Peoria County, which has in the past been pretty fiscally conservative, is on a spending spree these days. You’d think they were the City of Peoria. After a successful advocacy campaign for a sales tax to help build a museum downtown, now they’ve decided to not even ask the voters if they want to rebuild BelWood Nursing Home; they’re just going to do it.
County Board Member Merle Widmer has a couple of posts on his blog that explain what happened and why it’s a bad idea:
BelWood: Safety Net or Local Nursing Home Competitor?
BelWood: Safety Net or Local Nursing Home Competitor? Part 2
Oh, and did I mention the County is looking at a $4 million deficit by year’s end, and they are looking for non-essential services to cut?
Of course, supporters of the project point out that the taxes received for BelWood can only be used for BelWood, so getting out of the nursing home business won’t give the County any more money to plug the deficit. No, all it will do is give the citizens of the County more money in their pockets that they’re not paying in taxes, and heaven knows we can’t have that. Apparently the goal is to cut non-essential services only when the overall size of government can be maintained. In other words, if getting out of the nursing home business benefits the county government, they’ll do it. If only benefits the county’s citizens, they won’t. That’s the way government operates.
What is going on? All these institutions are building new buildings: District 150, the county (museum and Belwood), hospitals, Bradley University. Everywhere you go in Peoria there is a new building going up. West Peoria’s mayor, I believe, wants to build a new city hall even though a perfectly acceptable building was just given to the city for $1.00. Why is so much money designated for buildings when there is no money to pay the people who will be working in these buildings?
if the police are going to loss overtime, get the police to give the wreckless spenders in peoria a ticket
if they come at me with heaters, I want to call the police to come, with not some explaination of budget cut backs cause built 3 musuems no one wants, a new hotel that not occupied, a dumb walk way, resturants paid by the city, holes in streets and closed all the schools, sent all students to tazewell schools
What is the procedure to get my property taxes lower, I black listed from professional employment by ruthless run company set me to ruin me(like I was on the people they will never hire), I can’t personally pay because I have min wage job with 3 college degrees
Ah shucks CJ — you old party pooper you —- NOT!
Ah yes and since 2003 — let’s see — $14M has been collected in the 6 cent levy to “MAINTAIN” Bel-wood — you know that was approved by voters since 2003?
Maintain Bel-wood — needless to say —- no repair of the leaking roof or the HVAC system or putting in the sprinkler system or or or or — to MAINTAIN — the current building. Let’s let it deteriorate for a few more years so that we can ‘deem’ it too ‘old and worn-out’ so we can build new?
Where did all that $14M go that only as an approximate $2M fund balance at present?
And of course — the government — Peoria County Government — needs to build a ‘competitive facility’ — competitive government vs. private ownership — ya’ll recall that the government pays $0.00 in taxes vs. private ownership which pays at least some $$$$ into the coffers.
Oh and let’s remember that there still has been no decision where to locate the “NEW” Bel-wood? How about somewhere in the city of Peoria?
Class, on the count of three, let’s all repeat our word of the day — “Extrapolation.”
That voters approved that Bel-wood would be MAINTAINED with the 6 cent levy — not a completely rehabbed Bel-wood nor a new Bel-wood — let’s just use extrapolation.
Extrapolation ….. the removal of more money from taxpayers’ pockets for non-essential services!
Please stay tunded for part 2 —- Bond sizing and future EAVs and bid process. I need to take my son to the library. Chao!
I know the perfect place for the new Belwood–in West Peoria on the site of the old St. Joseph’s.
3202 Wisconsin Ave would be a good place for it.
Sharon,
Heading location looked at and deemed by the PAID consultants to be in need of too much of everthing and did not fit the one floor type of new BelWood planned. I would be happy to show anyone the consultants reports. Still, maybe there is thought of leveling it and building on that location.
A lot of asbestos, I’m told.
Merle, I fear you are right on all counts. It would be wonderful if the building could be leveled and the new Belwood built on the site (since the county seems bent on building a new one). However, I do know about the asbestos–and did know that the county probably wouldn’t want to deal with that problem–just wishing.