WREX.com – Rockford’s News LeaderGarden Prairie residents speak out before crucial village vote

Garden Prairie residents speak out before crucial village vote

By Samantha Ptashkin

GARDEN PRAIRIE (WREX)- This Tuesday Garden Prairie residents vote whether to unincorporate their village, less than two years after creating it.

Residents first voted to incorporate Garden Prairie because they wanted more say in town matters. But after two years and not a lot of change, some want to go back to the way things were.

For a town of about 200, where time often seems to be at a standstill and a quiet fills the air, there are a lot of loud voices questioning whether or not it should even be considered a town at all. "We think it's a very important vote, February 2, vote yes to dissolve the corporation," said Jim Pearson.  

Pearson has lived in Garden Prairie for 70 years. For most of them the village belonged to Boone County and as far as Pearson is concerned, that's the way it should be. "Show me an urban planning book that says to incorporate on a hand full of bedrooms with no industry," Pearson said. "It's just not good planning."

In the past two years, two village presidents have resigned and in the meantime legal fees have piled up, after the board hired a lawyer to guide them through the incorporation process. "They can't get people to even come to the meetings, the ones that thought it was such a good idea don't show up and won't do any of the work," Pearson said.

"I just feel it's better to make your own rules, rather than have someone that isn't local make the rules for you," said Garden Prairie President Paul Curtis.

Curtis admits not much has changed in the past two years, but he says that's because of lack of funding. The village never levied a tax. But he says in time the board hopes to improve roads and beautify the area.

It's that question of when though that's shaking things up. "I think people need to be patient. The trustees and the president kind of learned as they were going," said Asta Kurzinski, who has lived in Garden Prairie for about 10 years.

"The system worked real good for many years and all of a sudden it has to be changed," Pearson said.  

If voters dissolve Garden Prairie, within 10 days the Boone County Board will take charge of it and the village will have to pay off all of its debt. A state law says the county or state could impose a tax on residents to pay off that debt.