In one of the first county board fund raisers of the year, McHenry County College Board member Donna Kurtz gathered supporters at The Cottage at the corner of Crystal Lake Avenue and Brink Street Thursday night.
Kurtz is running to replace either incumbent County Board Chairman Ken Koehler or member Lyn Orphal in the early February Republican primary election.
Crystal Lake City Councilman Jeff Thorsen introduced the candidate.
“I am very, very, very enthusiastic supporter of Donna Kurtz,” he said. “We need someone with her honesty and integrity in county board government.”
Kurtz said she was inspired by her mother former State Rep. Rosemary Kurtz’ concern for environmental protection and former State Rep. Cal Skinner’s fiscal conservativeness. Rep. Kurtz defeated Rep. Skinner in the 2000 GOP primary election.
“As many of you know, the world goes full circle.”
Kurtz said she running for the board of directors of a $260 million organization, McHenry County government.
Reflecting on her service on the McHenry County College Board, Kurtz said it had taught her this lesson:
“You gotta do your own research. Everyone’s got their own agenda.”
She didn’t say she was reflecting on her support of building a minor league baseball stadium on college property and, then, changing her mind with the announcement being at the Crystal Lake City Council meeting the night re-zoning was being discussed, but that might be a good guess.
“My courage was driven by my thought I couldn’t stand not to do the right thing,” she stated.
Besides Thorsen, City Council members Carolyn Schofield and Brett Hopkins were in attendance, as were park board members Mike Walkup and Richard Sexton.
McHenry County Recorder of Deeds Phyllis Walters, who actually lives in District 2 in the tiny bit of Algonquin in the district was also in attendance, as was Nunda Township Supervisor John Heisler.
Members of A-LAW, the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water were in attendance. The group recently proposed strict potential conflict disclosure rules for county elected and appointed officials. The Alden Road Alliance was also represented. District 3 county board candidate Craig Steagall, who actively opposes the location of the proposed Ridgefield Metra station on Country Club Road, also was present.
- Tamara Kurtz
- Erv & Louise Lecoque
- Dr. Robert & Carol Minkus
- Jeannine Thoms
- Connie Zukowski
- Scott Summers
- Jewel Hahn
- Jill Hartman
- Keith & Marge Nygren
- Phyllis Walters
- Bill & Alice Howenstine
- James & Diane Gesler
- Lou Ann & Jerome Majewski
- Jean Plews
- Patricia Floeter
- Brett & Tina Hopkins