The Mount Pleasant Citizen

Mount Pleasant’s Village Board will be setting budget targets for construction of the new village hall/police department on September 29, 2009 at 7:00PM at Village Hall. At the meeting, architects Bray and Associates will present alternatives with different costs, and the Board will then set a spending target for the architects. The spending target will determine how big the new village hall and police station will be.

At this meeting, the Board decides whether to over-build village hall or not.

Costs Are Much Higher Than They Told Us

In a May 8, 2007 article in the Racine Journal Times, the Village estimated costs for the entire campus move at $11.5 million. Look at what has happened since:

What About the $10 million Gift?

With the $10 million gift in hand, the original $11.5 million project would have required practically no borrowing. Instead, costs are way up; the village borrowed $2 million for a new fire station that is not even started yet, and another $3 million for infrastructure is in the works. Nothing has been announced about the Public Works Building or Park Development. By the time the project is done, the village may issue millions in additional bonds that we – or our children and grandchildren – will need to pay off. Higher debt means less money for basics like Police and Fire protection, and yet another burden for us to work off in the future.

Do We Need Buildings That Big?

The village wants to make sure it doesn’t need to expand the new buildings too soon. But remember:

• Mount Pleasant has grown only from about 22,000 to 26,000 people in the last 9 years – roughly 400 people per year.
• Much of the growth came from Racine city residents “moving up” to Mount Pleasant.
• Growth was fueled by rising home values, low interest rates and lower village taxes.

Is Mount Pleasant growing all that much? Is it growing so fast that we need to triple or quadruple the size of village hall? Will there be enough jobs in the area to push Mount Pleasant’s population to 35,000, 40,000 or even 45,000 so we’d need such a big village hall and police station? If not, couldn’t we get by with more modest facilities?

What Can You Do?

The Village has not committed to a $10-15 million village hall/police station yet, but they most certainly will if the only people they hear from are on the Village payroll. There is still time to change course if you act now.

• Phone or write the Village Trustees. Ask them to explain how the cost estimates got so high. Let them know what you think about spending big on new buildings in a recession with higher school, state and federal taxes on the way.
• Go to the meeting where the building budget will be set (see time and place below). Listen to the architects and make up your own mind. Is it all needed or is it overblown? Make a public comment to voice your opinion. The Board cannot respond unless you speak up.