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Health & Fitness

Mayor Rotering is wrong on infrasrtucture

Mayor Rotering Wrong on Infrastructure

Mayor Rotering recently distributed an email announcement about infrastructure projects to be funded this year. She should be commended along with the City Council and staff for communicating this information to the public. After police and fire, public works consumes the largest share of taxpayer dollars. However, what was brought to my attention by several residents is that she also asserts that the previous administration neglected infrastructure. This is not only unnecessary to say but not truthful.

During my tenure the City established master plans for streets, storm and sanitary sewers, as well as the water system. These plans include performance criteria and enable the city to prioritize projects based on the biggest bang for the buck. For example storm sewers were up sized first in areas with repetitive flooding. Streets that carried a lot of traffic are prioritized for resurfacing.

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To implement these plans we also established a five year capital budget. This best practice was cited by Moody’s investor service in assigning a Aaa rating to our bonds. Each year the council reviews projects in the plan during the budget process and can make adjustments if warranted. The plan is then funded for the year and extended for another year to provide a 5 year outlook for planning purposes.

 There has been a consistent commitment of $3.8mm to fund improvements to streets, bridges, storm and sanitary sewers. There is also a commitment of $1.0mm to improvements to the water system.  This was the case in the past, in FY 2011, my last year in office, as well as in FY 2012, and Mayor Rotering’s first year in office.

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This amount is augmented by grants from the federal and state governments and   the issuance of bonds. For example, during my tenure we developed a plan for upgrading the water plant which is being funded over time through the issuance of debt. The bonds will be repaid with revenues from water sales including those generated from western communities purchasing water from Highland Park (e.g. Deerfield).

What is even more disingenuous about the claim of prior neglect is that total expenditures for public works declined from 32% of the budget during my last year in office to 21% during Rotering's first year in office.

What the Mayor also fails to mention is that she squandered away over $200k on a politically connected lawyer to investigate   criminal activity on the part of the past administration. None was found. The Mayor also recently approved a sales tax give away of close to $8.0mm dollars to a car dealer while the Council had set a guideline of $500k for the sales tax sharing program. All of this could have been used on infrastructure improvements.

I do not like having to write such a letter. In 16 years of service to Highland Park I never saw fit to publicly criticize my predecessors Dan Pierce or Ray Geraci. Did they make some mistakes? Yes. Did I make mistakes? Yes. But on balance we worked every day for the greater good of the people of Highland Park. However, I will not stand idly by each time the Mayor believes she can enhance her own reputation by tarnishing the reputation of others.

Progress in Highland Park comes from construction, not destruction. This Mayor needs to begin to govern by this creed.

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