WEBVTT 00:00:00.690 --> 00:00:20.550 Okay, okay. You sure about that? I'm positive. Are you sure? No, I'm just checking you. Okay. Make sure you're sure. Okay, good evening. Beings, it's 530. 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? 00:00:20.550 --> 00:00:46.110 The following notice ran in the Journal of Standard on November 9, 2025. Notice of public hearing on the proposed 2026 appropriation ordinance for the City of Freeport, Illinois. Notice is hereby given that on December 1, 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. 00:00:46.110 --> 00:00:55.770 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 00:00:55.770 --> 00:01:08.190 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 00:01:08.190 --> 00:01:12.590 An electronic version of the proposed budget is available for viewing on the City's website 00:01:12.590 --> 00:01:14.250 Thank you, Madam Clerk 00:01:14.250 --> 00:01:45.480 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? Somebody in the empty chair. Seeing that we have no public. Hold it. Hold it. Alderman Sanders, did you want to address as a public? Yeah. Yeah. Then you'll have to go to the podium. This is for public input. Well, I didn't. Would he have an opportunity if he don't take the public input? Yeah. Madam Clerk, I. 00:01:45.480 --> 00:02:14.400 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. It's not. It's nowhere in file or records or anywhere in public where it's your job. 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:16.980 I just want to make that clear to you. 00:02:17.340 --> 00:02:18.680 Well, let me just make it clear to you. 00:02:18.780 --> 00:02:20.980 Go to the podium, have your three minutes, say what you'd like. 00:02:21.120 --> 00:02:22.180 We all have, we're all listening. 00:02:22.180 --> 00:02:23.340 We're all listening. 00:02:23.340 --> 00:02:24.060 You don't charge me for nothing. 00:02:24.740 --> 00:02:30.980 I'm going because it's something that has been commonly known to do. 00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:40.200 And I just want to make sure that this meeting tonight, I want to address this fact that this 00:02:40.200 --> 00:03:10.180 This meeting is not approved because it's out of order right now as we speak. And I'm addressing this to counsel. I want counsel 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 00:03:10.180 --> 00:03:39.900 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 want to 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 00:03:40.180 --> 00:04:09.940 and there's a point of order that needs to be addressed. We're not going to 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, 00:04:09.940 --> 00:04:35.360 Rules and Regulation. We're not governing ourselves 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. 00:04:35.360 --> 00:05:05.340 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 records, proof, evidence, and everything else that we're conducting government in this city in a fashion that is not conducive to the city. 00:05:05.360 --> 00:05:07.020 members of this city. 00:05:07.540 --> 00:05:09.480 I just wanted to point that out to you. 00:05:10.100 --> 00:05:12.380 This meeting should be adjourned. 00:05:12.380 --> 00:05:21.560 It should never come up again unless council has official meetings about governing and legislation. 00:05:22.040 --> 00:05:27.820 We're not part of the governing or legislative body in this city. 00:05:27.820 --> 00:05:57.800 we're followers of people that is conducting our viewpoints in our job we have outside thank you Mr. Sanders your time has expired and that right there which you just any other public comments as well earning the appropriation ordinance 2026 official duty to do that 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 00:05:57.800 --> 00:06:16.860 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.