Full Text of HR0843 100th General Assembly
HR0843 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The Ford Heights Public Library District is | 3 | | located in
the Village of Ford Heights, 15 miles south of the
| 4 | | southern edge of the City of Chicago; it is considered one of
| 5 | | the most disadvantaged suburbs in the United States; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, The Ford Heights Public Library closed over 20 | 7 | | years ago
and the building was torn down from lack of money for | 8 | | upkeep; in 2009,
the Glenwood-Lynwood Library District | 9 | | terminated its agreement
to allow Ford Heights residents to use | 10 | | its library because of an
alleged $50,000 debt incurred by Ford | 11 | | Heights; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, In 2013, the Ford Heights Public Library District | 13 | | board
president told the Chicago Tribune that she could find no | 14 | | financial
history for the public library district after taking | 15 | | office; and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, Two years ago, an official with the | 17 | | Glenwood-Lynwood
Public Library told the Chicago Tribune it | 18 | | severed ties with Ford
Heights after discovering financial | 19 | | documents revealing hundreds
of dollars in checks that were | 20 | | allegedly cashed for office
supplies, when, at the time, the | 21 | | Ford Heights Public Library District had no office and no | 22 | | office
personnel; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, The residents of Ford Heights pay $13,382 a year | 2 | | in
property taxes to the public library district, but there is | 3 | | no
public library and its residents cannot even get a library | 4 | | card; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Libraries provide essential services and | 6 | | resources to
the communities in which they are located; | 7 | | libraries are a place
of learning and fostering community, | 8 | | especially in poor
communities, where public libraries may be | 9 | | the only place to
access computers and the Internet; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, The residents of Ford Heights deserve | 11 | | transparency and
accountability for every tax dollar that is | 12 | | spent on their
behalf; they deserve access to the wealth of | 13 | | knowledge that is
provided by library books and access to | 14 | | library
computers to search and apply for jobs or to enroll in | 15 | | community
college classes; therefore, be it
| 16 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 17 | | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the | 18 | | Auditor
General is directed to conduct a performance audit of | 19 | | the Ford
Heights Public Library District; and be it further | 20 | | RESOLVED, That the audit include but not be limited to the
| 21 | | following: |
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| 1 | | (1) Whether the administrative expenses at the Ford | 2 | | Heights
Public Library District are justified based on the
| 3 | | services provided to the residents of Ford Heights; | 4 | | (2) Whether the Ford Heights Public Library District
| 5 | | maintains documentation supporting its administrative
| 6 | | expenses; | 7 | | (3) Whether there has been any use of public library | 8 | | district
funds that is not supported by adequate and | 9 | | reasonable
documentation; and | 10 | | (4) What services are provided by the Ford Heights | 11 | | Public
Library District and whether service can be | 12 | | improved; and
be it further | 13 | | RESOLVED, That the Ford Heights Public Library District and | 14 | | any
other agency or entity having information relevant to this | 15 | | audit
cooperate fully and promptly with the Auditor General | 16 | | during
this review; and be it further
| 17 | | RESOLVED, That the Auditor General commence this audit as | 18 | | soon
as possible and report his findings and recommendations | 19 | | upon
completion in accordance with the provisions of Section | 20 | | 3-14 of
the Illinois State Auditing Act.
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