Dear Sir:

Thank you for the opportunity to express my thoughts on next year’s budget. As a Senior citizen that pays property taxes and with fixed income, I have been hurt deeply in this economic slump. I know of other seniors with very little savings remaining that may eventually lose their homes because of high taxation.On top of that, we don’t have a Union that could negotiate our incomes, neither the common citizen that lost his or her job, or our residents whose incomes have remained fixed with no hope for a raise, and still must pay property taxes. Churches, private schools, families, have all reduced their expenditures because of the economic situation.

I firmly believe that we are overtaxed in the City of Geneva. I am asking serious consideration of the members of the Board to be very cautious on extra spending and pay raises. Please do not approve the 3 – 4% increase over last year’s budget, and mainly I am asking to reduce the budget.

I have learned from AARP that there won’t be a COLA adjustment in 2010 on our Social Security checks.

Many seniors like me have been trying to keep up with the taxes, so I am asking again restrain from this Board and to work for a reduced budget for next year.

I want you to know also that we are vigilant of what the Board will decide because it is hurting everybody in our quality of life during our old age in particular. We can not afford making more cuts just to pay taxes, and the ones that have and the ones that don’t have jobs still have to pay property taxes too. Thank you very much.

Emilio F. Marcos
Geneva, IL