Taxpayers will be asked to sign blank check for new library
My dad has a phrase for this sort of thing that he uses in polite company: ‘bass ackwards.’ I just call ‘em ‘incredibly friggin’ stupid.’ Here it is:
Peoria Public Library officials still plan to ask the City Council next week for $35 million in bonds to pay for its expansion and construction project. However, it appears increasingly unlikely that a single site for a new North Branch library will be a part of the proposal.
That’s $35 million. To build a library. Somewhere.
Good Christ, people. Public bodies made siting decisions all the damn time. They establish objective criteria. They base these decisions on what meets the criteria. And then the act.
Taxpayers who will be paying for this new building – as well as the other renovations – need to know where this will be build before they will be forced to pay for it. Once the burded of whether or not they are going to get the money is lifted, there will be less pressure on the powers-that-be to pick a site that will pass muster with the taxpayers and the politicians who answer to the voters.
The Peoria City Council MUST NOT approve any bonds until a site is named. As I reported before, history shows that library director Ed Szynaka has had some problems with cost overruns before, and that strict oversight is essential. Handing over $35 million before we know where this thing will be build is NOT strict oversight. It’s barely oversight at all.
May 20th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Agreed. Not only that, the deal is not to simply give them $35 million. They need to come up with exactly what they want to build, get the lowest quotes on it, and then bond only up to that amount. The goal is to upgrade the library system, not to find ways to spend up to the $35 million limit the voters approved.
May 21st, 2008 at 11:37 am
After talking with Sandberg and seeing the process they’re going through, I feel more comfortable with how things are going. They did set objective criteria and act on it, so I think Billy’s concerns have already been addressed. And they are trying to negotiate the best deal they can to keep costs down.
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:51 pm
[...] been critical of any attempt to get taxpayers on the hook for this before the decision is made regarding location. Gary Sandberg, the city council’s [...]