The stack of paper provided when documents concerning two years of legal fees were requested from the McHenry County 708 Mental Health Board. Any one interested in analyzing them is welcome to them. Just drop me an email.
For about a month I have been trying to obtain two years of legal expenses in a user-friend format for the McHenry County Mental Health Board (often called the “708 Board” because of the number of its authorization section in the State statutes).
First I was given a stack of paper about which I wrote here.
I asked for an electronic copy of the 17-page cover letter.
The purpose for the request was to be able to provide you with information that you could search on the internet.
What I got was a “locked” pdf format which cannot be copied line by line.
It can be copied only page by page.
Because of the refusal of the 708 Board to provide the information in a user-friendly format, while publicly proclaiming its dedication to transparency, I have decided to convey the information received.
Although I have appealed the refusal of the Mental Health Board to provide the information in a user-friendly format, I’m showing you the information below in the hope that someone will put in a spreadsheet and analyze what attorneys got how much for doing what.
And, yes, I recognize that the Mental Health Board will pay its attorney Frank Gosser $250 per hour to prevent you and me from obtaining what you see below in a friendlier format.
If my tally is correct, Francis X. Gosser billed $178.148.23 in FY 2012. With billings for the 708 Board alone, Frank is by far the highest paid employee of McHenry County.
For reference: Nygren was $151,328.32; Peter Austin was $160,000.00; and Bianchi was $166,507.90.
The crazy thing is that he’s the attorney for several public bodies around the county and likely bills comparable amounts for each. Holy cow.
Reference for salary data: http://www.co.mchenry.il.us/departments/hr/pdfDocs/Salary%20Compensation%20Report.pdf
To be clear, that $178,148.23 figure I stated above DOES NOT include amounts he billed for the Building Addition.
That added up to $58,675.00, making his total 2012 billings to the 708 Board $236,823.23.
Everyone, if there were a time to grab your pitchforks and torches, this is the time.
Thank you Cal. I just made a spreadsheet to see where the billing went,
Francis X. Grosser $686,537.14, Barbara Weiner $6,000.00, Popovits & Robinson $220,999.50 and Scottsdale $5,000.00.
Reading the checks there were identical numbers with about three weeks apart, do I read this as a double billing.
Cal I can send you the spreadsheet should you want to have it as you appear to be best informed in this issue.
I think you can see may email address in your blog.
Wow Cal, thats some serious billing!
What do you suppose that X in Gosser’s name is an acronym for?
xtra, Extreme, Multipied By, Unknown Quantity or maybe Strike!?
Contact your the county board members and let them know how you feel. People on this committee will be making the decisions.
The members of this committee –
Paula Jensen
Michael Walkup
John Hammerand
Donna Kurtz
Anna Miller
Sandy Salgado
Tina Hill – chairman should be contacted as well.
Things have not gone well with Ellis at the helm. I think this whole mess is designed to get him in again. Not a good idea.
The next Mental Health Board meeting 6 PM on February 26th, election night. Public comment is one of the first items on the agenda.
Incidentally, the agenda can be copied.
Cal, I made a misstake of adding the issued check and the invoiced billing.
Paid by the county; Grosser $301,308.35, Weiner $1,500.00, Popovits & Robinson $110,499.75 and Scottsdale Insurance $2,500.00
Billing (invoiced) to County; Grosser $615,728.29, Weiner $4,500.00, Popovits & Robinson $110,499.75 and Scottsdale Insurance $2,500.00.
Still a lot of billing.
Cal after an additional revue of the spread sheet the invoiced billing to the county should read :
Grosser $388,288.79,
Weiner $4,500.00, Popovitz &
Robinson $110,499.75 and
Scottsdale Insurance $2,500.00.
The outstanding billing by Attny Gosser had the Popovits billing in the spreadsheet.
The amount paid by the county is still as previous message.
Gosser$301,308.35,
Weiner $1,500.00,
Popovits &
Robinson $110,499.75 and
Scottsdale Ins. $2,500.00
for a total of $415,808.10
Still a significant amount in legal payment .
Reading these billings takes my breath away (and my tax dollars).
This total lack of accountability on behalf of the MHB and lack of conscience of those close to the problem, including certain County Board Members, is the most solid argument against a tax to assist people with Developmental Disabilities.
Bottom line; there are few people we can trust with our tax money, and it starts with local government. and, some of these, elected officials, are repeat offenders.
Contact the County Board people.
Their phone #’s are on the McHenry County Government center website.
They worry about re-election.
With all of this time spent on Mental Health Board matters, it’s a wonder Mr. Gosser has time to prosecute all of those nasty tickets people get in Bull Valley.
Keep in mind the voters have an opportunity to create another one of these in April! I will be sharing Cal’s published data with others relative to the referendum for a 527 Board.
Frank Gosser clearly is getting paid huge dollars to keep the bullying alive so that no questions are asked and that anyone who questions will get the full flurry of his legal fury.
Of course with an unlimited budget, unlimited unchecked authority and power, a bag full of dirty tricks, and the ability to control Tina Hill of the County Board, and we see the derailment the PHHS Committee action in order to keep Lee Ellis as President of the Board and Todd Shroll as Executive Director (both as Gosser’s front man).
There is some big money hiding big secrets, for sure.
There is nothing that they will not do to destroy anyone in their paths.
Scary!
Despite public comments questioning the legal fee’s, almost 600% over budget , Ellis shut down any further questions at the last Mental Health Board meeting.
A board member, Meschini, had the guts to questions and again was shut down with “its to defend the legal case against us.”
In fact, the MHB has a firm in Chicago that is paid to represent the MHB in that case.
Why then is there $237,952 dollars spent on this since October of 2012 with a total of $304,147 so far?
Who on the Mental Health Boad approves this type of budget overage?
Who approved that these outrageous invoices were to be paid?
Clearly, a consultant who is getting rich off the dysfunction of the Mental Health Board and the taxpayer hard earned money. Gosser has got to go!
Keep on this Cal!
Thank you Cal.
Whoopsy.
I am sure this will all be worked out at the next meeting.
har har
Turns out you did have a right to production in a format capable of being copied and pasted. See http://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/2013/il-excel.pdf
Keep this case in your back pocket because I’m sure the issue will arise again.