When I heard of the $1,000 a year that McHenry County Board members can use to get reimbursement for county board-related expenses, it perked my interest.
Would goodies be found as they are with the Chicago Aldermen’s much larger expense accounts?
Here’s what I received when I filed a Freedom of Information request for Fiscal Year 2009, which ended November 30th. As you can see, it’s pretty obvious that the spreadsheet provided contains some reimbursements beyond the $1,000.
In fact, I learned it contains all of the expense rreimbursements to county board members, except mileage for driving to and from meetings.
What seems most significant is the large number of county board members that took no reimbursements.
McHENRY COUNTY BOARD EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENTS – FY 2009
Randy Donley
- $188.10 for 342 mile trip for 3-30-9 Rural Community Economic Development Conference
- $94.33 for hotel/food for Rural Comm Econ Dev Conf
John Hammerand
- $38, McCog (McHenry County Council of Governments) Dinner September 23
Tina Hill
- $742.19 2009 National Association of Counties Conference 3-7 thru 3-10
- $28.05 Comcast broadband meeting 2/26/09
- $161.28 Rural Economic Development Seminar
- $841.12 NACO 3/7-3/10 Wash DC
- $32 March McCog Mtg 3
- $35 McCog May 27, 2009
- $34 McCog June 26th dinner
- $30 McCog Meeting July 2009
- $125 EDC Dinner Sept 17
- $38 McCog Dinner Crystal Lake 9/23/09
- $31 October McCog Dinner Mtg
- $32 November 18 McCog meeting
Ken Koehler
-
$436.80 Wash DC Mtg w/Lobbyist
- $193 Paratransit/Fed Lobby/Strat Plan Dec 2008
- $76.50 Springfield Meetings Jan 2009
- $57.20 K.Koehler
- $255 DCA Lobbyist 3/2-4,2009
- $37 transportation mtg 2/17/09
- $38 EDC 2/19/09
- $12 CMAP 3/24/09
- $71 Amtrak/Rockford 3/25/2009
- $43 Integrated Justice Mtg Luncheon
- $45.25 Lakewood Issues Luncheon
- $43 Transit Grant Program Luncheon
- $129 PACE Pilot Project
- $28 Randall Rd., City CL Mtg
- $53 CMAP2030 Chicago
- $34 Public Safety Bldg Mtg
- $50 MCEDC Issues
- $26 RWSP, Chicago Water Issues
- $24 Valley Hi Issues Koehler, Dvorak
- $44 ISSSoftware Issues Koehler, Austin, Wallis
- $47.25 MCEDC Issues Koehler, Austin, MCEDC reps
- $84 Valley Hi long range Koehler, Austin, Revere reps
- $27.50 2030 plan w/Eldridge
- $47.25 Meeting w/Lobbyist – Ferguson
- $12 RTA – cab fare
Lyn Orphal
- $34 June 24th McCog Dinner
Ersel Schuster
- $173.28 Rural Community Econ. Dev. 03/04-03/05
- $64 McCog June and July reimbursement
Barb Wheeler
- $91.71 Housing Forum refreshments
Paula Yensen
$30 McCog reimbursement
$30 Feb McCog reimbursement
$34 McCog Dinner 6/24/09 3
$30 McCog July 2009
$20 MCCD Class-Creating Thriving Communities
Ken Koehler spent $34 on a public safety building meeting (meal?); the Sheriff has a new building in his plans even though millions were just recently spent to enlarge capacity at 2200 N. Seminary, and County Board member Barb Wheeler said in today’s (1/20/10) Northwest Herald “…the County Board’s building plans, such as new buildings for the sheriff’s office and health department, had been put on hold in the recession.”
And Koehler’s $43 Integrated Justice Mtg Luncheon and $45.25 Lakewood Issues Luncheon. Were those for his meal only, or did he buy someone else’s lunch, too? Each County Board member should pay for his own meal and be reimbursed for it.
Look at all the $30-32-34-35 McCog meal reimbursements. Am I the only one curious about so many meals in the same price range? Where are they eating?