Northern Star Online: DeKalb residents receive chance to give City Council input

DeKalb resident Mac McIntyre voices concerns at an open forum in the city municipal building Thursday night. The forum was scheduled so members of the community could discuss how the city passes a new tax increase without a public hearing first. "The perception is real that you should keep your mouth shut or you'll get squashed like a bug," said DeKalb resident Mac McIntyre. McIntyre also claimed the city violated the Open Meetings Act on multiple occasions and that the only way to fix things with community members would be to fire the current administration.

DeKalb residents want a more transparent city council.

Third Ward Alderman Victor Wogen and 7th Ward Alderman Brent Keller held a meeting Thursday night to let the community have more input in city council meetings.

DeKalb resident Mac McIntyre expressed his concerns at the city for allegedly passing tax issues behind closed doors.

“This is the only community where you don’t hold a public hearing when you’re going to raise taxes,” McIntyre said. “In 20 days, you created a tax policy and a gas tax without holding a public hearing. There are procedural errors going on here.”

McIntyre said Sycamore and DeKalb counties always have hearings for tax raises.

Wogen said he promises the council will look into past meetings and get them into ordinance form.

Wogen also said he wants to hold these meetings every month to better the perception of the city council.

“We just want to change the perception of who we are as council members,” Wogen said. “We ran [for election] with the intentions that we could make a difference.”

Wogen said the perception of the city council is one of blank-faced aldermen who will pass anything. He said residents think the aldermen have nothing to do with the agenda.

“The perception is that we’re a rubber-stamp council,” Wogen said. “We do spend 10 hours a week going over this packet and calling people, making sure we’re doing the right thing.”

Wogen wanted a significant turnout at this meeting — not the handful that showed up.

“I wanted 50 people to be here and move into council chambers,” Wogen said.

DeKalb resident Herb Rubin said DeKalb residents were bombarded with all this information about the tax increase. He thought there could have been a better way of letting the public know about the city’s economic problems.

“I’d rather have it be like a doctor, where they tell you you have a problem slowly, not hitting you in the face with it,” Rubin said.

McIntyre said a drastic change in government is needed.

“I think the administration should be fired,” McIntyre said.