I want the residence of Northfield Village to know that Keith Czerr, a council member in Ward B, will continue to work vigorously in spending their tax dollars to improve their quality of life.
I am very disappointed and frustrated with year after year the priorities of this administration. We spend tax payer dollars on surveys that should have been last on the list. One of those surveys was for certain businesses to change their signs and they have 10 years to do it. I was not for it, and it is an added cost to the businesses and will be passed on to the tax payers. When it comes to the businesses we should make decisions to help them with the added millions we take in from The Casino.
Mayor Jesse Nehez has forgotten, and has done nothing for the following priorities that I have stood up for. Improving both Smith and Huntington parks. We will be adding a parking lot this year to Huntington Park which Gary Vojtush and I called for last year, and though the price seems high, we must get it done. I have also suggested that the partials of land on Elm Street could be donated for extended parking. I want state of the art parks for the people of Northfield Village who have waiting a lifetime. We have the money.
The mayors’ five year plan is just another story by him and was told to me seven years ago. Our mayor ran for beautification and landscaping, but is still trying to find it all these years. He has not kept his word and his responsibilities as mayor.
We have nearly a 9.5 million dollar budget, and we should allocate more money for flowers and mulch. This is part of what will keep the value of our homes and the pride of our community. It starts with us. Please take the time to look at the community of Glen Willow. Their commitment to beautification and landscaping at a mere $11,000 last year is something to behold.
Our Mayor only purchased about 14 flower pots to hang on Northfield Road, shameful. Once again, with all the revenue increase , it should have been 25 or 30 flower pots at the least. The bar needs to be set higher.
I am deeply concerned about the safety of our children, seniors, the blind, handicapped, bike riders, and all residents about not having safety crosswalks in Northfield Village. Safety crosswalks should be maintained by Northfield Village on all streets that we are responsible to maintain. We need to keep in contact with those who are responsible for Northfield Road on a regular basis as we have more traffic than ever on Northfield Road. Again this is raising the bar. The mayor has fought me on this, and he is our safety director and it should be a deep concern of his. A bike rider was hit with no safety crosswalks, we do not need any fatalities.
I want to work with council on major improvements for the residents and the businesses at a much faster pace. I will not support a pay raise and health care for a part time mayor who has ignored his commitment on what he ran for, moving Northfield Village so that it becomes a most desirable place to raise a family and a catalyst for other communities.
To follow, I am appalled that the mayor wants a pay raise and health care, paid for by the tax payers of Northfield Village. But, when it comes to the parks and recreation, landscaping and safety and other major problems, such as storm sewers that are collapsing throughout the village, he turns his back. We cannot allow our fire hydrants to be rusty especially on Northfield Road.
We have a 3 million dollar surplus, what I have brought up will not even put a dent in that. I believe we should use part of the money to suspend the sewer maintenance bill for all people in the village.
Hopefully we can work together with much more aggressive results.
