From left to right, those attending the Young Republicans County Board candidates' night were incumbents Ersel Schuster and Diane Evertsen, Rachel Smith, Corey Brackmann, Michael Rein, David LaGue, Mike Skala, Michael Stanard and, speaking, Shawn Green.
The Young Republicans provided a public service Saturday night by sponsoring a candidates night for McHenry County Board candidates in District 5 and 6.
The Friday night counterpart for District 2, 3 and 4 candidates, on the other hand, had three incumbents who defended their maximization of the tax take from taxpayers.
Only $8 a household was the best defense.
Four incumbents skipping the Saturday night’s affair (tax hikers in boldface type):
- Tina Hill – District 5
- John Jung – District 5
- Virginia Peschke- District 5
- Mary McCann – District 6
There only incumbents from Districts 2, 3 and 4 who missed the Friday night meeting were County Board Chairman Ken Koehler from Crystal Lake and Wonder Lake’s Draffkorn. Both voted for the tax hike.
I wondered if the absence of those who voted “Yes” for big levy was because the tax hike question asked of District 2, 3, and 4 candidates the night before.
To their credit two of those from District 2 who voted to maximize the tax take, Jim Heisler and Donna Kurtz attended and gave their defenses. Koehler also voted for the one and one-half percent tax hike, the most allowed by the Property Tax Cap.
In District 3, Mary Donner, who also supported maximizing county taxes, was in attendance defending her vote.
Of the incumbents absent in District 5, Jung supported the tax hike and Hill did not. Peschke did not cast a vote.
In District 6, incumbent Mary McCann was the only incumbent missing. She supported the tax hike.
So, when the same question was asked of candidates in District 5 and 6 as was asked of those from District 2, 3 and 4, there was no one on the stage to defend the maximum extraction of taxes possible from us taxpayers.
Do I sense an issue that might have some traction?
= = = = =
The roll calls that might interest you on the tax hike:
Cal:
Sue Drafkorn was absent as well. She is currently a Board member from District 4 and on the ballot. She worked hard get elected, wouldn’t want her to be overlooked.