Taking a chance on the Green River Wind Farm
The following guest editorial exceeds the BCR’s 500-word limit for Letters to the Editor. Therefore, the BCR will offer the same opportunity to someone with an opposing viewpoint. Call BCR Editor Terri Simon before submitting a guest editorial at (815) 875-4461, ext. 229.
Well folks, the state of Illinois is at it again with school funding. They have made too many promises to too many people, and the credit card is maxed out. What this will mean to the taxpayers and students in the Bureau Valley School District is we are about to get short changed.
I will give the state a little credit; they are up to date, as of now, on basic state aid payments which are $292,000 a month. But don’t get all warm and fuzzy just yet because the state has already announced it will likely decrease payments by 10 percent for the next fiscal year. That will short change Bureau Valley $350,000.
Bureau Valley also receives $1,500,000 in categorical aid from the state (well it’s supposed to). Bureau Valley did just receive its September payment but Bureau Valley is still behind by $450,000, and we have been as much as $1,000,000 behind in the past. What does categorical aid take care of? Well, just a few things like Pre-K programs, kindergarten, special education programs, transportation, and basically the nuts and bolts that make Bureau Valley work.
There are five ways to fix the school district’s budget deficit that I can think of right off: 1. Hope the state does what it’s obligated to do. ( I’m not holding my breath on that one); 2. Raise the tax rate 20 percent (this would add $1.05 to the tax rate); 3. Raise the EVA enough to cover the shortfall; 4. Eliminate non-mandated programs such as Pre-K, sports, music, art, ag and other extracurricular courses (this solution is the most drastic and still will not balance the budget); 5. Bring new industry into the tax base.
The first four solutions, with our economy in the condition it is in, doesn’t seem feasible to me. The state has told the BV District, “Don’t count on us.” And as far as raising taxes, I think we all have dug about as deep as we can into our own pockets, but maybe not? Cutting programs and basic functions of our school does help our kids become what we hope they can.
The fifth option seems to be the only viable one we have left, and we do have an industry that wants to come into the school district.
The industry is Mainstream Renewable Power Inc. and for us, it’s the Green River Wind Farm project. Is it the perfect answer in everyone’s mind maybe? Or maybe not? I happen to think it’s a logical answer. The Green River Wind Farm will bring $2,600,000 in new tax money to the BV School District. The not so perfect part of this is that the state is going to reduce aid to BV by $1,100,000. That still leaves BV with a net gain of $1,500,000 that we don’t have to wait on the state for or dig out of our own pockets.
And that’s not where it ends. Townships like Hamilton stand to gain $165,000 annually in new revenue. That’s enough money to seal coat all the township roads every four years, and the state can’t get their hands on that money. Also, landowners that sign an agreement with Mainstream Renewable Power will receive an annual payment for each wind turbine on their property. These are not stagnant payments, as they increase every year with a CPI adjustment every 25 years. This is new money that will be spent at local and surrounding business, helping those businesses pay their taxes.
There have been a number of articles in the paper against the Green River Wind Farm, many coming from Mr. Larry Gerdes. From what I know of Mr. Gerdes, he is a good businessman and a shrewd investor. I have to respect what he has done for himself and his family, but does he offer any alternatives to the funding gap that our school district faces, or to the financial benefits to our community and individual land owners?
Mainstream Renewable Power has a good track record throughout the world in wind energy development. I have personally been to several meetings that Mainstream has had, and they have answered the many questions I have had. Mainstream Power is made up of businessmen much like Mr. Gerdes. They are investors, and they are not in the business to fail.
And finally, what the Green River Wind Farm Project offers our BV School District, our townships, our individual landowners, and our community is a long-term, legally-binding contract that brings in a substantial new source of continuous revenue. Whatever your position on a wind farm may be, respect your neighbors and fellow landowners, and at the same time, consider the benefits to the local community and school district.
We can support the Green River Wind Farm development project, or we can always count on the promises made by our ever honorable state of Illinois (I think I’ll take my chances with the Green River Wind Farm).
Bill Schauff
Harmon
