The Julie Morrison West Deerfield Township Officials Sneak In Pay Raises And More Recently uncovered documents disclosed the West Deerfield Township Supervisor and Trustees voted themselves a secret pay raise to be announced  after the elections. That “bombshell,” revealed at a “Candidates Forum” hosted by the League of Women Voters, took most participants by surprise. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. After reviewing 1600 pages of  Township documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act at a cost of $500, West Deerfield Township Independent Party investigators also found the current administration has increased the tax levy by 53% during their tenure, that salaries, benefits, stipends, consulting fees, and administrative overhead chew-up 89% of the budget, and that only 11% of your hard earned money actually went to help the needy. After using $1,800,000 of your money to build the extravagant Township Taj Mahal on Deerfield road, Morrison and Company quietly provided the lobbying group DBR  (Deerfield, Bannockburn, Riverwoods Chamber of  Commerce) with prime office space at rates which appear below the going market value  to conduct their private business. It’s no wonder the Chamber and its members lavish such high praise for Morrison and her band of Trustees! Welcome to Stroger Politics on the North Shore! Like Stroger’s Cook County operation, the Township has turned into an Imperial Dynasty. In addition to the underhanded way they secretly raised their salaries, it also appears they laid the groundwork for adding health and  pension benefits at a later date. But if you think this is bad enough, consider the Administration's  Imperial attitude: One Trustee refers to constituents as “the whinny people,” another uses his official title to promote his private agenda, and Township Clerk Boudreau condemns all who dare criticize their unacceptable behavior. Sneaky underhanded pay raises not to be announced until after the election, a trustee referring to constituents as “the  whinny people,” irresponsible spending, providing supporters with low rent, using the Township to promote questionable agenda, deceiving the public with feel good newsletters, and the incumbent Clerk has the gall to condemn those who  question their stewardship? The current Township government is one of the biggest cans of worms ever seen  outside of Stroger’s CookCounty. And to think the investigators have only begun to unearth the severity of the mess. Consider this item: the current Township government gave the obscure “Union Drainage District #1” a twenty-five year lease on 500 square feet of prime office space for the ridiculously low price of $500/month including all utilities. At this point, about the only thing known about the organization is  that Julie Morrison’s mentor and friend, the very man who apparently “greased the skids” to build Morrison’s Taj Mahal, is listed as a consultant who runs this innocuous  body of government. The Independent Party has publicly stated they will roll back the underhanded pay  raises, review every item put in place by the incumbents to determine whether they were designed to help the needy or help themselves, and roll back frivolous items put in place to enhance their images. As Independent Party Clerk candidate Ted Sachs stated, “Township government was designed to address three things: maintain roads in unincorporated areas, assess property values, and provide emergency help for the needy. To use it to feather your own nest is simply wrong, wrong, wrong!” Republicans, Democrats, and Independents in Illinois have longed for the  opportunity to have a ballot choice which includes individuals not contaminated by party politics. The Independent Party challengers were such a group. These outstanding individuals have put their businesses on “hold,” their privacy open for all to see, and their fine reputations on the table so that you had that opportunity. Please join us all in thanking these citizens for unmasking the real Julie Morrisan as well as that of her Trustees. The Independents were able to take one Trustee position, so now Morrison and Company won’t have a free rein to our tax dollars or to the Township’s very integrity. To join us in our battle to restore good government, click HERE To leave a comment, click HERE To return to the HOME page, click HERE For further navigation, please use the navigation bars in the left panel.