MCCD needs to change their rules.

There is no reason a precinct committeeman shouldn’t be able to serve.

We need taxpayer watchdogs to apply.

MCCD is a prime example of a special purpose government run by cheerleaders.

To anyone who chooses to apply: in less than two hours I can teach you

1- how NOT to be run around by the bureaucracy,

2- how to develop independent information, and

3- how to understand municipal and budgetary accounting.

McHenry County Conservation District Board of Trustees

“McHenry County Conservation District is governed by a board of seven trustees appointed by the Chairman of the County Board and with the consent of the County Board.

Trustees serve a five-year term without compensation.

The seven volunteer Trustees are selected after the submission of an application and a personal interview conducted by the Nature & Environmental Resources Committee of the County Board who recommend appointments to the McHenry County Board Chairman for review.

Trustees are appointed based on technical qualifications and geographical location.

After serving their term, trustees are not eligible for immediate reappointment (unless they were appointed to an unexpired term.)

They must leave the board for at least one year before applying again.”

http://www.mccdistrict.org/rccms/index.php/the-board-of-trustees
http://www.mccdistrict.org > About > Board of Trustees > General Information

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McHenry County Conservation District

Functions & Responsibilities of Board Member 2016-21

(This is a 4 page color brochure)

http://www.mccdistrict.org/rccms/index.php/the-board-of-trustees

http://www.mccdistrict.org/rccms/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/BOT-Recruitment-Promo-2016-21.pdf

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McHenry County Conservation District

2013 – 14 Annual Report (6 pages)

Total Expenditures exceeded Total Revenues by $2,433,579, unaudited.

(No report posted for 2014 – 15)

http://www.mccdistrict.org/rccms/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/2013-14-Annual-Report-Finalsingles_web.pdf
http://www.mccdistrict.org/rccms/index.php/district-publications
http://www.mccdistrict.org > About > Publications

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The above document is the only easily located financial information on the Conservation District website.

One could find some additional financial information by clicking through Board Minutes.

The conservation district is a component of the County.

A lot of the taxes extended to taxpayers is for bonds.

For Tax Year 2014:

Corporate Fund: $6,850,959
Bond & Interest Funds: $12,066,159
Tort Judgements, Liability, & General Insurance Fund: $273,388
Social Security Fund: $460,490
Total of all Funds: $19,650,997

Source:
Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR)
2014 Property Tax Statistics, Table 27 (Taxing Districts Summary of Funds)

http://www.revenue.state.il.us/AboutIdor/TaxStats/PropertyTaxStats/2014/Y2014Tbl27.xlsx

http://www.revenue.state.il.us/AboutIdor/TaxStats/PropertyTaxStats/2014

http://www.revenue.state.il.us > Local Governments > Property Tax > Resources > Statistics > Property Tax Statistics > 2014 > Table 27 – Taxing Districts Summary of Funds > 0560565320005

0560565320005 is the IDOR code for MCHENRY CO CNSV DIST.

MCHENRY CO CNSV DIST is the IDOR abbreviation for McHenry County Conservation District.

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Lots of bond debt at this unit of local government.

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The Conservation District does not bother to post the audited financial statements on its website.

That’s a red flag.

All local units of government should post their audited financial statements for the current year and past years.

So we can search under the county, since the Conservation District is a component unit of the county.

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McHenry County
Comprehensive Annual Financial Report

The CAFR also reports the activities of two component units, the Public Building Commission and the McHenry County Conservation District.

“For a detailed description of the relationship these organizations have with the County that require them to be reported as component units, see Note 1 of the Notes to Financial Statements on page 17 of the financial section.”

“We also did not audit the financial statements of the Conservation District (Discretely Presented Component Unit), which represents 100 percent of the assets, net position, and revenues of the discretely presented component unit. Those statements were audited by other auditors whose report has been furnished to us, and our opinion, insofar as it relates to the amounts included for the Public Building Commission’s Special Revenue Fund (Blended Component Unit) and the Conservation District (Discretely Presented Component Unit), is based solely on the reports of the other auditors.”

“The financial statements of the Public Building Commission’s Special Revenue Fund (Blended Component Unit) and the Conservation District (Discretely Presented Component Unit) were not audited in accordance with Government Auditing Standards.”

“The government-wide financial statements also include two component units, which are legally separate organizations for which the County is financially accountable – the Public Building Commission (a blended component unit) and the McHenry County Conservation District (a discretely presented component unit).

Financial information for the discretely presented component unit is reported separately from the primary government.”

“Component Unit #2 – McHenry County Conservation District – (Discretely Presented Component Unit)

The McHenry County Conservation District (District) is considered to be a component unit of the County because the County Board appoints a voting majority of the District’s Board and because the County has the ability to impose its will on the District, since the District’s annual budget and appropriation ordinance is not considered to be adopted until it is adopted by a resolution of the County Board.

The District acquires and maintains land as open space for preservation, education, and recreation within the County.

The District is reported as a discretely presented component unit within the accompanying financial statements.

The District has a fiscal year that ends on March 31.

The latest financial statements as reflected in this report are for the year ended March 31, 2014.

Separately audited financial statements may be obtained from the McHenry County Conservation District, 18410 U.S. Highway 14, Woodstock, Illinois, 60098.”

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McHenry County Conservation District CAFR (continued)

“General Obligation Bonds – Governmental Activities (District)

McHenry County Conservation District

$20,330,000 General Obligation Limited Bonds Series 1998A, due in annual installments of $115,000 to $1,785,000; interest at 4.7% to 5.5% through February 1, 2018. The proceeds were used for the acquisition and construction of major capital facilities.

Principal and interest payments will be reported in the District Debt Service Fund.

(The below figures are principal only, not including interest).

Balance December 1: $6,785,000
Issuance: –
Retirements: $165,000
Balance November 30: $6,620,000

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bonds, continued

$12,235,000 General Obligation Limited Refunding Bonds Series 2001B, due in annual installments of $150,000 to $1,410,000; interest at 4.25% to 5.0% through February 1, 2016. The proceeds were used to refund prior general obligation bonds. Principal and interest payments will be reported in the District Debt Service Fund.

Balance December 1: $545,000
Issuance: –
Retirements: $195,000
Balance November 30: $350,000

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bonds, continued

$58,825,000 General Obligation Refunding Bonds Series 2005A, due in annual installments of $135,000 to $9,850,000; interest at 3.0% to 5.0% through February 1, 2021. The proceeds were used to refund prior general obligation bonds. Principal and interest payments will be reported in the District Debt Service Fund.

Balance December 1: $51,345,000
Issuance: –
Retirements: $3,760,000
Balance November 30: $47,585,000

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bonds, continued

$1,315,000 General Obligation Refunding Tax Bonds Series 2005B, due in periodic installments of $5,000 to $1,295,000; interest at 3.5% to 4.0% through February 1, 2014. The proceeds were used to refund prior general obligation bonds. Principal and interest payments will be reported in the District Debt Service Fund.

Balance December 1: $1,295,000
Issuance: –
Retirements: $1,295,000
Balance November 30: –

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bonds, continued

$73,000,000 General Obligation Bonds Series 2007, due in periodic installments of $5,000 to $13,695,000; interest at 4.0% to 5.125% through February 1, 2027.

The proceeds were used for the acquisition and construction of major capital facilities.

Principal and interest payments will be reported in the District Debt Service Fund.

Balance December 1: $72,995,000
Issuance: –
Retirements: –
Balance November 30: $72,995,000

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Total General Obligation Bonds – Governmental Activities (District)

Balance December 1: $132,965,000
Issuance: –
Retirements: $5,415,000
Balance November 30: $127,550,000

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Installment Contract

$6,300,000 Installment Contract, dated November 16, 2006, interest at 2.5% due in semi-annual installments; balloon payment of principal and interest due November 1, 2016.

The proceeds were used for the acquisition of land.

Principal and interest payments will be reported in the District Debt Service Fund.

Balance December 1: $4,800,000
Issuance: –
Retirements: –
Balance November 30: $4,800,000

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McHenry County CAFR 2014 (continued)

McHenry County Conservation District portion of

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF Pension Fund)

Conservation District Plan (Component Unit)

Actuarial Valuation Date: December 31, 2013

Actuarial Value of Assets: $6,923,337

Actuarial Accrued Liability (AAL) Entry Age: $9,867,591

Unfunded AAL (UAAL), which is Actuarial Value of Assets – AAL Entry Age: $2,944,254

Funded Ratio, which is Acturial Value of Assets / AAL Entry Age: 70.16%

Covered Payroll (payroll amount for current employees in the plan): $4,387,150

UAAL as a percentage of covered payroll: $67.11

For what its worth, that is one of the worst funded IMRF plans I have encountered.

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2014 McHenry County CAFR continued, Conservation District portion only

Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) aka a pension is not enough so here are some more retirement goodies, and if you taxpayer want to learn what the goodies are, you have to ask us, because we are not going to otherwise tell you.

Actuarial Valuation Date: March 21, 2012

Actuarial Value of Assets: None (there are not assets, it’s not pre-funded, it’s pay-as-you-go aka when the time comes to pay we’ll take the money out of the current budget aka promise now, pay later)

Actuarial Accrued Liability (AAL) Entry Age: $145,721

Unfunded AAL (UAAL): $145,721

Funded Ratio: None (it’s not pre-funded, it’s pay as you go)

Covered Payroll: $4,160,902

UAAL as a Percentage of Covered Payroll: 3.50%

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There is no good reason the McHenry County Board does not require the Conservation District to post the Audited Financial Statements of the Conservation District on the Conservation District website.

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Current McHenry County Board Members:

District 1
Yvonne Barnes
Andrew Gasser
Anna May Miller
Bob Nowak

District 2
James Heisler
Jeffrey Thorsen
Donna Kurtz
Carolyn Schofield

District 3
Joe Gottemoller
Donald Kopsell
Nick Provenzano
Michael Walkup

District 4
Sue Draffkorn
John Hammerand
Bob Bartens
Chuck Wheeler

District 5
Tina Hill
John Jung Jr.
Michael Skala
Michael Rein

District 6
Michele Aavang
Diane Evertsen
Mary McCann
Larry Smith

http://www.co.mchenry.il.us/county-government/departments-a-i/county-board/meet-your-county-board-members

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McHenry County Conservation District Board Trustees (they are all appointed by the McHenry County Board)

Bona Heinsohn, President (Harvard)
Brandon Thomas, Vice President (Huntley)
Kent Krautstrunk, Treasurer (Crystal Lake)
Stephen Barrett, Secretary (Trout Valley)
Peter Merkel, Trustee (McHenry)
David Kranz, Trustee (Woodstock)
Vern Scacci, Trustee (Woodstock)

Carolyn Schofield, County Board Liaison (presumably not a trustee)

Elizabeth Kessler, MBA, CPRP, Executive Director (presumably not a trustee)

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Here is the McHenry County Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR).

It’s in the FOIA section of the website.

(How about changing the Title of that section from “FOIA” to “FOIA & Public Documents”).

http://www.mccdistrict.org/rccms/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Comprehensive-Annual-Report-Fiscal-Year-2015.pdf

http://www.mccdistrict.org > About > Freedom of Information > Budgets and Annual Reports > Comprehensive Annual Report Fiscal Year 2015

“I am pleased to submit the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) of the McHenry County Conservation District for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015.

Illinois State Statutes require the Conservation District to produce a complete set of audited financial statements for each fiscal year.

This CAFR is provided to fulfill that requirement for the fiscal year 2015.

The financial statements contained within the CAFR are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) of the United States of America, as established by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board.

These financial statements were prepared by District Management, who is responsible for both the accuracy of the data, and the completeness and fairness of the report taken as a whole.

The financial statements included in the CAFR were audited by the independent certified public accounting firm of Sikich LLP and received an unmodified opinion.

(See the Independent Auditors’ Report on page I of the financial section.)

Also, included within the CAFR is a section titled Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A).

The MD&A provides an analytical overview and comparative summary of the District’s financial activities and should be considered an integral part of the CAFR.”

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CAFR FY Ending March 31, 2015

Bond Debt service to maturity:
Principal: $111,220,000
Interest: $40,616,538
Total: $151,836,538

Installment Contract:
Principal: $4,800,000
Interest: $190,356
Total: $4,990,356