DeKalb native Ivan Krpan shared an unusual rant on Facebook yesterday. What’s unusual: it’s in the form of a list! Reprinted with permission and minimal editing.
Ivan’s 22 Myths about DeKalb:
1. Lowered property values will translate to lower property taxes.
2. Mayor Povlsen and his city council are in control of city hall.
3. The recently increased levy for this year over last year’s levy won’t increase the rate on the tax bill.
4. The architect for the new police station is truly concerned about the local taxpayers and the police department they are designing the oversized and overpriced police station for.
5. The library board is truly concerned on how costs for the new library will not financially impact property owners already trying to figure out how to pay their current tax bills and real necessities that come day to day in life with the downturned economy.
6. The expansion at the court house will not affect DeKalb taxpayers.
7. The expansion of the county jail will not affect DeKalb taxpayers.
8. DeKalb school district 428 has complete control of its finances and costs.
9. The recent levy request from Dist 428, which is more than last year’s request, includes the recent school referendum payments.
10. Wage increases have been frozen along with hiring in our local government administrations.
11. The State of Illinois has fulfilled its annual obligations to the area school districts and NIU.
12. DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport will ever make money, run in the black and NOT be a big black hole sucking good taxpayer dollars down the hole.
13. The Cortland grade school is free of any toxins in the air school children breathe.
14. Mark Biernacki is truly qualified to be the city manager of DeKalb.
15. Cutbacks in police and fire staff actually help keep costs down (when overtime is not addressed).
16. No one knowingly lied to the voters concerning the most recenty passed school referendum and that the new high school was truly built to improve education.
17. TIF the way it is exploited in DeKalb is constructive for DeKalb and does not impact the operations for all of those partnered with the city.
18. Sitting at home on one’s butt on election day and not voting shows the incumbents who the real bosses are.
19. ShoDeen is going to actually break ground anywhere in the near future.
20. Millions spent to renew downtown DeKalb truly has increased the flow of traffic and dollars spent in downtown DeKalb.
21. The City of DeKalb is financially stronger this year over last year just because the city manager and his hand-picked finance director say so.
22. There are no economic problems with homeowners in this town and all these new Taj Mahals will be paid for easily with no strife added to the taxpayers.