Okay, good evening beings. It's 530. 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.


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.


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. Notice is further given that the proposed appropriation ordinance is on file and available for public inspection during regular business hours at the office of the City Clerk, Freeport City Hall 314 West Stevenson Street, Freeport, Illinois. An electronic version of the proposed budget is available for viewing on the City's website.


Thank you, Madam Clerk. So now we'll allow for public comment. Madam Clerk, did you get any written correspondence?


I did not. And is there any public comment at this time? Seeing that we have no public.


Alderman Sanders, did you want to address as a public? Yeah. Then you'll have to go to the podium.


This is for public input. Do you have an opportunity if you don't take the public input?


Madam Clerk, I... Because who's running this? Who's running this assembly right now? Me. No, you're not.


I am. No, you can't. Believe me, you can't. It's my job. No, it's not.


So if you would... Alderman Sanders, if you'd like to speak, go to the podium.


You have three minutes. It's not your job. Well, let me just make it clear to you, go to the podium, have your three minutes, say what you'd like, we're all listening, we're all listening.


I'm going because it's something that has been commonly known to do, and I just want to make sure that this meeting tonight, I wanna address this fact that this meeting is not approved because it's out of order right now as we speak.


And I'm addressing this to council. I want council to know that we need to revise our thinking process of governing.


We're not a governing legislative body. I just want you guys to know that because we're not practicing it.


It is something that needs to be refined and put into order. We are totally out of order.


Anytime the mayor speaks, it's out of order. I just want you guys to know that.


You might wanna ask me why that is the case is because you never looked into the matter.


The matter is the mayor does not conduct council business. Let me make that straight to you.


There's more to be said and there's a point of order that needs to be addressed.


We're not gonna continue to be pretending in the year 2026 that we're doing ethical things the right way in the city of Freeport pertaining to the citizens of the taxpayers of this city, the way we are conducting ourselves as supposed to be governing bodies, legislative bodies of members of the laws, rules, and regulation.


We're not governing ourself in that aspect. We are just going along with it, being manipulated, being transformed into something that we should not be.


and the people of this community can see the lack of integrity that we carry before the council.


We should not approach January 1st unless we start changing our mindset on how we govern what we're doing. Things have to change. All aspects of that has to change. I will bring you and I will continue records, proof, evidence and everything else that we're conducting government in this city in a fashion that is not conducive to the city members of this city.


I just wanted to point that out to you. Adjourned. It should never come up again unless council has official meetings about governing and legislation. We're not part of the governing or legislative body in this city. We're followers of people that is conducting our viewpoints and our job. We have outside...


Thank you, Mr. Sanders, your time has expired. Is there any other public comments concerning the appropriation ordinance for 2026?


You need to stop talking or I'm going to call you out of order. This is a violation of order in decorum. That is your warning. If it continues, I will call you out of order.


Is there any other public comments this evening on the ordinance that's before you? Seeing none, since there's no public here and no public comment, we will close this hearing at 536.