University Park residents to protest Mayor Joseph Roudez and the Board of Trustees
University Park residents to protest Mayor Joseph Roudez and the Board of Trustees (University Park, IL) – Angry and disgruntled residents from University Park are planning a protest near the Mayor Joseph Roudez’ and the Board of Trustees residences to protest a litany of issues that have the many questioning the lack of transparency within their community.
The ‘UNIVERSITY PARK COMMUNITY ZOOM COMMITTEE’ will protest on Blackhawk and Hickok Streets in that community on Saturday, September 25th at 10:00 AM.
Many are concerned that there is no accountability to their village in terms of village finances; improper legal processes for development projects such with Amazon and Carvana; unresolved lead water issues; violation of the open meetings act; streets that are in disrepair; the lack of a functioning parks and recreation department; delinquents TIF payments; the lack of retail establishments; ignored FOIA requests and high property taxes and much more.
There is also concern that because the Mayor and Board of Trustees has an unwillingness to dialogue with residents about the village’s finances, many are afraid that there may be malfeasance within the administration. Residents said their Village Manager Ernestine Beck-Fulgham has been asked many times to produce reports and she had refused to produce them.
University Park resident Mildred Morgan stated “Residents, must stand united to protect this village and our taxes. Millions of dollars are wasted on everything except making University Park a better place to live. The Mayor and Village Manager are ruining this village by disrespecting our concerns to hear us while taking our hard- earned tax dollars to do as they please. It is imperative that we-the residents demand an end to this Mayor and Village Manager’s “run-amok behavior.”
Morgan also added,” All of this is being done while our Board of Trustees do not follow home rule ordinances, sit and watch while our tax dollars are being given away. We are sick and tired of this government’s nonresponsiveness to its citizen’s. Enough is enough.”
Much of the anxiety residents have began from a lawsuit filed by University Park Trustee Theo Brooks in August, 2020 over Beck-Fulgham’s failure to respond to requests over “readily available” billing statements and other financial information he had requested. Brooks was given incomplete copies of village credit card statements which showed improper personal usage and unauthorized charges such as marijuana products, red-light tickets, and HD-televisions. Adding to the residents’ concerns were “heavily redacted and whited-out” wire transfers to unknown destinations from the village’s general fund according to the 2020 lawsuit.
University Park residents to protest Mayor Joseph Roudez and the Board of Trustees
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