WEBVTT 00:00:00.690 --> 00:00:30.690 Okay. Okay. You sure about that? Yes. I'm positive. Are you sure? No, I'm just checking you. Okay. Make sure you're sure on your break time. Okay. Good evening beings. It's five 30. Um, we'll officially open the public hearing on the proposed 2026 appropriation ordinance for the city of Freeport. Madam Clerk, could you please read the notice into the record? The following notice ran in the journal standard on November 9th, 2025 notice of public hearing on the proposed 2026 appropriation ordinance for the city of Freeport, Illinois. 00:00:30.690 --> 00:00:46.689 Notice is hereby given that on December 1st, 2025, at 5.30 p.m., a public hearing will be held at Freeport City Hall 314 West Stevenson Street, Freeport, Illinois, for the purpose of considering the Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriation Ordinance for the City of Freeport, Illinois. 00:00:46.689 --> 00:00:56.189 All interested parties may appear at said public hearing and shall have the right to present oral and written comments on the proposed appropriation ordinance as permitted and required by law. 00:00:56.189 --> 00:01:01.030 Notice is further given that the proposed appropriation ordinance is on file and available for public 00:01:01.030 --> 00:01:05.409 inspection during regular business hours at the Office of the City Clerk, Freeport City 00:01:05.409 --> 00:01:10.549 Hall 314 West Stevenson Street, Freeport, Illinois. An electronic version of the proposed budget 00:01:10.549 --> 00:01:12.909 is available for viewing on the City's website. 00:01:12.909 --> 00:01:17.750 Thank you, Madam Clerk. So now we'll allow for public comment. Madam Clerk, did you get 00:01:17.750 --> 00:01:18.750 any written correspondence? 00:01:18.750 --> 00:01:20.469 I did not. 00:01:20.469 --> 00:01:23.629 And is there any public comment at this time? 00:01:23.629 --> 00:01:30.629 Seeing that we have no public. Alderman Sanders, did you want to address as a public? 00:01:30.629 --> 00:01:31.629 Yeah. 00:01:31.629 --> 00:01:37.680 Then you'll have to go to the podium. This is for public input. 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:42.680 Will he have an opportunity if he don't take the public input? 00:01:42.680 --> 00:01:51.680 Because who's running this assembly right now? 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:52.680 Me. 00:01:52.680 --> 00:01:53.680 No, you're not. 00:01:53.680 --> 00:02:05.239 it's my job no it's not so if you would like to speak go to the podium you have 00:02:05.239 --> 00:02:11.740 three minutes not your job it's not it's nowhere in file or records or anywhere 00:02:11.740 --> 00:02:17.860 in public where it's your job I just want to make that clear to you well let me 00:02:17.860 --> 00:02:20.680 just make it clear to you go to the podium have your three minutes say what 00:02:20.680 --> 00:02:34.520 I'm going because it's something that has been commonly known to do, and I just want to make 00:02:34.520 --> 00:02:42.680 sure that this meeting tonight, I want to address this fact, that this meeting is not approved 00:02:42.680 --> 00:02:48.719 because it's out of order right now as we speak, and I'm addressing this to council. 00:02:48.719 --> 00:03:00.819 I want council to know that we need to revise our thinking process of governing, we're not 00:03:00.819 --> 00:03:07.360 a governing legislative body, I just want you guys to know that because we're not practicing 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:16.439 it, it is something that needs to be refined and put into order, we are totally out of 00:03:16.439 --> 00:03:21.400 We're out of order. Anytime the mayor speaks, it's out of order. I just want you guys to 00:03:21.400 --> 00:03:28.520 know that. You might want to ask me why that is the case is because you never looked into 00:03:28.520 --> 00:03:36.860 the matter. The matter is the mayor does not conduct council business. Let me make that 00:03:36.860 --> 00:03:42.500 straight to you. There's more to be said, and there's a point of order that needs to 00:03:42.500 --> 00:03:51.300 be addressed. We're not going to continue to be pretending in the year 2026 that we're doing 00:03:51.300 --> 00:03:58.500 ethical things the right way in the city of Freeport pertaining to the citizens of the 00:03:59.060 --> 00:04:05.939 taxpayers of this city, the way we are conducting ourselves as supposed to be governing bodies, 00:04:05.939 --> 00:04:23.660 We are just going along with it, being manipulated, being transformed into something that we should 00:04:23.660 --> 00:04:34.819 not be, and the people of this community can see the lack of integrity that we carry before 00:04:34.819 --> 00:04:36.480 of the Council. 00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:39.740 We should not approach January 1st 00:04:39.740 --> 00:04:42.379 unless we start changing our mindset 00:04:42.379 --> 00:04:45.459 on how we govern what we're doing. 00:04:45.459 --> 00:04:47.199 Things have to change. 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:50.459 All aspects of that has to change. 00:04:50.459 --> 00:04:54.339 I will bring you records, proof, evidence, 00:04:54.339 --> 00:04:58.459 and everything else that we're conducting government 00:04:59.339 --> 00:05:04.339 in this city in a fashion that is not conducive to us. 00:05:04.819 --> 00:05:07.699 to the city members of this city. 00:05:07.699 --> 00:05:10.220 I just wanted to point that out to you. 00:05:10.220 --> 00:05:13.139 This meeting should be adjourned. 00:05:13.139 --> 00:05:16.379 It should never come up again unless council 00:05:16.379 --> 00:05:21.379 has official meetings about governing and legislation. 00:05:22.500 --> 00:05:27.060 We're not part of the governing or legislative body 00:05:27.060 --> 00:05:28.399 in this city. 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:33.019 We are followers of people that is conducting 00:05:33.019 --> 00:05:38.019 our viewpoints and our job we have outside. 00:05:38.100 --> 00:05:39.019 Thank you, Mr. Sanders. 00:05:39.019 --> 00:05:40.660 Your time has expired. 00:05:40.660 --> 00:05:42.420 And that right there, what you just said, 00:05:42.420 --> 00:05:46.420 other public comments concerning the appropriation ordinance 00:05:46.420 --> 00:05:47.259 for 2026. 00:05:47.259 --> 00:05:48.939 You don't have the official duty to do that. 00:05:48.939 --> 00:05:50.259 You need to stop talking 00:05:50.259 --> 00:05:52.220 or I'm gonna call you out of order. 00:05:52.220 --> 00:05:54.540 This is a violation of order in decorum. 00:05:54.540 --> 00:05:55.459 That is your warning. 00:05:55.459 --> 00:05:58.339 If it continues, I will call you out of order. 00:05:58.339 --> 00:06:00.860 Is there any other public comments this evening 00:06:00.860 --> 00:06:04.519 on the ordinance that's before you. 00:06:04.519 --> 00:06:07.300 Seeing none, since there's no public here 00:06:07.300 --> 00:06:16.420 and no public comment, we will close this hearing at 536.