From the Peoria County website:
The Peoria County Finance/Legislative Committee passed a resolution late this afternoon that would place a referendum on the April ballot asking voters to raise the sales tax rate 1/4 of one percent to help fund public facilities. The County Board must approve the resolution before the referendum can be added to the April ballot. The Board must make its decision by January 30; a special board meeting will be called to allow the full board to vote on the resolution. The date of that meeting has not yet been set.
Should the County Board pass the resolution, the voters will ultimately decide whether to support the sales tax increase. The referendum would include a sunset date, set 20 years from the effective date of the tax increase. If the referendum is on the April ballot and the voters support the sales tax increase, money raised from the increase will be used to help fund construction of the Peoria Riverfront Museum.
Interested persons may click here for more information on the museum funding. From the information library, please select MuseumPolicyConsideration-REPORT.pdf or MuseumPolicyConsideration-REPORTandATTACHMENTS.pdf.
Is this is a binding referendum or an advisory?
BINDING — as in a YES vote approves 1/4% sales tax for 20 years and a NO vote does not approve.
The county is to be commended for bringing the tax referendum forward for voter approval.
One challenge is in the wording of the referendum which does not specifically state ‘museum’ only public facility, although the current intent is for the museum. A lot of questions need to be asked and answered.
Thanks for posting. It made for interesting (and lengthy) reading. I have to say that I felt the County staff did a fair and balanced assessment of the critical policy decisions and the “reality” of the current situation. How people decide may vary – but at least there is some great resource / background information available for their use in making up their mind.
So much for you not posting every day….
I’m still not convinced (or have not seen nor heard from anyone) that if approved by the voters that the tax absolutely must be implemented. For instance, one of the issues that the Finance Committee has discussed is the issue of ownership of the site on which they would build the museum building. From their discussions, it appears that they feel strongly that the County must own the land on which they build the building. So the question is, will the Peoria City Council be willing to give title to the land to the county? ? If not, then this whole thing might unravel. And will this issue be resolved prior to April 7th then the voters are ask to cast their ballots? If I don’t have confidence that this is all resolved and I understand what’s going to happen, it’s gonna be damn difficult to convince me to support this proposal. I’m done accepting any more of this, “Well, just trust us, we’ll work out the details in the future, once we know we got your money.” Sorta like where the new north side library was going to be located. I wonder how many folks voted in favor of that referendum that would change their vote now that they know the location.
1. Who is going to be the legal owner of the property when it is a museum?
2. Will they retire the debt and the tax early if the income is sufficient to do so? Or will we pay for the full 20 years?
3. If the museum fails who will then own the property and how will it be managed?
4. Since it states that we will be voting on a tax for a public facility will any excess money be used for other facilities or to retired the debt early?
5. Since it does not specifically state that this tax is for the museum what is to stop them from using it completely and totally for something else that is a public facility? We’ve been hooked and rooked before by the “trust me” line.
“Twelve full-time and 30 part-time employees would be needed to staff the new museum, with annual expenses estimated about $4.17 million.” – PJS
Sweeeeeeeeeeet…….
Watch Peoria’s unemployment rate drop to 0%!
Twelve full-time people to run a museum of this magnitude? Let me guess where those twelve people are going to come from…… Lakeview?
Lets see…. pay off initial debt, then expect a $4.17 million a year ‘operating’ cost on top of that……?
Does the passing of this resolution set in stone the wording on the ballot, Funding for Public Facilities?
What do you all(Peoria Chronicle readers) think about Crews removing himself from the election? I wish others would so the same…if you get my drift…
http://www.peoriatimesobserver.com/homepage/x512380567/BREAKING-NEWS-Doug-Crew-leaves-city-council-raceWould
Fund public facilities. CSO? New fire station for the city of Peoria? New 800 mhz city / county wide radio system? Port district? Where could it end…New schools for #150? If the tax passes and the build the block does not happen what then?
George: I assume you meant “Crew,” not “Crews.” As in “Doug Crew, a trustee on the Peoria Public Library Board, has left the race for the 5th District City Council seat.”
George: What is there to think about Crews removing his name from the ballot, except that he removed his name. Why did he remove his name? Did he change his mind for personal reasons? Is he connected to the hotel deal or the museum endeavor or or or or …? Do you have any answers?
Ileriet and SD ask about the land being owned by whom. Will the city council vote before or after the election? What would be the impact of the city vs. the county owning the underlying land? And disposition of the land and building under various scenarios. Great questions! 🙂
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Ileriet: Another issue to consider prior to voting. When the msueum group initially approached the county — needed funding was $24M (p2-Nov/07). Then $34.7M (p3-Mar/08).
http://www.peoriacounty.org/county/files/get/MuseumPolicyConsideration-REPORT.pdf
County staff crunched numbers to generate projections of stable and reduced revenue scenarios. At the 9 Jan 2009, Peoria County Finance Committee meeting, the endowment is not enough at $3M and would need to be increased to $6.75M to $12M at the outset.
Therefore, the county board could decide to increase the public funding amount to $45M to allow for private donations to increase the endowment fund.
From the county report “would afford the County Board the opportunity to issue bonds (“County Bonds”), that will produce approximately $34,7000,000 of net proceeds toward the total Museum Project Cost (the “County Bond Proceeds”). A bond size of $39,400,000 would be required to generate net proceeds as above. The total dollar cost of a bond issue this size, with interest at 5.25%, reserve ratio of 1.25, and two percent (2%) issuance costs equals approximately $61,880,000 over a 20-year period. (p4)
GULP — $61.88M of taxpayer money.
It was not mentioned what the payback would be for a $45M (net proceed?) bond issue.
The point, the amount of money that the taxpayer will be asked to pay is not a solid number as of 9 Jan 09. Will the amount be known as of 7 Apr 09? Would the amount be different after the vote on 7 Apr 09? Time will tell.
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NV writes “Twelve full-time people to run a museum of this magnitude? Let me guess where those twelve people are going to come from…… Lakeview?”
A museum of this magnitude — what does that mean?
Twelve people — is that too many, too few?
Twelve people — Lakeview would or would not be able to provide staff who would have the ‘skill sets’ necessary for running a museum of this magnitude?
Would it be advantageous to hire people from each of the different participating groups to run the various facets of the museum because it is a museum plus different type of experiences under the same roof?
Please help us out to undersand more fully what you meant. Thanks! 🙂
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NV: “Lets see…. pay off initial debt, then expect a $4.17 million a year ‘operating’ cost on top of that……?”
Another great question!
Endowment — currently budgeted at $3M. County report states $6.75M to $12M initially needed for respective ‘stable’ and ‘reduced’ revenue scenarios.
In addition, “Endowment proceeds would have to be $11,693,195 in the Lakeview “stable” operating budget, and $22,247,878 in the reduced revenue scenario. County staff concludes that the operating budget will need to be scrutinized for expense efficiencies and considerable pressure needs to be placed on the Museum Group’s Board of Directors to fund raise in order balance the operating budget.” [From the staff report – p12]
(?)
Would this mean that the museum group would be in a continual fundraising mode?
What pressure would a sustained fundraising effort for the museum (for operating funds) put on the other local art groups in our community? I understand that the other groups already have tight budgets, competition for private donations for the various arts to now be coupled with a tight economy? So, will all the arts groups live happily ever after? Who knows.
In recent economic news, many foundations are experiencing dramatic decreases in investment returns, even if their invested funds were not involved the Madoff chain reaction. Would the endowment be able to make the projected returns of $4.9M to $10.2M in a turbulent market?
These are excellent questions and require critical thinking on the part of the proponents as well as the taxpayers who are being asked to foot the bill.
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It is to be understood that this is a revenue bond and the tax will be spread to people other than just the usual property owners in this area, nevertheless it is still a tax increase.
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Marty makes a valid point — taxes for basic services would fund the fire station et al and the looming CSO bill.
Marty — at neighborhood meetings, is the museum project at the top of the quality of life issue list for older
neighborhoods?
With the exception of the CSO project — if you had $34.7M, which items would you be able to purchase on your list?
(I realize that this is a county bond issue not a Peoria city bond issue — just asking what this amount of money would purchase to give a spending priority perspective.)
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And there are many other questions not yet mentioned for which there would need to be answers to help the voter to be accurately informed about this issue.
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So, can we start planning on November referendum to vote against this again after this April referendum get voted down? Or did someone word this in such a way as to inform our “representatives” and “stewards of our taxes” that “NO” means “NO”, and not “Ask again later”.
When voters say no, they mean NFW!
And how come we keep have to keep voting no on things but once we vote yes, we are stuck with that for ever? (Like in 20 years they are going to lower the sales tax… ha!)
WACKO: “Is this is a binding referendum or an advisory?”
KCDAD: It is binding only if you vote YES. If you vote NO it is an advisory.
“A museum of this magnitude — what does that mean?”
– Sarcasm! However, this museum has been raised up on high as the ‘end-all’ of all regional museums. Natural history, local/regional history, archaeology, art, planetarium, high school sports… the list goes on! Hell, it almost sounds like the Smithsonian!
“Twelve people — is that too many, too few?”
– Far too few!
“Twelve people — Lakeview would or would not be able to provide staff who would have the ’skill sets’ necessary for running a museum of this magnitude?”
– See my first response. No, I do not believe that anyone on the current Lakeview staff knows the first thing about operating an history museum, developing an archives, developing a conservation/preservation program, etc. The proposed library – for the new museum – is little more than the old Lakeview bookstore. Any conservation/preservation work needed will be done by outside sources. Lakeview, by the admission of the staff, has NEVER been an history museum. All of a sudden Peoria is supposed to place its ‘history’ in the hands of these people?
“Would it be advantageous to hire people from each of the different participating groups to run the various facets of the museum because it is a museum plus different type of experiences under the same roof?”
– Sure, it would be advantageous…if you could find ANYONE from the ‘partners’ qualified to perform such tasks. The various ‘partners’ run their operations by the seat-of-their-pants. They organize a minimal number of events, that do little in the way of educate or appeal to a larger public. These organizations have all been criticized before for these very reasons.
Please help us out to understand more fully what you meant. Thanks! 🙂
– Hope this helps. I did not want to write a book.
P.S. What I find interesting is that discussions of raising taxes, fund raising, area employment, etc have all taken the place of what this museum will be and what it SHOULD be.
P.S.S.
Sorry. One more question. Peoria’s history dates back to the late 17th century. Can anyone please tell me where in the hell that ‘history’ is? Lakeview certainly doesn’t have it. The Peoria Historical Society has 1% [of something]. Wheels O’Time is cute. African-American Museum Hall of Fame is a great concept, but woefully understaffed, underfunded, etc.
I thought Peoria’s history dated back to the whiskey barons and the Shelton gang… Wow… 1600s… I bet there was some French speaking going on back then, eh? Oh! Pere Marquette! Wow, I didn’t realize the hotel was THAT old.
Isn’t there some ruins of an old fort in woods behind ICC?
I don’t know about Peoria history back to the 1700s, but my family came here in 1835 and that was a long long time ago.
NV: Thank you for your feedback. I do not want to write a book. Nevertheless, this is a complicated project with many decisions yet to be made. We do not know which path elected officials and then taxpayers will traverse because there are so many unanswered questions.
This is one of the few times for which there is a binding referendum for tax rate increase. So, taxpayers need to get out and vote.
kcdad: If you vote NO, it is binding for this election, 7 April 2009. The Peoria County Board would not be able to bring this type of referendum question to the voter again in 2009. There is no election until April 2010 which might give credence to the push to get the referendum on this Spring’s ballot.
Seriously, wasn’t there some evidence of a French village on the Sears property–or is my memory failing me? Maybe I recall only that someone had the idea of doing an archaelogical dig there.
Sharon: Well, with any luck, the museum block developers can just preload the site with several tons of dirt ala Riverplex construction and then fain ignorance that the site had to have an archeological review. You wouldn’t want us to have to spend taxpayers’ money to remove all that dirt and then reload the site? Just another possible Peoria deja vu scenario.
Karrie… I think that was my point.. if you vote yes… it is a done deal and there will be no recounts, no revotes, no revisiting this issue. If you vote no, there will countless revotes, and re considerations, new referendums and new proposals…
Yes to government spending means “yes forever” and no means “only not today”.
kcdad: Vote yes if you like — as for me and the rest of the voters at my home, we are voting NO. And just remember — that voting YES may include another YES vote down the road if operating expenses are not able to be covered. If we are going to vote for 1/4% increase in taxes, let’s vote YES for essential services — think Fire Station 11, CSO, 800 mhz city / county wide radio system, salt for snowplowing, etc. —- essential services not a museum.
Well stated Karrie, as is usual.
Am I really not able to communicate?
I wouldn’t vote YES if it were YOUR money paying for the museum.
My point was that our system allows these “representatives” to keep putting things on the ballot, rewording them in tricky ways, making them negative proposals, disguising them in social benefit packages, etc… even after we vote no again and again. However, once they trick us into approving something we are stuck with it forever… 20 years, my hair.
Present company excluded, Gary.
exclusion noted …………. and appreciated
For all of you Peoria history buffs, read “French Peoria and the Illinois Country 1673-1846” by Judith Franks of Dickson Mounds. I never learned any of this as a Dist 150 student….
Sharon is correct about archaeological site on river front.
I have always questioned KCDAD’s patriotism and loyalty to the U.S.A., but he is correct about all that ‘French’ speaking going on in these here parts.
Wow, I do believe Lakeview [the new museum] has dedicated an entire display model in a small glass to this part of Peoria’s history!
I have heard though, that this display is only temporary, as it will be stored away to make room for their duck decoy collection.
NV: Since the museum size has decreased, will there be enough onsite storage? Or will there be a need for offsite storage too?
I could use my Inspector Gadget tools to perform the archeological survey — cool!
The “offsite” storage will be the usual places for PHS… their living rooms, their bedrooms and of course, some basement somewhere piled into a heap.
NV: God bless America (North, South and Central), God bless Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia; God bless us, everyone.
I am not a patriot, although I did serve in the military with honors (as you did) and have served as a Census taker… does that make me “disloyal”?
I don’t see how being a Patriot has anything to do with supporting a tyrannical government.
Karrie,
On-site storage? That would be a matter of museum priorities, how the building is designed, etc. There used to be talk of renovating an existing building downtown for archives and artifact storage, but I do not know where that stands.
Peoria has a long history of ignoring its history. I know from past Journal Star accounts, there had been a couple of arch surveys completed in and around the riverfront area. These appeared to be by private firms, and where for the most part inconclusive. Your Inspector Gadget tools would have helped a great deal.
I am still just wondering why Peoria’s ‘past’ is scattered from here to kingdom come! There is NO accountability in this city.
This museum should have been designed as a mecca for public education and regional scholarship. It should support a slew of research facilities, etc. In the end… it will remain little more than a larger version of the present Lakeview Museum – for the arts and sciences [remember that battle cry?!?].
“My point was that our system allows these “representatives” to keep putting things on the ballot, rewording them in tricky ways, making them negative proposals, disguising them in social benefit packages, etc… even after we vote no again and again. However, once they trick us into approving something we are stuck with it forever… 20 years, my hair.”
You’re right, kcdad. We had the same problem in Metamora, when the question of turning Black Partridge Park into a golf resort kept coming back again and again. We found that the only way to get rid of it was to vote all of those in favor of it off the Park Board. That solved the problem at last.