The Rape of the Rockland Fire Protection District

The rape of the Knollwood Fire Department (KFD) by Lake Forest and Libertyville politicians was fully consummated on October 1, 2018. The Rockland Fire Protection District (RFPD) had for 65 years levied taxes to support the KFD. The volunteer professional firefighters had never received pensions or benefits for services rendered. The RFPD contracted with Lake Forest and Libertyville Fire Departments to provide ambulance services, and the KFD provided a vital cost efficient and highly effective fire and emergency safety net to the community it served. That “net” no longer exists.

It took at least 8 years of sleazy maneuvering by the Lake Forest politicians and their agents to gain a healthy portion of RFPD’s property tax receipts to provide half of KFD’s residents with Lake Forest fire fighting services (Libertyville received the other half) . It took two Lake County Board members four years of skirting legalities and democratic principles to appoint two reprehensible Republican precinct committeemen as operatives on the three-member RFPD board. Then, it took less than a year to complete the corrupt money grabbing scheme.

Retired Lake Forest Alderman Stanford Tack was lauded at a September 2018 council meeting as the “Godfather” of the acclaimed rape. He thanked the KFD residents for buying into the “takeover”, and suggested it was time to bring “our neighbors to the North (Lake Bluff)” into the fold.

The RFPD taxpayers never “bought into the plan”. They submitted petitions, held meetings and filed complaints with Lake County Board members because of the unethical behavior and practices of the two appointed trustees. The taxpayers received no real recognition from County Board. Instead they were told by Board members Aaron Lawlor and Mike Rummel that Dan Rogers and Bob Grum were appointed as trustees to the RFPD because they would do as they were told to do.

Lake Bluff officials had been warned (January 2018) to expect a takeover bid for its volunteer professional fire department—lock, stock and all taxpayer receipts. Further, if the bid was not accepted, Lake Forest would no longer contract with Lake Bluff to provide ambulance service.

Lake Bluff TAKE HEED! Mourn for the Knollwood Fire Department. But do not let unfettered greed and blatant abuse of political power determine Lake Bluff’s fate. Bring to bear all financial and legal resources and SOCK IT to Lake Forest!

By Janice Schnobrich, October 23, 2018