How many McHenry County residents have ever heard of Holiday Hills?
It's a wide spot in the road - River Road. On the east side of the Fox River, north of Route 176. Watch your speed there.
The population was 831 in 2000. Why is it even a town? In 2011 the population was 611 (down 26.5% from 2000). How can it even afford to be a town? The Village website says the population is 802.
Ahhh, they have spotted the cash trough. Vehicle Impoundment Fees!
The Northwest Herald says the town hasn't yet decided on a tow fee. That's only because they haven't had a formal meeting yet. You can bet your bottom dollar that they are thinking in the $500 range, just like all the other communities in McHenry County that are ripping off drivers and vehicle owners.
Why is Police Chief Larry Mason even in the mix? It is the job of the police to enforce laws, not make them. Last time I checked, we were a civilian-led government, not police-led government. Did I oversleep?
Impoundment fees are nothing but a cash cow for cities, villages and towns,. Every town ought to be required to put up signs that warn drivers of Impoundment laws. They are not a deterrent to crime, because people don't know about them until it's too late.
You never know who is interested…
3 months ago
1 comment:
Better yet Gus, there is no reason for these little Fiefdoms. Holiday Hills, 800 people and how many part time cops? Then you wonder why these small town cops are so despised. Badge happy, over zealous, ticket writing fools. Look at Bull Valley, Hebron, Holiday Hills, Oakwood Hills and others. Some work for two or three PT departments. Part time cops that are usually undertrained, under qualified and couldn’t get hired at a larger department but they want to carry a gun and feel the power, so they get on with one of these departments where there is no background. These small departments are epidemically wrought with problems because they hire people not qualified to work anywhere else. Even goofs and nut cases slip through the psych and polygraph tests that larger departments have. The State Trooper that was arrested for making roadside strip searches or another Trooper for child porn. What about Porno Pyle, but it is much more rare than with these Part Timers that are little more than warm bodies.
These small town crime rates do not support the need for their own police but the village WANTS them. So the cops are required to sit and run radar. Hiding and sneaking around to support their salary. Going 7-10 MPH over the limit out on the fringe on town is not a safety thing, it is a $$$$$$ thing. The rest of the time the village feels perfectly safe relying on the County for emergency calls but when their cop is working it’s better run radar. Make money. Bull Valley has two cops patrolling on days and afternoons but NONEBODY on the midnight shift. If it was about safety they would have patrols all night, but it is about money and writing tickets. Remember the Tribune article about Bull Valley?
Police Departments should not be in the revenue raising business. Do the math. 800 people, how many homes paying a city tax? The local property tax does not support the police so they must raise the difference in ticket revenue.
Most states don't have these little town cops. Most have the County Sheriff or State Police. I know in Florida and California there are towns well in excess of 30-40 thousand people that contract patrol with the Sheriff.
Now Holiday Hill jumps on the bandwagon to charge more fees to pay for unnecessary cops.
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