Two weeks after village President Tom Strickland testified in court that his neighbor’s cat was running loose, prompting a $50 fine, Strickland proposed hiking fees for animal ordinance violations 400 percent.
Legislation requiring cats to be leashed any time they are outside was introduced by Strickland in late 2009. Since the ordinance passed, Strickland’s neighbor, Norman Jordan, is the only person ever to receive a citation, said Animal Services Director Jennifer Stacy.
But Strickland insists his motivation to raise animal violation fees has nothing to do with Jordan, or the years-long squabble between the two that has resulted in at least 14 police reports.
Strickland and Jordan have been engaged in a bitter dispute since before he was elected village president that has grown to involve family members, neighbors and village staff. Last year, the Village Board asked Strickland to end the dispute, yet it continues.
It even has trustees concerned that Strickland is using his position to legislate against his neighbor.
“I’m completely 100 percent against us raising (animal violation fees) because I know exactly why it’s being raised, and it’s to be used against a particular person,” Trustee Tim Gentry said.
But Strickland says it’s a budgetary issue.
“They’re having a lot of calls out here for dogs and cats (at large),” he said at last week’s Public Improvement and Safety Committee meeting, when questioned by Trustee Tom Yoe. “And it’s going to be causing more fees for the village. They are also raising their fees at Animal Control and asked if we could raise ours so the fees don’t go up next year. So that’s why we raised these, to make up the difference. Because there are a lot of calls.”
But Stacy said this isn’t the case.
“We haven’t raised fees in two years,” she said. “We’re no intending on raising fees.”
County officials also were unfamiliar with Strickland’s claim, saying the Animal Services charges to various municipalities have not yet been determined.
“We haven’t determined what our fees will be for next year,” Winnebago County Administrator Steve Chapman said. “As far as what the other individual (municipalities) pay, it’s all based on the number of calls as a percentage.”
In fact, Machesney Park’s bill has declined over the years, said David Peterson, the county’s administrator of Human Services.
Machesney Park was charged $67,248 in 2009 for animal control service, $54,492 in 2010 and $49,172 this fiscal year.
Neighborhood disagreement
Strickland and Jordan both say their dispute has been going on for years, and all they want is for the other to leave them alone. The list of complaints is long and, at times, frivolous. Jordan said Strickland put illegal reflectors in his yard. Strickland said Jordan had a garage sale that lasted one day too long. They’ve had property line disputes, and neither one likes the way the other mows their grass, which most recently brought police to the neighborhood last weekend.
Both have mountains of paperwork and photos documenting their claims against each other.
Jordan’s accusations became public last year when he took his complaints to the Village Board, left them with a handwritten letter, and asked that they address the situation.
“I just want him to stay out of my business and leave me alone, that’s all I ask,” Jordan said. “I just want him to leave me alone. And he just goes from one thing to another to find something to complain about. He just keeps looking and looking and looking.”
Months after Norman addressed the board, Strickland retaliated by sending a computer printout of Jordan’s criminal history to several neighbors, according to a Machesney Park police report. The mailing, complete with Jordan’s mug shot, indicated he’d been convicted of traffic violations, a 1994 possession of a controlled substance charge and a 1981 involuntary manslaughter charge, which Jordan said was the result of a drag-racing incident gone wrong.
It was that August 2010 night, after neighbors brought Jordan’s wife what they’d received in the mail, that the series of back-and-forths resulted in its first and only arrest. Jordan’s wife, Gloria Harrison, was arrested for disorderly conduct after screaming at Strickland.
Later that night, she attempted suicide, and when police arrived, she said she’d done it because Strickland wouldn’t leave them alone, and the mailing was hurtful, according to a police report.
Regarding the mailing, Strickland’s only comment to this newspaper was, “It was completely legal.” Police reports dating back to June 2010 outline the dispute, but one party hasn’t been held at fault. Public Safety Coordinator Rocco Wagner declined to comment for this story but noted the disputes were handled fairly and in accordance with the law.
Strickland denies harassing his neighbor but wouldn’t comment on specifics.
“Mr. Jordan has a vivid imagination and too much time on his hands,” Strickland said. “I don’t feel that I’ve done anything improper to Mr. Jordan, and I’m more than willing to get along with Mr. Jordan as long as I live next door to him.”
‘Shouldn’t have to deal with this’
Village trustees say Strickland needs to put an end to the disagreement with his neighbor and believe it got out of hand when they were dragged into it.
“It’s ridiculous, childish behavior,” Gentry said. “It’s unprofessional. As far as I’m concerned, it’s way more than what we should be dealing with right now.”
Yoe said he might have to re-examine his vote when the animal fee proposal goes to the full board.
“My question to the mayor originally was, why was this being done,” Yoe said. “He said it was to be in line with what the county is doing.
“If that proves not to be factual, I’m going to have to look at it.”
According to the Winnebago County Code of Ordinances, the penalty for an animal running at large shall not be less than $50 nor more than $500 for any one offense.
Strickland has proposed the village’s fee be no less than $250 for the first violation, $500 for the second violation and $750 for the third violation.
Trustee Jerry Bolin noted reluctance at committee when the ordinance was brought to a vote — he had to read it twice before Yoe seconded it for discussion purposes only.
“I’m a little disturbed, to say the least, about the animal proposal,” Bolin said. “I believed the statement he made, that this was because Winnebago County was raising their fees and that disturbs me he would make that comment knowing it was not true.
“This is poor representation of the village staff. This is not representative of the village trustees. This is unacceptable.”