Let’s Get Together

I was listening to some background music while writing and found this appropriately titled song:

Let’s Get Together

The alternative might be, as the Northwest Herald editorial title said Wednesday,

Dissolving Grafton may be best for all

March 17, 2010, editorial supporting abolition of Grafton Township.

So far, the NW Herald hasn’t picked up on the likely attempt to get township electors to approve purchase of an empty building for conversion into a new township hall at the annual town meeting on April 13th at 7 PM at Huntley High School.  (See Grafton Township Edifice Complex Alive and Well.)

While the NW Herald has editorialized against approval of the judicially-set November referendum about whether Grafton Township voters, no recommendation has been made about buying and remodeling an empty building.  A tie vote at last year’s annual meeting played a key role in Judge Michael Caldwell’s decision.

The township trustees plan to

  • put a big ad in the NW Herald (a half-page add cost one candidate $1,500 the Sunday before the primary election),
  • send out post cards,
  • hold an open house in the current township offices the day of the meeting, presumably to show their inadequacy and
  • goodness knows what else.

The NW Herald was speaking in philosophical terms when writing about dissolving Grafton Township. After Wonder Lake’s Bob Anderson’s unsuccessful attempt to abolish township government throughout McHenry County (with township officials coming from other counties to help in the campaign to kill the effort), laws may have been changed.

Then, it was my understanding that individual township could be abolished by referendum vote. I don’t know if that option still exists. If it doesn’t, a countywide vote might be required on an all or nothing basis. Just getting sufficient signatures on petitions to call such a vote would be daunting.

And, it is worth remembering that probably the third largest Political Action committee in McHenry County is Algonquin Township Highway Commissioner Bob Miller’s. He had $58,668.39 before spending for his wife’s re-nomination campaign to the McHenry County Board.

Gerry McMahon

So, those in favor of keeping township government would have money for a campaign, while those on Anderson’s side would be starting from scratch in fund raising, with no individual taxpayer having much to gain from dissolution.

As Grafton Township Trustee Gerry McMahon continues to wonder (out loud in meetings), why would the Coyne Station Road farmers care so much whether Grafton Township spends $5 million (principal, plus interest) for a new township hall when the cost to them individually would be so relatively little.

Accepting that argument, why would ordinary homeowners contribute more than the few dollars they might save, if they had the chance to combine township services with those provided by the county.

There are only three essential services offered by township government:

  • assessing property
  • maintaining roads and
  • providing local welfare

Everything else is optional.

It may be good, but it is optional.

Grafton Township's senior citizen bus after the 2009 Annual Town Meeting.

Food pantries, for example, are stand along, not-for-profit enterprises most places.

RTA’s PACE provides dial-a-ride bus service. Townships supplement service, providing subsidies for senior citizens, including, at least in Grafton Township’s case, subsidies to non-township residents.

And, as Woodstock Advocate’s Gus Philpott points out, it might be cheaper just to pay taxis to provide the service.

But, then, the name of the township would not be seen as the bus drives around town.


Comments

Let’s Get Together — 6 Comments

  1. Cal,
    We need to start somewhere. Illinois leads the pack in the number of governmental taxing agencies. It is all about power and fiefdoms. Townships have evolved to where they must justify their existence by subterfuge, spending money on unneeded programs under the guise of providing services.

    Townships are a haven for patronage and nepotism. Township officials become entrenched and “lord of the jobs”, passing these jobs from father to son, sister to brother and taking care of, for lack of better word, cronies.

    Other than road maintenance and winter snow removal, township government would best serve the people by being absorbed into county government. There are extremes of wealth within townships. On one end we have Algonquin, McHenry and Nunda which have a high tax base and can pander to the taxpayers by providing ‘warming shelters, buses, and programs which beautifully camouflage the patronage jobs which come with them. Townships hoodwink the taxpayers with a sense of legitimacy. Under a consolidated form of government such as County, the roads in poorer areas would be better served and the glut of money could be more equitably spent.

    While we are at it, let’s break up the school districts and consolidate them and thereby eliminate an entire level of administration. But it’s all about baby steps, starting with townships.

  2. Why waste your space with a picture of the main problem in Grafton township? I do not mean the bus.

  3. Yes! I think it’s time to take baby steps and get rid of the crooked ways of Grafton Township! There are four or five foreclosed/short sale house on my block. People are in poor financial shape and we’re going to spend millions of dollars to erect a building that will probably be as empty as Huntley’s Village Hall? This is ridiculous.

    If there is a way to abolish these “typical politician” trustees from Grafton (who must’ve taken lessons from Chicago’s cronies) I want to be the first person to place my signature on the petition!

    We cannot afford ANYMORE waste in government — even if it is only a few dollars on my tax bill. This has got to stop NOW! We need to get rid of the township government and the whole group that is controlling it.

    Then let’s start on the school district after we have accomplished this!

  4. It’s time to buy a GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIant size rubber stamp with the Grafton Township name on it.

    Growing a part of govt. bigger can easily mean wanting to have “MY” bingo place, “MY” food pantry, “MY” unofficial taxi service, “MY” recycle bin(s), and so on even those things already exist.

    C’mon folks, in the case of Grafton Township, that rubberstamp ownership isn’t necessary. There are other ways to accomplish those types of things instead of spending money to recreate sliced bread, indoor plumbing, and the wheel.

    This isn’t the olden days.

    The location of building choices trends to Huntley. Who’da figured!

    The volunteers, employees, elected folks are in or around Huntley. Who’da figured that?

    Yet the Township stretches to Crystal Lake. Who’da figured that?

  5. The cabbie could put a pizza-delivery-style sign on the cab roof whenever transporting a Township fare. Or fly a funeral-procession-type magnetic flag on the fender. (Maybe that would be too appropriate.) You know, keep the Township’s name and hand-out in front of the public…

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