February 25, 2020
Dear editor;
Please vote yes on the proposition to abolish the Oswego Road District and consolidate the Highway Department into the Township of Oswego. This change would match the way the Village and the County operate. The benefits are twofold: Cost reduction with accountability and improved service levels.
The current Road District levy would be eliminated, and so would the elected Road District commissioner position. The Township supervisor would employ the necessary managerial and supervisory personnel and, just like the Village and County, would be responsible to the Township Board for budgets and service levels. Currently, there is no legal Board oversight should the Highway Department overspend the budget.
The key benefit would be service level effectiveness, because the Township supervisor would hire highly-qualified oversight of the Highway Department. Although citizens believe highway service levels have been good, this performance was achieved for about 30 years by a previous “absentee elected” Road District commissioner who lived in Florida, not here. No Illinois law required him to live in the State so he “retired” gracefully when exposed by WBBM-TV.
Isn’t it obvious that if “absentee” supervision got the work done satisfactorily for decades, that voting yes would improve highway service levels and accountability at a reduced cost?
Leonard R Wass, Precinct committeeman, Oswego 10, Oswego