WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:20.640 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? 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:30.640 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. 00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:40.640 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, 00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:46.640 for the purpose of considering the fiscal year 2026 Appropriation Ordinance for the City of Freeport, Illinois. 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:50.880 All interested parties may appear at said public hearing and shall have the right to present 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:55.299 oral and written comments on the proposed appropriation ordinance as permitted and required 00:00:55.299 --> 00:01:00.520 by law. Notice is further given that the proposed appropriation ordinance is on file and available 00:01:00.520 --> 00:01:05.180 for public inspection during regular business hours at the office of the City Clerk, Freeport 00:01:05.180 --> 00:01:10.219 City Hall 314 West Stevenson Street, Freeport, Illinois. An electronic version of the proposed 00:01:10.219 --> 00:01:12.960 budget is available for viewing on the City's website. 00:01:12.960 --> 00:01:18.960 Thank you, Madam Clerk. So now we'll allow for public comment. Madam Clerk, did you get any written correspondence? 00:01:18.960 --> 00:01:19.960 I did not. 00:01:19.960 --> 00:01:23.960 And is there any public comment at this time? 00:01:23.960 --> 00:01:27.960 Seeing that we have no public. 00:01:27.960 --> 00:01:30.960 Alderman Sanders, did you want to address as a public? 00:01:30.960 --> 00:01:31.960 Yeah. 00:01:31.960 --> 00:01:35.960 Then you'll have to go to the podium. 00:01:35.960 --> 00:01:38.960 This is for public input. 00:01:38.960 --> 00:01:42.960 Do you have an opportunity if you don't take the public input? 00:01:42.960 --> 00:01:45.960 Madam Clerk, I... 00:01:45.960 --> 00:01:51.960 Because who's running this? Who's running this assembly right now? 00:01:51.960 --> 00:01:52.960 Me. 00:01:52.960 --> 00:01:53.960 No, you're not. 00:01:53.960 --> 00:01:54.960 I am. 00:01:54.960 --> 00:01:56.960 No, you can't. 00:01:56.960 --> 00:01:59.960 Believe me, you can't. 00:01:59.960 --> 00:02:00.960 It's my job. 00:02:00.960 --> 00:02:01.960 No, it's not. 00:02:01.960 --> 00:02:02.960 So if you would... 00:02:02.960 --> 00:02:04.960 Alderman Sanders, if you'd like to speak, go to the podium. 00:02:04.960 --> 00:02:05.960 You have three minutes. 00:02:05.960 --> 00:02:06.960 It's not your job. 00:02:06.960 --> 00:02:20.480 Well, let me just make it clear to you, go to the podium, have your three minutes, say 00:02:20.480 --> 00:02:24.920 what you'd like, we're all listening, we're all listening. 00:02:24.920 --> 00:02:34.319 I'm going because it's something that has been commonly known to do, and I just want 00:02:34.319 --> 00:02:37.479 to make sure that this meeting tonight, 00:02:37.479 --> 00:02:42.479 I wanna address this fact that this meeting is not approved 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:46.239 because it's out of order right now as we speak. 00:02:46.239 --> 00:02:48.799 And I'm addressing this to council. 00:02:48.799 --> 00:02:53.799 I want council to know that we need to revise 00:02:56.719 --> 00:02:59.259 our thinking process of governing. 00:03:00.379 --> 00:03:03.439 We're not a governing legislative body. 00:03:03.439 --> 00:03:05.659 I just want you guys to know that 00:03:05.659 --> 00:03:07.960 because we're not practicing it. 00:03:07.960 --> 00:03:12.960 It is something that needs to be refined and put into order. 00:03:15.280 --> 00:03:16.919 We are totally out of order. 00:03:16.919 --> 00:03:20.319 Anytime the mayor speaks, it's out of order. 00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:22.240 I just want you guys to know that. 00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:27.039 You might wanna ask me why that is the case 00:03:27.039 --> 00:03:29.680 is because you never looked into the matter. 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:34.680 The matter is the mayor does not conduct council business. 00:03:36.060 --> 00:03:38.540 Let me make that straight to you. 00:03:38.540 --> 00:03:42.000 There's more to be said and there's a point of order 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:43.500 that needs to be addressed. 00:03:44.480 --> 00:03:47.480 We're not gonna continue to be pretending 00:03:47.480 --> 00:03:52.480 in the year 2026 that we're doing ethical things 00:03:52.760 --> 00:03:56.680 the right way in the city of Freeport 00:03:56.680 --> 00:04:01.120 pertaining to the citizens of the taxpayers of this city, 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:03.560 the way we are conducting ourselves 00:04:03.560 --> 00:04:08.560 as supposed to be governing bodies, legislative bodies 00:04:08.560 --> 00:04:11.540 of members of the laws, rules, and regulation. 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:16.600 We're not governing ourself in that aspect. 00:04:16.600 --> 00:04:20.699 We are just going along with it, being manipulated, 00:04:20.699 --> 00:04:24.879 being transformed into something that we should not be. 00:04:24.879 --> 00:04:35.360 and the people of this community can see the lack of integrity that we carry before the council. 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:43.360 We should not approach January 1st unless we start changing our mindset on how we govern 00:04:44.159 --> 00:04:51.360 what we're doing. Things have to change. All aspects of that has to change. I will bring you 00:04:51.360 --> 00:05:08.360 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. 00:05:08.360 --> 00:05:11.360 I just wanted to point that out to you. 00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:20.600 Adjourned. It should never come up again unless council has official meetings about governing 00:05:20.600 --> 00:05:29.879 and legislation. We're not part of the governing or legislative body in this city. We're followers 00:05:29.879 --> 00:05:37.759 of people that is conducting our viewpoints and our job. We have outside... 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:40.759 Thank you, Mr. Sanders, your time has expired. 00:05:40.759 --> 00:05:47.759 Is there any other public comments concerning the appropriation ordinance for 2026? 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:51.759 You need to stop talking or I'm going to call you out of order. 00:05:51.759 --> 00:05:57.759 This is a violation of order in decorum. That is your warning. If it continues, I will call you out of order. 00:05:57.759 --> 00:06:03.759 Is there any other public comments this evening on the ordinance that's before you? 00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:09.519 Seeing none, since there's no public here and no public comment, we will close this 00:06:09.519 --> 00:06:19.000 hearing at 536.