As nominations for the recall election for the Paris Town Board closed Tuseday there were no surprises with just the already announced challengers filing papers.
That means on the ballot Chairman Virgil Gentz will be challenged by Joseph Kolnik, Supervisor Ken Monson will be challenged by Robert Fliess and Supervisor Ronald Kammerzelt will be challenged by Paul Terry.
The recall election will take place Nov. 22. That is the Town Board’s usual regular meeting date. The board agreed Tuesday to move the meeting to Nov. 15.
The recall organizers were mobilized by the board’s handling and approval of an intergovernmental agreement with Somers, which included the immediate mass transfer of 2,500 acres from Paris to Somers. They objected to what they saw as a forced relocation that will diminish the value of their property and which was handled without public participation, such as discussion at open meetings.
The incumbents have defended the IGA with Somers as necessary to protect the town’s borders. Subsequently Paris officials have come to an understanding with Kenosha and Somers for a new IGA, that gives people in growth areas for Kenosha and Somers 50 years to annex.
The recall organizers were ALSO mobilized by the board’s approval of the mass transfer of ~$10 million (including legal bills) from Paris to Somers.
Will the nominees debate the incumbents and if so when?
@Northwestern Mike: You seem obsessed with having a debate. Seems to me the time for the current board members, who are now “candidates” should have “debated”(e.g. kept the citizens informed of what was happening behind “closed doors”) while they were trying to ram through the IGA. I think quite honestly the current board members have NOTHING to GAIN by engaging in a debate with the challengers. They are going to have a TOUGH TIME trying to “sell ” their performance to the public. Start with the $10 million “loan” to Somers, the 2500 acres “dowry” of land that did not belong to them that they tried to give away(aka “The Twilight Zone”), and keep going right on down the line. Could prove to be a pretty interesting debate. The board’s sole rationale “we were trying to protect our borders”. Maybe we should have taken that $10 mil and built a wall around Paris!!! But you keep asking, Mike. Apparently, NOBODY is listening!!!
Your math is wrong. A loan is a loan. It gets paid back.
Plus, they have had decades to protect the boundaries and have done NOTHING! They had their chance.
I think there will be new challengers stepping up in April as well. I don’t think all three of the challengers now are looking to be 30 year board members. They just had the guts to say, enough is enough.
IMHO the nominees will never agree to a debate as that would expose their inability to serve in local government. I’m not sure which I fear most – the outcome of the Presidential election or this one in Paris. . . .
Bring on the election – the Paris Town Board fought so hard to stop it. They cannot run from the voters forever – or their public information requests for that matter. You gave just 30 days notice before the agreement and then moved it to 15 days and went ahead and refused a referendum. Now its time to face the music!.
@Another Paris Resident: I think Hillary would do a fine job as Paris Town Chairperson. We’ve already got a “Donald” at the helm. Chill out.
@Northwestern Mike: “A loan is a loan. It gets paid back”. Unless the borrower fails to repay it back. It’s called “default”. Ask Donald Trump how that works, he “wrote the book” on it!
Paris Pundit,
Name one village you know of that has defaulted. They are backed up by the taxpayer.
I can think of Detroit and Stockton, California. That’s it.
What you suggest is more common in the private domain, but very, very rare in the public domain.
I think reckless Ron is losing his cool.
Today’s Kenosha News headline: “Paris budget bump comes from lawyer fees”. The article details how the Paris 2017 town budget will INCREASE 9.6%!!!! Let’s see how the board tries to “spin” that!! Do the math folks!! Stunning!
Perplexed in Paris,
Why would this surprise you?
The town is in the middle of negotiating boundary agreements that require lawyers.
Legal fees are going to go up.
@Northwestern Mike: I stand by my post..”a loan is a lone. It gets paid back, unless the borrower fails to repay it back. It’s call default”. You then cite 2 “villages” that defaulted(Detroit & Stockton….pretty sure they are cities), backing up my point. I so do love correcting you. Explain to us one more time why our town board felt it
in our best interests to use OUR taxpayer monies to “loan” MILLIONS to Somers. When did we become “The First Bank of Paris”? Maybe we could open up a “Christmas Club” account for Somers. Their village president has proposed a 50% pay increase for himself! Explain how Paris only gets 50% of the revenue generated on land developed on the east side of I-94, and ZERO % of land on the west side of the freeway. Where is the “quid quo pro” in THAT! There ISN’T any!!!!
Defaults are rare. The rest makes no sense.
I’ll post this from another story just for you.
I look at it this way. Get your personal attacks ready.
In the current MOU between Paris and Kenosha, Paris traded land to Kenosha for a permanent boundary agreement and access to sewer and water. There will be NO revenue between for Paris.
In the IGA between Paris and Somers, Paris also traded land to Somers for a permanent boundary agreement and access to sewer and water. To get revenue sharing the town had to make a monetary investment.
The dump revenue is declining and a new source of revenue is need. There will be no revenue from Kenosha. Uline is proof of that. The new source of revenue will come from the revenue sharing agreement with Somers.
I know 50% of 0 is 0. I am confident revenue will be shared.
I guarantee we are paying fees and making loans to Somers that exceed the value of the “profit sharing”. Let’s keep our money in anticipation of the dump revenue declining.
Somers today announced the are going to hire an “assistant manager” to help run the village….funded courtesy Town of Paris residents. Sweet deal for Somers…not so good for us. Go figure.
The Paris Town Board SIGNED an agreement on April 8th 2016 which:
1) was to transfer 2,576.2 acres of land to Somers on April 15th, 2016 and
2) allocated $10 million of Paris reserves to the Village of Somers by December 31st, 2016.
Two Paris residents filed a lawsuit to stop the Paris Town Board.
On November 7, 2016, the Paris Town Board has admitted their error and are giving residents the option of changing jurisdictions over the next 50 years but the Town of Paris is still lending $5 million to Somers.
It’s taken over six months, a referendum petition and a recall petition for the Town Board to admit any error. Coincidentally, the small improvement is announced two weeks before the election.
Why are we lending Somers $5 million to do with as they please?
If we want revenue sharing, the $5 million should be allocated to infrastructure for the land we want to develop and share revenues.
Isn’t this common sense?