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Tim Baldermann, Mayor of New Lennox, Ill., on how he led a boycott of local gas stations because their prices were higher than neighboring towns.
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Club of new Lenox prices with ten to twenty cents -- the neighboring towns so that Tim ball of how to solution.
Boycott the local gas stations until they drop prices apparently it looked.
Matt Waldman joins us now from Chicago you are welcome to the show awaited tellers won't happen does that gas prices in Yorktown wind up so you encourage people to drive the neighboring towns -- -- elsewhere then what happens.
Well within a matter of 48 hours to prices drop ten to fifteen cents and as of the last few days.
We have been a penny or two lower than most of our neighboring communities so you all the citizens of -- -- new Lenox Illinois they took did you go out that publicly.
Take to the Airways a local Paper in -- Doubts that don't buy gas in New London -- go someplace else you say that.
I get -- matter fact it was one week ago today.
I checked the gas prices after getting several complaints from my residence so I checked them for a couple of weeks.
Saw that every single day we were ten to twenty cents higher than all of those towns surrounding us.
I called the corporations and essentially they said while your people pay -- so that's what we're gonna charge.
And I said well that's OK I support the free market you do which want to do.
But I need to look out for my residents and tell -- that they can negative -- better price elsewhere you just use the -- -- free markets and that you that this is a financial program we really approve of that I guess you could say that you put the free market to look -- -- everybody with the information they needed Connecticut -- rational economic decision on the information you provide -- that's -- so.
That's exactly right what happened within the first 48 hours is.
The business at our local pumps was down 50%.
So they had to respond and for the last five days we've been at the same price or lower than all of our competitors do you expect though my fault for the free market yeah -- all yet we ought to believe me Iran all you are not very popular though with a local gas station and is on you.
Well you know that's the funny thing that six of our seven gas stations are owned by corporations and they're not owned by local owners.
There's one local owner but I had representatives from the corporate offices come to see me and I don't think they took me very seriously but they are now.
Mayor did you move out on some a couple days a local.
Gas -- is but that's.
-- yes we absolutely dead but -- community that runs very efficiently -- 125000.
People.
Were in the black -- a matter fact we rebate 50% of village portion of the property -- back to our residents every year.
I figured the village could take a little bit of the hit on the sales tax -- com.
In order to give our residents some -- you know you're on you -- just to that giving is just dynamite stuff -- this one because we used to come into Illinois and saying look what a mess they've made.
They have raised taxes that virtually bankrupt and not paying off that vendors and you're telling -- that the town of new Lenox.
Is in the black.
You don't have a deficit you hang your own way.
You want to tell me -- did did that.
While we run very efficiently we run very conservatively our our job is to provide the services for our people but only take what you need.
Like I said we just sent back in March 705000.
Dollars to our residents we also eliminated our village stickers and our pet tag so they don't have to pay that those fees anymore.
Our housing starts are up threefold from last year which is were still down because the market is bad.
About we went from 25 housing starts to now 75 and were on the rise so.
I'm very proud of the staff -- we have we've got a great community that.
Well aware of what's happening now that's a free market guy in Illinois wow it's great to have you with us so we really appreciate it here on -- -- -- -- not much matter of new Lenox Illinois thanks for joining us that we see again we -- thank you so.
