A press release from McHenry County Board candidate Michael Stanard:

District 6 Candidate Michael Stanard Raises the Real Issues

Woodstock, Illinois February 15, 2012  For most of my adult life, I paid little or no attention to the workings of government.

I voted, but i just didn’t think much about local government or the people running things on our behalf.

I didn’t know a municipal road, from a township road, a county road from a state road or federal highway.

I was like most people, I suppose. I simply wasn’t paying attention.

By contrast, I’ve discovered that many concerned citizens are paying attention.

I respect the individuals who are involved and interested in government.

I’m optimistic about the future and sharing my point-of-view about the role of local government.

My goal is to let voters know who I am and what I hope to accomplish as I present myself as a candidate for the County Board.

I may have been more or less asleep in the past, but I assure you I am wide awake now.

Historically, issues in the largest and most rural district in McHenry County have been;

• ground water conservation,
• the protection of the county’s pristine farm land and
• the preservation of open spaces.

In brief, the safekeeping of our rural and small town way-of-life is the job-at-hand.

These issues are critically important to those of us who live in District 6 and, obviously, every District 6 candidate supports these causes.

Of course they do.

It’s a no-brainer.

The question then becomes, which of the candidates is best suited to represent the voters, effectively champion the cause and, in the end, product the result ?

Risking the appearance of conceit, I feel that I am among the strongest candidates, if not the strongest.

I must quickly add that, as important as these issues have been in the past, and remain today, virtually all development-related matters have been postponed and / or abated by the economy.

That is, the threat of urban encroachment has ended, at least for the foreseeable future.

This is not because of any wisdom or savvy action on the part of our elected officials.

It’s simply because we have been facing the most difficult economic times since the 1930’s.

The real issues, more pressing matters, should be addressed by the County Board, not the least of which is the unwarranted increase in our real estate taxes.

This unwarranted and unnecessary tax increase has been condemned by virtually every County Board candidate, with the the exception of one District 6 candidate, who voted for the increase.

Along with may other citizens I’ve spoken with, I am troubled with other aspects of our county government as well.

Following are three of several issues I am prepared to address if elected.

These as the “real issues” to be addressed over the course of the next few years:

1. We have a transportation department that seems hell-bent on forcing its will on the residents of Alden and Fleming Road.
2. Our Sheriff’s Department, has spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on entirely unwarranted, seemingly vindictive, litigation. Moving forward, hundreds of thousands of additional tax payers dollars are sure to be wasted, no doubt.
3. The Animal Control people now demand veterinarian-certified death certificates for dead and buried farm dogs.
4. Incredibly, our over-zealous County Health Department prevented the ladies at the Historical Society from serving milk and homemade cookies. The Opera House staff was forbidden to serve hot dogs to student musicians visiting from Germany here, as our guests, to perform a free concert on The Square. I’m not making this up.

These are only a handful of close-to-home examples of the slow-but-sure erosion of our personal freedoms and the squandering of staff-time and taxpayer dollars.

Perhaps I’m mistaken, but this seems like too much government, right here in our backyards . And, instead of actively addressing voter’s concerns, and discouraging governmental nonsense, the County Board stands by with folded arms.

With all this in mind, I am running for a seat on the County Board representing District 6.

I am in favor of shrinking the size of County Government . The only way to do that is to reduce the amount of government funding.

In brief, let’s cut taxes and reduce spending. Let’s put our county government on a modest budget like virtually every family, individual and business in McHenry County.

I have a plan to do exactly that.

To learn more. . . visit our web site at : www.stan-ard.com.