No risk?…would you buy their bonds?

Here’s another way to look at the idea to incorporate that is being floated by the more government folks. Think of this in a financial setting. You are being told all the wonderful things that would happen if we were to become a city. Now the reality check…….

Let’s say you have a few thousand dollars set aside for investment for your child’s college tuition. There is a five year CD available for 3%. The brand new City of Candlewick Lake is trying to finance a park development and would give a return of 4% for the same time frame bond. Which would you buy? If you even hesitate with your answer you have doubt in the ability of Candlewick the City to pay in a timely fashion. I know I would not buy bonds from the new city. Assurances of long term solvency take on a different light when there is uncertainty.

Don’t put us in that situation of uncertainty. You know what you have now. I think it is great. Vote NO when the question comes in your mail.

Ken Dillenburg

If you have not already, please send us your email address. It will be kept in confidence and will be used only for special emails from the Pride Group if the need arises. Stay on top of new developments.

cwlpride@gmail.com

Let’s face it……times are tough

Many Candlewick residents are facing trying times financially as are those outside our gates. This is a fact and it is not productive to ignore the fact. We, as the largest population block in Boone County excluding Belvidere, have a lot of home foreclosures and residents using WIC as well as the food pantry. These things have to be taken into consideration in our budgeting process for the next fiscal year. Yes, there is the road project that must be started fairly soon and our other physical assets must be maintained but this is no time to start anything that involves spending that is not absolutely necessary. This is the current focus of our manager, board and finance committee.

It has been pointed out we have homes available for sale in the $50,000.00 range. I am sure we do but I also was interested to read a few days ago in the Rockford paper the MEDIAN home in Rockford (a city) during November sold for $57,800 on sales of 179 homes. That is not the low remember, that is the MEDIAN and it is shocking. Our property values have taken a hit just like almost everywhere else but as I quoted from a magazine research article some months ago, it was indicated property values in gated communities are expected to rise first. Something else to consider when placing your vote on the incorporation survey you will be receiving soon.

Don’t even consider opening our community to unlimited access by anyone no matter what their intentions. We have a good thing here no matter how much our opposition wants to deny it. Vote NO and preserve our way of life.

Ken Dillenburg

And another from the CWL newsletter...

A late Christmas present... Vote NO

By the time you read this Christmas will have passed. You can give yourself a late present that will be a good gift for you and help your neighbors too. Send in your vote to the board when your ballot about incorporation comes in the mail and circle the NO. Tell them you want no more of our association's money spent on lawyers to work on incorporation. This will be the gift that keeps giving for years to come.

If you like our gates, our public safety, our private lake, private parks, and you don't want more government telling you what to do a vote of no is the only choice. A lot of the things you have been told by the incorporation people are just wrong and we all know it. We have a good thing here and I want it to continue as it is. I think you do too.
Dennis Balk

From our current CWL newsletter

John Madden of football fame said it best.... "Don’t worry about the horse being blind, just load the wagon." That is exactly what you are being asked to do by those pushing you to vote yes on the ballot you will be receiving in the mail regarding incorporation. A lot of us feel sure it would be disastrous for Candlewick if we were to form a city government with all it's powers including many forms of taxation. The tax implications will not be known until the first levy is set. We know what we now enjoy and things are heading in the right direction with good management and a board trying to get the most bang for your buck. Let's not ruin it.

Remember a yes vote will mean more expenditures for legal costs from the very funds we are trying to conserve in order to hold dues in check again this year. This will not be a free ride and it could get quite expensive. It is your money.

In the past I have put forth many examples of cities who are in dire straits now, struggling simply to scrape by and asking for tax levy increases. Candlewick does not want or need to be another example.

I will repeat my plea from last month. All of you who asked how you could help please not only send in a NO vote to the board but also ask your friends and neighbors to do the same. This is no time for apathy. We must send a solid message and cut the head off this snake before it bites us. Vote your pocketbook, vote your heart, and vote for our community……….Vote NO.

Contact the Pride group……cwlpride@gmail.com.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Ken Dillenburg

Here is My Story... Pottersville Ahead?

Here Is My Story... Pottersville Ahead!

I want to take time to remember those that we have lost and the people who are sick or out of work. To all of them I say a holiday prayer, hoping that in the New Year we will see better things ahead. We lost CPAC just as the new officers were trying to bring it back to its old glory days. Sadly they were denied information, being told that if they were given the facts that were asked for those facts would be used against them. Now what were the old officers talking about?

We have such a great community with clean parks, safe neighborhoods, fishing, swimming, tennis, boating, security gates, golf, and we have been in the black for the last few years. I know, lets incorporate and turn it into Pottersville. We can let in gangs, pollute our lake, ruin our parks, increase our taxes, and try to depend on a broke state for help. Let me voice my feelings as ... baaaaad choice.

And to those who make second grade insults to management, safety officers, and board members, why not take a sleigh ride out of town and live with the Grinch? Anyway the past is past and we need to let the healing begin. Let this be a peaceful and Happy New Year to all, and to all a good night. Remember to vote NO to incorporation if you want to keep our wonderful Candlewick Lake as it is; friendly and clean.

Karl F Steiskal

Sunday words to contemplate

"Measure not men by Sundays, without regarding what they do all the week after."
- Thomas Fuller

From the CWL Newsletter...CPAC

CPAC ACCOUNTABILITY

CPAC, in its early days, established itself as an organization which earned respect for good works accomplished for the community.

After achieving major accomplishments, CPAC was mostly idle for several years. In 2008 CPAC accepted the responsibility to ‘explore the costs and benefits’ of incorporation or annexation and present the findings to the property owners.

Although CPAC proclaimed neutrality, it was not conveyed. Major concerns and questions associated with incorporation issues were never properly addressed. Somewhere along the line the research mission turned into an incorporation mission.

Without taking a vote of the property owners to determine the wishes of the majority, CPAC initiated and pushed the incorporation process. This included funding legal support for incorporation activities. CPAC funds raised during its early years for the good of the community were used to fund this agenda

CPAC held an election for two offices July 30^th, 2010. A co-chair and sergeant-at-arms were overwhelmingly elected. These two people ran for office to reclaim the neutrality of CPAC and reorient its priorities toward the wishes of the property owners. In early August, the new officers and existing officers of CPAC met. An agreement was reached NOT to support or expend any additional funds on incorporation activities.

Disregarding the agreement with the new officers CPAC continued to provide support for the incorporation drive which culminated in a court filing that was dismissed for lack of foundation

Throughout the incorporation saga, the existing officers of CPAC revealed little supporting documentation and information about their activities to the community. CPAC continued this practice with its new officers as it resisted sharing information to which they were entitled. An existing CPAC officer voiced concern that sharing certain information with the new officers could be detrimental.

The resistance to sharing information and CPAC’s continuing promotion of the incorporation agenda by the entrenched officers of CPAC left the new officers little choice but to press more aggressively for the release of information and an accounting of activities. These measures were taken to further accountability to the community CPAC was established to serve.

Mary Budreau