Now I can be part of Excellence Everywhere, Everyday. . Whoopie!
8 comments June 10th, 2008
My excuse for not running for Rockford mayor — that I don’t live in Rockford — is about to evaporate. City Hall must be looking for a challenger to Mayor Morrissey. I mean, somebody has to do it, and so far everybody seems too afraid.
But never fear. I was informed in a terse, legalistic letter from Patrick Hayes, legal director, that my neighbors and I were being forced into the city in July.(Really, the letter sounded like a lawsuit, as if I’ve been doing something wrong by living outside glorious Rockford. Remember, I advocated for the sales tax referendums because I know I drive on Rockford streets and should contribute to paying for them. I’m hardly a Rockford basher.)
Our subdivision is less than 60 acres, and the city had sneaked around and annexed around us to accomodate the rapid growth of the Wesley Willows retirement condos to our immediate north. There’s no use fighting it; I figure if the rich folks in Bradley Heights couldn’t beat City Hall, there’s no way we would win over here in proletariat land.
I expected annexation, but not for 5 years or so. So, City Hall will now get about $1,500 more per year out of us; they’ll probably use it to hire more consultants. I figure that taxes from our subdivision alone will pay for the fire chief hiring consultant, $37,000, and maybe even another consultant of their choice.
Now we’re going to be sophisticated city slickers, we’d like a real city street and curbs and gutters, but I’m told that’s not forthcoming, unless Ald. Bill Timm takes it out of his ward budget. And I don’t need the city water, my well works fine. We’re already connected to the sanitary sewer, so we don’t need that, either. We had good protection from the sheriff, and the Royal Northwest Mounted Fire Department did a good job, too. Rockford Township plowed the snow.
Well, at least I get a $1,500 library card.
Really, I’ll be happy to live in Rockford, where there’s excellence everywhere. Just one thing, Your excellencies, Lord Mayor and Esteemed Aldermen: Explain the logic of forcing people into the city while you allow the majority of police officers and firefighters to live in Stillman Valley, Roscoe, Rockton, ‘Bago, Pecatonica, Durand, Cherry Valley, Loves Park, Machesney Park and out in the Boonies.
In fact I’m so happy, I’m singing: Those little town blues, are melting away, I want to be a part of it, Rock-ford Rock-ford. If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere, it’s up to you, Rock-ford, Rock-ford.
