Peru alderman sets town hall on pool referendum, pool advocates voice concerns about council’s rhetoric

Peru Alderman Tom Payton set Monday a town hall meeting for Sept. 26 to discuss the swimming pool referendum.

A non-binding question on the Nov. 5 ballot will ask Peru voters: “Shall the city of Peru construct and operate a municipal swimming pool funded by the use of the hotel/motel tax?”

Former Alderwoman Sherry Mayszak, La Salle County Board member Jill Bernal and Eric Soderholm spoke Monday during the public comment portion of the Peru City Council meeting to voice their displeasure about some of the aldermen who have questioned the referendum and talk of the fiscal strain it may pose on the city.

After Mayszak successfully collected more than enough signatures to get the referendum on the ballot, Payton requested during the Aug. 12 council meeting a town hall or Facebook Live session to bring the plans for the pool project to the forefront before the election.

“Let everybody see what you want to do, where you are going to put it, how much it is going to cost,” he said. “What’s it going to be for the average person to get in.”

Mayszak said she disagreed with what was presented during the Aug. 12 meeting and she addressed them Monday. She said the pool referendum was “wholly and totally her idea alone.”

“I got to thinking about how to give the voters in Peru a voice,” Mayszak said. “I did not want the decision to build a pool to be left to seven people when I felt the majority of Peru voters, like me, would want a pool.”

Mayor Ken Kolowski floated an idea in March 2022 that would have increased hotel/motel taxes in Peru to pay off the loan for a new pool at Washington Park, but the idea was met with skepticism and questions that went unresolved. The idea was dropped. Peru, however, did increase the tax collected for hotel and motel that stays within city limits from 5.64% to 7.5% in May 2022.

Payton began Monday’s meeting by asking why an agenda item he had requested be under “unfinished business” was not on the agenda.

“I received the communication,” said City Clerk David Bartley. “It’s the mayor’s agenda. He requested it not be on the agenda.”

Despite the item not being on the agenda, Payton brought up the item during the unfinished business portion of the meeting anyway, again requesting a town hall for the pool referendum.

“Would you schedule a town hall meeting to discuss the pool referendum that is on the November ballot?” he asked.

“As I said before there is nothing scheduled at this time,” Kolowski said.

“Well, I’m asking. Would you pick a date? What are you afraid of?” Payton asked.

Kolowski said he put out his strategy for funding a pool in 2022 and it was denied, and he didn’t believe spending taxpayer money on something that might not pass was necessary.

“The referendum that is currently being pushed is that there is money out there to pay for this without costing the taxpayers money,” Alderman Jason Edgcomb said. “So, if it passes it is passing under false pretenses.”

After some back and forth from the council and the mayor, Payton called the town hall himself. He asked the City Council prior to ensure he was able to do so. The meeting was set for 6 p.m. Sept. 26.

Kolowski said he would attend the town hall meeting.

Mayszak said there were no flaws on her referendum fliers as she was able to retrieve the information through several Freedom of Information Act requests.

“I do not appreciate your tactics of trying to scare voters by saying their property taxes will eventually increase,” she said. “Not one penny has been spent from the hotel/motel account since June 2022.”

According to the monthly treasurer reports, the only expenditure coming out from the account in the last three years was the Midtown Road project. Prior historical projects have included the Splash Pad. As of Aug. 20, the hotel/motel account balance is $2,079,534, according to monthly treasurer reports.

Budgeting discussions for the fiscal 2025 budget, however, included a non-binding commitment of hotel/motel funds to cover costs in excess of grant revenues.

“There are two general fund grants attached to budgeted capital projects,” Finance Officer Tracy Mitchell said in an email. “The (Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program) grant for the pedestrian bridge and the (Open Space Land Acquisition and Development) grant for the Washington Park improvements including chillers for the ice rink.”

After public comment, Mitchell said she wanted to clarify some comments about the city’s “significant surpluses.”

She said the fiscal 2024 general fund has a $400,000 surplus, but $300,000 of that comes from an OSLAD grant, which will be spent in the future.

“So, net surplus if you consider the $300,000 is about $100,000,” she said. “I don’t consider that to be significant.”

Mitchell said the utility fund had about a $4 million surplus.

If a referendum were to pass, it would be considered advisory and nonbinding. This means Peru still may not construct a pool, but the results may serve to give guidance to the City Council.