Jersey County citizens law suit moves forward

The following was posted by Joyce Morrison on the Illinois Review website.

Jersey County citizens law suit moves forward

Taxpayers in Jersey County were victorious this morning when a ruling was given by the presiding judge before a packed court room for a "leave to file complaint." The request was filed by a citizens group against the illegal sale of school bonds by Jersey Community School District No. 100 and this ruling will permit the lawsuit to proceed.

This was music in the ears of Jeff Ferguson and his large group of followers. Ferguson has over 800 pages of documentation he has collected over the past three years indicating the two new schools, which were built against the wishes of the taxpayers, were also built by the illegal sale of bonds.

The attorney for the Jersey County Coalition for Public Awareness, stated that, " in 1999, School District 100 submitted a proposition to issue general revenue bonds for the building of a new high school which the voters rejected." The suit claims the school board and administration illegally sold Health and Safety bonds when they built two new schools in the district.

The attorney representing the school district in defense of the suit told the judge "the contractors are expected to be paid and the capital being discussed in this law suit is enormous."

The Jersey Community School District No. 100 was financially secure until the past 3 or 4 years and now they have been forced to cut programs and are facing millions of dollars indebtedness. School board member, Terri Kallal, with facts and figures in hand, has been the only school board member in the district trying to stop the spending frenzy.

Jersey County is not the only county facing this situation. School districts throughout Illinois are financially drained because of the building of new schools and the abuse of powers taken by their local school board and administration. Going to court against a school district is not an easy task but hopefully more districts will begin to defend their taxpayers and stop the corruption in the education system.

In conversation, one taxpayer compared the illegal building of schools to a theft. "A thief must pay the consequences. When boards illegally use my money, this is theft from my pocket just as sure as they had forcefully taken it from me."

On September 21, the summary judgment will be held where testimonies from both sides will be heard.