By Eric Stock
DRY GROVE TOWNSHIP – A feud that’s been going on for a year in one McLean County township could be resolved at the ballot booth next month as voters in Dry Grove Township will decide whether to eliminate the road fund tax.
A group of 28 people wanted the tax eliminated last year amid charges the township has had a poor accounting of how the money is spent and played favorites when determining whose projects were addressed first.
Township Supervisor Jim Phillips said these critics are a vocal minority, several of whom were voted out of power.
“They intentionally are trying to cripple the township because they want their way and they don’t care what the majority of the people want,” Phillips said.
Phillips said the township west of Normal can’t pay for fix the roads without the road tax.
“We believe they are going to say no they are going to say ‘You’re not going to take our permanent road fund because we need that to repair the roads,” Phillips said.
Township Clerk Greg Kalliveg delayed the vote a year rather than leave it up a vote at the township’s annual meeting last April.
“We get a few dozen to show up at our annual meeting, but we get several hundreds to show up (on election day),” Kalliveg said.
Kalliveg added he got a legal opinion from the McLean County State’s Attorney’s office before delaying the vote.
“It’s the option of the clerk, it’s not a requirement to be on one or the other,” Kalliveg said.
Phillips said the major project in question is the smoothing of curves on Hess Hill Road, which he said is scheduled to start in April and be completed by the end of the summer.
The question will be on the March 15 primary ballot. Eliminating the Permanent Road Fund tax requires a simple majority to pass.
Eric Stock can be reached at eric.stock@cumulus.com.
