The Proviso Insider is a web log where you can find unbiased, straightforward information about politics that affect Proviso Township. Our goal is to be a beacon of light in the midst of Proviso's darkness.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
What Has Happened To The Village of Eternal Light???
Maywood was once known as the Village of Eternal Light. What has happened to this once beautiful and magnificent community? What has Henderson Yarbrough done in three years since becoming Mayor in April 2005?
4 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Regrettably, unless the administration of Mayor Yarbrough does something soon the eternal light will glow even dimmer.
A year ago there was a ceremonial groundbreaking for the new United Concrete plant at 9th & St. Charles; just before the mid-term election giving the Mayor's slate near unanimous control of the Board of Trustees. A year later there still is nothing to show for it. What's happening?
The Village has now owned the old grocery store at 5th & Washington for over 10 years. A back-room deal in the works before Mayor Yarbrough took office resulted in a lawsuit by the developers, who included a former acting-police chief. An announcement was due in November regarding a new development deal, despite there not being any indication that the Village issued a new request for proposals (RFP) after the Springbrook deal fell through. What happened?
The Village, with approval by the Mayor and the Board, purchased several commercial buildings along 5th Avenue and at 1st & Lake, removing those properties from the tax rolls and reducing the collections from the County by over $100,000 each year. Again there has not been any RFP issued by the Village, although there has been reports that a deal for the 1st Avenue & Lake Street property was near. what happened?
The Village owns over 100 vacant properties due to unpaid property taxes. For awhile new houses were being built on some lots sold by the Village, but nothing since then. Sure, its become a slow real estate market now, but the Village has owned the properties for a number of years. What happened?
There Village has many hundreds of homeowners losing their houses due to mortgage foreclosures. Neither the Mayor and the Board, or the Village Manager are responsible for fixing the foreclosure crisis. But, as housing prices and values fall the Village could lose hundreds of thousands of property tax dollars each year which will affect the services delivered to all property owners.
Without stabilizing the community and developing the commercial sites the Village of Maywood will be unable to realize the potential it should have because of its location and assets. What's happening?
A year from the next election Mayor Yarbrough, the Board, and the Village Manager should open be open about what is going on with the projects they all announced but have yet to even start. The RFP process should be open and agressive to attract as many proposals as possible rather than making deals the details of which are unknown to the public.
Open and honest would show the voters what problems there have been for Mayor Yarbrough and the members of the Board on his slate, and indicate what he/they intend to do to lead the Village back toward the light in a second term.
Yarbrough has done absolutely little to return Maywood to it's splendor. The only good that has come from his administration is that now the people know who not to vote for.
Maywood needs to crack down on gangs, violence and drugs. If the village ever gets serious about it, the village can then try to encourage business development. Business growth will offer more jobs and when more people are working in the village, people will be less inclined to run afoul and burn out that eternal light.
But...no businesses will come, and people wont move into maywood if crime is bad, drugs are rampant, gangs make neighborhoods unsafe and prostitution is prevailant.
Clean up Maywood if you want a future. Start holding people in Maywood and Proviso District accountable!
Now you see Yarbrough and his gang of misfits have done NOTHING for Maywood. He said to all "VOTE FOR CHANGE". What changes? Maywood is looking like Ed Smith's ward. A War Zone! Recall Gary Woll from the board, then maybe you will get the light burning back again. He has been there over 25 years.
4 comments:
Regrettably, unless the administration of Mayor Yarbrough does something soon the eternal light will glow even dimmer.
A year ago there was a ceremonial groundbreaking for the new United Concrete plant at 9th & St. Charles; just before the mid-term election giving the Mayor's slate near unanimous control of the Board of Trustees. A year later there still is nothing to show for it. What's happening?
The Village has now owned the old grocery store at 5th & Washington for over 10 years. A back-room deal in the works before Mayor Yarbrough took office resulted in a lawsuit by the developers, who included a former acting-police chief. An announcement was due in November regarding a new development deal, despite there not being any indication that the Village issued a new request for proposals (RFP) after the Springbrook deal fell through. What happened?
The Village, with approval by the Mayor and the Board, purchased several commercial buildings along 5th Avenue and at 1st & Lake, removing those properties from the tax rolls and reducing the collections from the County by over $100,000 each year. Again there has not been any RFP issued by the Village, although there has been reports that a deal for the
1st Avenue & Lake Street property was near. what happened?
The Village owns over 100 vacant properties due to unpaid property taxes. For awhile new houses were being built on some lots sold by the Village, but nothing since then. Sure, its become a slow real estate market now, but the Village has owned the properties for a number of years. What happened?
There Village has many hundreds of homeowners losing their houses due to mortgage foreclosures. Neither the Mayor and the Board, or the Village Manager are responsible for fixing the foreclosure crisis. But, as housing prices and values fall the Village could lose hundreds of thousands of property tax dollars each year which will affect the services delivered to all property owners.
Without stabilizing the community and developing the commercial sites the Village of Maywood will be unable to realize the potential it should have because of its location and assets. What's happening?
A year from the next election Mayor Yarbrough, the Board, and the Village Manager should open be open about what is going on with the projects they all announced but have yet to even start. The RFP process should be open and agressive to attract as many proposals as possible rather than making deals the details of which are unknown to the public.
Open and honest would show the voters what problems there have been for Mayor Yarbrough and the members of the Board on his slate, and indicate what he/they intend to do to lead the Village back toward the light in a second term.
Yarbrough has done absolutely little to return Maywood to it's splendor. The only good that has come from his administration is that now the people know who not to vote for.
Maywood needs to crack down on gangs, violence and drugs. If the village ever gets serious about it, the village can then try to encourage business development. Business growth will offer more jobs and when more people are working in the village, people will be less inclined to run afoul and burn out that eternal light.
But...no businesses will come, and people wont move into maywood if crime is bad, drugs are rampant, gangs make neighborhoods unsafe and prostitution is prevailant.
Clean up Maywood if you want a future. Start holding people in Maywood and Proviso District accountable!
Now you see Yarbrough and his gang of misfits have done NOTHING for Maywood. He said to all "VOTE FOR CHANGE". What changes? Maywood is looking like Ed Smith's ward. A War Zone! Recall Gary Woll from the board, then maybe you will get the light burning back again. He has been there over 25 years.
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