Andrew Gasser
During the Republican Primary Election campaign, two candidates from District 1 vowed not to take McHenry County health and pension benefits.
They were Andrew Gasser and David Stieper.
Stieper lost the primary election, but Gasser didn’t and went on to be elected to the McHenry County Board.
Gasser fulfilled his promise not to accept health benefits and, when given a chance to sign up for Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund benefits, he declined that fringe benefit, too.
(Once those eligible for IMRF benefits sign up for them, they cannot later reject them.)
You can see the documents below:
Andrew Gasser waived health benefits.
Andrew Gasser waived pension benefits.
County Board members get paid about $21,000 a year, plus health and pension benefits.
unlike skala who can’t get enough.
Unlike Chirikos who never saw a taxpayer dollar he did not want.
Unlike most of his fellow Board members!
Citizens need to demand an end to any benefits for Board members.
IT IS A PART TIME JOB WITH ZERO WORK STANDARDS!!
Andrew is a man of his word.
Others proclaimed during their campaigns that they were not in it for the money yet, once elected, they availed themselves of all the costly benefits allowed.
All Board Members should lead by example as Andrew has done.
His acts have already saved the taxpayers about $20,000!
Gasser already receives health care as a part of his military retirement benefits, no?
If so, it’s a little bit of a hollow gesture to be proud of rejecting one government benefit because his acceptance of another gives him the ability to do it.
Rawdogger: Did Kopsell take the healthcare package?
No elected office should even offer IMRF.
Rawdogger: Andrew earned his “benefit” serving in the military for twenty years. \\
I believe that was a “full-time” job.
A McHenry County Board position is a “part-time” job.
Why should “part-timers” collect “full-time” benefits?
Perhaps the rest of the Board (some do) should take their “benefits” from their regular jobs and decline, as Andrew did, the “full-time” benefits of medical and retirement packages the County offers.
A “hollow gesture” by all Board Members would save the County about $500,000.00, which ain’t exactly hay!
If Gasser is going to be true to his word of serving only 2 terms, of course he would not sign up for IMRF.
The law was changed a few years ago and it now takes 10 years to get vested.
If elected to 2 terms, that would only be 8 years.
He’s a keeper/
Thank you so much Mr Gasser you are our hero.
Maybe you can scan a copy of your last property tax bill while you are at it.
Declining participation in the medical plan just because he may be covered under some other plan is not a “hollow gesture”.
Andrew is to be commended for following through on his campaign promise.
Lets see if the rest step in line.
This job should not even offer health benefits or a pension for a PART TIME civil service job.
Rawdogger- he earned those benefits by taking substandard pay for 20 years while the other 99% of the population benefits from a all volunteer military.
People on this blog slay me.
Why don’t you look at the multiple benefits your “tax watch dogs” like Evertson or Schuester get from their multiple elected positions. Or Hammerand when he fought to keep and then raise the mileage reimbursement to go to meetings?
These are public pensions- just like the teachers you all snipe about with abandon.
A politician who holds his promises.
Kudos Mr. Gasser!
Well done, Mr. Gasser!
I haven’t agreed with you on everything in the last year, but seem to agree with you on most issues.
You show big promise to be a breathe of fresh air for McHenry County.
Here is hoping you are an issue driven independent thinker who doesn’t get dragged into the political clique group-think trap that can be so prevalent in this county.