Rock Island Today

Bill Long thinks Rock Island is in desperate need of change.

“Rock Island County has been under the rule of the same political party for over 40 years,” Long said in a press release. “There is no doubt that the responsibility for the financial, as well as the physical condition of the county buildings, rests entirely with the Democratic Party.”

That’s where Long, a Republican, hopes to come in with his run for the Rock Island County board.

“The words we often hear are ‘differed maintenance’ as to why we are in the fix we are in,” he said. “What this boils down to is irresponsible leadership. The time has come, and it is now, for a dramatic change in the board's overall structure, methods and functions to achieve improved results.”

Long already has a start on the job he hopes to be installed in.

“I have attended most county board and committee meetings for over 10 years,” he said. “During this period, I have been through the County Clerk scandal, the sheriff's office fiasco, the county buildings crumbling, several compensation increases, the re-construction of the Forrest [SIC] preserve, the failure to follow the voice of the voters, financial decisions made without board approval, the courthouse debacle, personal wants pursued and continued nepotism/favoritism.”

In the end, Long said there needs to be a total re-evaluation of the burdens placed on taxpayers.

“We need to re-evaluate exactly what business we should be in that compete with private industry,” he said. “Do we need to have control of a zoo, campgrounds, nursing home or golf course? Should these entities be sold/leased to private business and become a tax paying entity instead of a tax drain.”  

Long said November’s general election will provide taxpayers with a much-needed opportunity to implement the kind of changes he thinks are needed to get the county moving back toward greater fiscal responsibility and a fairer tax system.