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I think most people would agree that our county is in
trouble and we have to look at ALL options to address the courthouse issue.
I attended the last Vision for the Future
Ad Hoc Committee meeting on Thursday, January 23, 2014 and
asked the committee if the county
board could be provided more options. One option could be a
bare bones minimum as a starting point.
I asked that we look at addressing the lawsuit
ONLY and to build courtroom facilities adjacent to the existing
courthouse and near or adjacent to the existing justice center.
This would
address the issue at hand and relieve the county from the threat of a lawsuit.
How did we get here?
The current situation didn't just happen overnight. It is the result of years of
neglect and inaction on the part of past county boards. We are at the
point where the can cannot be kicked down the road any longer.
The Rock Island County Board was brought to the table due to a lawsuit from the judges to provide
adequate courtroom facilities.
I stated to the committee
that the March $118
million cap that failed as a referendum differs
very little from a $72 million referendum that was just
proposed.
I am told by the ad hoc committee renovating the court house is not cost
effective. I would like to know what the cost of demolition and/or continued
maintenance of a vacant building while efforts are made to find a usage?
Would that change the equation of renovation not being an option? Also, is
demolition desired by the public? If it is not feasible, then if continued
maintenance is required, then would that make renovation of the existing
courthouse a more viable option?
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January 19, 2014
We need more options for the courthouse--
Voting “no”
to placing a $72 million courthouse referendum on March
2014 ballot was a vote for more options. We are working
on establishing those options.
Ten months of research by the Visions for the Future ad
hoc committee produced a $72 million recommendation for
a referendum which is too costly. The recommendation
said to build a new courthouse, fix the county office
building, and leave the courthouse a vacant building.
The space needs study data produced by the Vision
committee has value, but the proposed referendum that
came after is not the right answer.
We need to focus on the issue at hand- inadequate
courtroom facilities. Now is not the time to roll the
county office building into the equation and should not
be part of the courthouse solution.
The referendum just proposed is very similar to the
referendum placed on the ballot in April 2013. The only
difference is that this went from "the blank check" cap
for a public building commission of $110 Million to $72
Million. That 2013 courthouse referendum failed soundly.
Some county board members stated they voted “no” for
fear that it would decrease the chances for the planned
Hope Creek tax levy increase to pass in November. But
one does not have to look further for a reason to
turning down the courthouse referendum other than it is
not the right answer. A better answer is needed that
residents will want rather than a referendum that
mirrors the failed referendum from last April and hoping
that the voters will change their minds in one year's
time.
Certainly, asking the judges to sue the county, after
the county board voted the referendum proposal down, is
not that answer. As county board members, we have a
fiduciary duty to look out for the best interests of the
county and the residents and we ask the judges to
continue their patience as we look at more options. The
current situation didn't just happen overnight. It is
the result of years of neglect and inaction on the part
of past county boards, before our tenure.
We are firmly committed to addressing the threat of a
lawsuit and are working towards a solution that will
address our county’s courthouse obligation during one of
our county’s bleakest financial periods.
Chris Filbert- Rock Island County Board Member- District
1
Dr. Rod Simmer- Rock Island County Board Member-
District 18
Drue Mielke- Rock Island County Board Member- District
22
Ron Oelke- Rock Island County Board Member- District 24
Bob Westpfahl- Rock Island County Board Member- District
25 |
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