During a recent village council meeting, public concern was raised regarding the financial dealings between the village and GPG Strategies, a lobbying firm. Resident Stephen Bachmann highlighted that the village had made ten payments of $2,000 each to GPG Strategies from August 2019 until August 2023, totaling $20,000. These payments were halted last year due to a lack of evidence supporting any work done by the firm.

Bachmann criticized Mayor Hoskins for previously asserting that GPG was providing valuable services, despite no meaningful reports being produced to justify the expenditures. He referenced a past incident where it was revealed that the mayor had been coaching the lobbyist on how to respond to council inquiries, raising further questions about transparency and accountability.

In his comments, Bachmann expressed skepticism about the recent resumption of payments to GPG, noting that the first payment in the new cycle was dated August 2023. He indicated that he had submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for documentation related to GPG's activities but had not yet received a response. His investigation into GPG's online presence revealed no significant updates or changes, leading him to question whether taxpayers were funding services that were not being delivered.

The meeting underscored ongoing concerns about the village's financial management and the effectiveness of its contracted services, prompting calls for greater transparency and accountability in local government spending.