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Page A8 • Saturday, April 6, 2013
Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com Mayoral candidate Mike Verbic discusses topics about his campaign recently with Taylor Street resident Nick Velasquez in DeKalb.
Verbic: Crime in city not overhyped, rates need to be addressed within city’s means • VERBIC
Election Central
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More online Go to Daily-Chronicle.com to watch a video of candidates talking about crime. tion. ... It has a lot more dollars than the city of DeKalb,” Verbic said. “I believe it would be their responsibility to find that location and develop it if they so desire.” In general, Verbic said he wants to bring in businesses that will give DeKalb residents meaningful wages and benefits, but thinks different incentive packages can be offered. “We’ve had the same package for a number of years, and we need to revisit that,” Verbic said. Verbic also is not a fan of the housing bureau the City Council created in 2012 to implement new housing rules. He described it as being an extra layer of government that will cost the city more than it is worth.
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Another factor in this is ShoDeen’s Irongate development, which if approved, would add more than 1,000 homes to an area north of the high school. Verbic said he could support Irongate if it offered something unique to DeKalb, but there are several open lots in the city. “With new development comes more services,” Verbic said. “Do we have the dollars now to provide those services to more people? Where do those dollars come from?” Verbic’s desire for uniqueness extends into economic development. Verbic said he would not be in favor of extending economic incentives to retailers and restaurants unless they brought something new to DeKalb. He said he would not have voted for the $900,000 loan in tax increment financing proceeds that was awarded to Olive Garden. TIF is a special mechanism local governments use to cure blighted properties. Darden Restaurants, the owner of Olive Garden, later canceled its plan to build a DeKalb location. “As much as it is popular and people like it ... it’s a multimillion-dollar corpora-
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“I believe we can enforce codes that we have on the books by not having to invest that much money,” Verbic said. He described the bureau’s funding mechanism as a double tax on landlords, and pointed out that the bureau pays no attention to single-family homeowners, which can have the same issues as apartments. “We can’t differentiate one or the other,” Verbic said. “We have to approach all of these properties with these challenges in some equal way, but at the same time, not charging really everyone more.” Verbic said he doesn’t believe crime in the city is overhyped, and crime rates must be addressed within the city’s means. Although there have been a number of headline-grabbing crimes, Verbic said people generally feel safe in DeKalb. “We have to bring more of the real data that will address some of the perception issues,” Verbic said. Verbic felt tighter parking restrictions and better enforcement could help crack down on unwanted visitors to the city, as well as investing in items such as better lighting and photo-enforcement cameras at certain intersections.
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Ben Gordon Center Accepts Building Donation from Resource Bank
Thank you! – The Ben Gordon Center is pleased and grateful to announce the donation of the former Resource Bank building in Malta, IL from Resource Bank. The Ben Gordon Center Building on a Strong Community Resource will use the building as an additional location to provide outpatient behavioral healthcare services to adults, children and families to meet the growing need in DeKalb County. The location will also be a convenient site for our current clients from Creston, Kishwaukee College, Malta and Rochelle along with the consumers from southwest DeKalb. Community services will include prevention and education, individual, group and family counseling, substance abuse therapy, Pictured L to R, Richard Katz, as well as psychiatric evaluation and treatment. Resource Bank President, “We are very thankful for the generosity of Michael Flora, Ben Gordon Resource Bank for the donation of the property. We Center CEO & President, and Mark Leach Ben Gordon Center continue to experience a 12% increase annually in Board Chairman. many of the services we provide. For over 45 years, the Ben Gordon Center has provided comprehensive, About the quality mental health and substance abuse services Ben Gordon Center for adults, children and families. The building in Ben Gordon Center has Malta allows for us to continue to meet the needs of provided mental health our growing community,” said Michael Flora, MBA, counseling and substance M.A.Ed.,LCPC, President and CEO. abuse treatment services “The Malta bank building is a wonderful gift. to the DeKalb County Credit goes to the creative thinking of the Resource area since 1968. The Ben Bank management & staff who crafted a way for the Gordon Center team of community to continue to benefit from the structure. caring professionals are This gift will have an immediate impact at the Center experts in behavioral care. by alleviating the tight accommodations at our main Many with licenses and building. It will also help us better serve the evercertifications in their areas expanding needs, especially those who come to us of specialization, provide a variety of services in a from the western parts of the county,” said Mark number of clinical Leach, Ben Gordon Center Board Chairman. specialties for women, Founded in 1901 in Malta, Illinois, Resource children, adolescents, Bank was originally known as The First National Bank couples, and families. of Malta. Since its inception, the bank has expanded To learn more, please visit to its current size of nine offices throughout DeKalb www.bengordoncenter.org. County. Richard Katz, President of Resource Bank, is aware of the services Ben Gordon Center has provided to the community for many years and is pleased to be able to donate this beautiful facility to them in support of their efforts.
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