To the editor:
In response to an article dated Nov. 25, 2008, about the mayor of Buckner and Rend Lake Conservancy District and the outstanding balance owed by the village since 2005, there are some inconsistencies in the mayor's statements.
There are 280 water customers in and around the village. The mayor claimed 140. The mayor missed nine payments in an 18-month period from July 2007 to December 2008. The average owed to RLCD per month was $1,966.33, but village's average payment was $1,863 per month.
The mayor claimed that people didn't pay their bills, and when their water was turned off, they just turned it back on. The meters have a place to padlock them closed, but this was never done.
As of Jan. 12, 2009, the village still owes $2,971.88, yet the minutes from the village board meeting of Jan. 8 claims that the outstanding balance to RLCD has been paid.
I made a request for finances coming in and going out through the Freedom of Information Act, but there has been no response from the mayor.
I think the mayor owes it to the people of Buckner to show them where their money is going.
John Coder
Buckner
