temporary increase – what a joke. Taking the revenue away from the bureaucrats in Illinois is like taking sugar away from rats. Once the rat gets used to the sugar, it will do anything to get more. Same for the politicians in Springfield. Illinois, instead of looking for ways to cut spending, looks instead for new sources of revenue which is another way of saying more tax increases are coming!

More TIF’s in Freeport’s Future!

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Freeport City Council Meeting Monday, May 6, 2014, 6:00 pm
City Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor
If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

Some items of interest on the agenda:

Appointment of Todd Barkalow as Chief of Police.

Another new TIF (Tax Increment Financing District)? An ordinance authorizing study to determine eligibility of property for a TIF. What a joke! Why waste money on a study. All of Freeport would quality as TIF according to the rules! By the way, must be a secret area since location not included in ordinance (at least not online). In any event, remember each TIF just shifts tax burden to homeowners and small businesses.

Resolution to co-sponsor music at Debate Square with Lincoln-Douglas Society on July 3, 17, 24, and 31 from 7: 30 to 9:00 pm.

For the full agenda go to:

Click to access A20140505.pdf

Rockford Gets Rail Service to Chicago – Freeport Gets Nothing as Usual!

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Illinois Map

When will Freeport wake up?

Rockford doesn’t give a damn if Freeport gets rail service.

Governor Quinn doesn’t care about Freeport – not enough votes.

Our Congresswoman Bustos doesn’t care about Freeport – She can get elected without Freeport’s help. Talk about an ineffective representative for our part of Illinois.

The Journal Standard, Freeport’s local newspaper, had an article on April 11 by Chuck Sweeny, a columnist for the Rockford Register Star (both owned by the same company) announcing that rail service would just go to Rockford. No service to Freeport. It just stated the facts. Then you should read Sweeny’s column in the Rockford newspaper. He wrote a column praising Governor Quinn saying about Quinn “He made service to Rockford a top priority and followed through.” One story for Freeport and Praise Quinn story for Rockford. Chuck Sweeny is no friend of Freeport or Northwest Illinois west of Rockford. Freeport should wake up.

Rockford is a “user.” When they want something, they talk about regional cooperation. That should end. It should begin with Chicago Rockford “International” Airport. A nice little airport with third rate air service. Shop in Rockford? Every time you go to Rockford your life is on the line with its high crime rate As long as you are driving, you might as will continue to Woodfield with real stores. Yes, Rockford has played the rest of Northwest Illinois for fools for years – AND THAT MUST END.

It’s Finally Getting Warmer in Northwest Illinois! No Snow for Monday, April 7, So You All Can Make It to the Freeport City Council Meeting at 6:00 pm

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20140406-194938.jpgThe Council will meet in the Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor.
If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

Items of Interest on the agenda:

Proclamation on Union Dairy Week June 16 – 22

Appointment of Shelly Griswold (former Community Development Director) to the Airport Commission – Wow – I was afraid Shelly was really leaving us, but everyone knows that the City needs her help! If she does as much for the Airport as she did for the City of Freeport, it means that the Airport will close down by the time her term expires. One thing for sure, the City better budget more money for the Airport!

For a complete agenda go to

Click to access A20140407.pdf

Wow – Journal Standard Gets It Right – Our Property Taxes Are Out of Whack! It’s a Fact – Not an April Fools Joke!

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An editorial in the Journal Standard on April 1, 2014 reflected on Governor Quinn’s proposal to give every property owner a $500 refund on their property taxes. It further stated that the refund is of less value in Stephenson County for the following reason:

“What’s more, a flat refund is of less value in Stephenson County than it is in areas where property taxes are not quite so out of whack.”

Yes, taxes in Stephenson County and in particular Freeport are “out of whack.” In fact that is a nice way to put it. Property tax assessments (based on market values supposedly) in many cases bear no relationship to actual property values. High tax rates and unrealistic property assesments have contributed to to falling property values, population decline, and businesses leaving the area.

What small business owner wants to fight about its assessment every year?

What home owner wants to live in a community where his tax assessment has not fallen along with property values?

Who wants to own property in a community where the tax rate goes up every year with a corresponding increase in your real estate taxes?

The answer is no one. People are tired of fighting. They say nothing, but their actions speak for them. They just leave the area.

Years go, a local Freeport community leader would tell people that if they did not like it in Freeport, they should leave. Will, my friend, they are all gone now. Thank you for your words of wisdom.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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O Paddy dear, and did ye hear the news that’s goin’ round?
The shamrock is by law forbid to grow on Irish ground.

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They’ll be wearin’ the green at the Freeport City Meeting on Monday, March – Let’s Just Hope They Won’t Be Spending the Green!

Meeting at 6:00 pm 524 W. Stephenson Street, 3rd floor – watch live on Comcast Channel 17.

Items of interest:

2nd reading of ordinance on litter caused by handbills and newspapers – It’s about time something was done about these unwanted papers.

1st reading of ordinance to extend date for implementation of rental ordinance to June 2, 2014. Rules will be suspended and this will be voted on at the meeting. See posting on March 13 in regard to this ordinance. The extension and general implementation issues remind one of Obamacare!

Purchase of two Zoll Cardiac Monitor Defibrillators for fire department at cost of $59,030.40.

See complete agenda at

Click to access A20140317.pdf

If you get bored, listen to Wearing of the Green at
http://www.ireland-information.com/irishmusic/thewearingofthegreen.shtml

City of Freeport Threatens Property Owners – Letter to All Property Owners Shifts Burden to Taxpayers to Prove They Don’t Own Residential Rental Properties!

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On March 6 all property owners in Freeport received a letter from the Freeport Police and Community Development Departments advising them of the requirement to register their rental properties. The letter stated that it was being sent to residential rental property owners based on information obtained from the Stephenson County Assessor’s taxpayer records. That Assessor’s Office is certainly a mess if they think every taxpayer in Freeport owns rental properties. The burden is put on the taxpayers of Freeport to notify the City by email or calling if the letter was sent to the taxpayer in error (means taxpayer does not own residential rental properties).

Another bureaucratic nightmare! Why don’t they send letters to every taxpayer in Freeport asking them about the condition of the streets around their homes?

When will the Freeport City Council wake up and start doing its job – instead they are in chronic slumber land!

Freeport City Council Meeting on Monday, March 2 to Consider Expanding West Avenue TIF to Include Jo-Ann Fabrics

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Freeport City Council Meeting at 6:00 pm
City Council Chambers at 524 West Stephenson Street, 3rd Floor
If you have Comcast Cable, go to channel 17 to watch live.

A few items of interest:

Annual report of Freeport/Stephenson County Convention and Visitors Bureau, read report at

Click to access CVB%20201312_20140303.pdf

Summary of City’s financial condition compared to last year

Memorandum on expanding West Avenue TIF (Tax Increment Financing District or also known as SHIT which is an acronym for Shift to Homeowners Incrementally Taxes) to include Jo-Anne Fabrics. To be fair every other small business in Freeport should be included in this TIF so improvements can be subsidized by other taxpayers in this community. Wait a minute – that would mean the whole City would be in a TIF. Oh, why not! What’s good enough for Wal*Mart should be good enough for the rest of us!

Appointment of Steering Committee for City Hall Public Outreach – this committee should be called “Committee to Decide Fate of City Hall.”

1st reading of a couple of ordinances and seven resolutions dealing with items such as the sale to Alber of part of Rawleigh Complex, expanding TIF referred to above, and hiring Fehr Graham for engineering services (this firm should have an office in City Hall – surprise that Shelly Griswald is going from City Hall to work for this firm)
For a complete agenda to follow during the meeting go to

Click to access A20140303a.pdf