While state legislators were conferring about the statewide implications of the pension attack started by Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers and State Rep. Jack Franks, an April Fool’s Day letter was being sent from the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund to McHenry County.
Joe Gottemoller
Mike Walkup
County Board Chairman Joe Gottemoller said that “another one” was coming.
He pointed out that there were over 300 county board members spread throughout Illinois who were similarly situated.
“That’s not counting townships [and municipalities],” he said.
“Because of political reasons, we’ve become the poster child.”
Later GOP nominee for County Board Chairman Mike Walkup urged members to “have a unified response.”
And, suggested members start keeping a contemporaneous account of their county board work.
Walkup said what was requested was “clearly unachievable by anyone who has not kept contemporaneous time records.”
Shame on the County Board if they cave to the unions.
I would like to see a dollar amount clock posted on the County website to display the increasing dollars in legal expenses which will be paid with taxpayer dollars.
Those dollars would represent the impact of the Local 150 lawsuit which is being backed by Jack Franks.
The taxpayers should be told how the Union Local 150 is financially violating them.
If any money is paid to Local 150 it will be used to defeat honest conservative candidates,as it appears was attempted in this past election via the Pam Althoff deal. If we did not have obscene amounts of money also coming from the private sector and put into political races, the results of recent elections would have been totally tilted in favor of the ‘progressives’.
Elect Steve!
Accurate title would be:
After IMRF audit revealed no problems, Jack Franks ordered a do-over.
When the County responds to the requests fron IMRF, I think the answer to Ho. 4 will be interesting, and, hopefully, will provide a copy of the contract with Administrator Peter Austin, and WHO prepared and negotiated his contract.
Lots of power vested in one, non-elected person.
We can all thank Austin for Ken Koehler’s nice deal.
Joe mentioned something about reducing the size of the county board also, which would effect the hours worked and also IMRF pension requirements would be easier to justify.
I continue to predict that cutting the County Board in half will eventually result in a doubling of the salaries.
The justification will be that there is so much more work.
We will be producing a resolution on reducing the size of the Board to go into effect after the redistricting in 2022.
It will be to 12 members with a Chair elected at large.
Whether it will be single member or multiple member districts will be a later decision.
Your thoughts on that are welcome.
Jack Franks, best get his derriere down to Springfield and work on the State budget, instead of creating more problems in McHenry County.
Cut the board in half.
McHenry County has more board members than largely populated counties with major cities and for what?
Cal, if its too much work then they shouldn’t be public servants.
Its a shame to loose hard working devoted board members to people who are self serving.
There are people who want to devote their time to do well and serve. Less people, less money, less tracking, more transparency.
they should be able to produce documents for 2016 at the very least
My thought is that cutting the number of board members in half will lead to 13 full-time board members who will all want full-time salaries–at least twice what members are now paid.
I think 16 is a better number with a measure of 20,000 per board member max, with adding members if population grows.
212 voting districts now, 13 or 14 to board member, single district.
Computers to draw the districts programmed by out of state programmers.
Boxes as much as possible, rivers and legal boundaries accounted for, no prior voting tendencies to be considered, or any other political nonsense.
Cal has it spot on.
There is no taxpayer control of salaries / benefits paid to elected officials.
In fact in one case, no one can reduce the salary of the elected official – state law prohibits the reduction of the salary of a Township Road Commissioner!
That law needs to be repealed and we should hold referendums to approve ANY increase in the compensation for an elected office – this includes State government.
The Township consolidation issue promoted a reduction in cost of elected officials but there is currently no way to make that happen.
Of course the money paid to elected officials in Illinois is not our biggest problem.
The biggest problem is the power of the unions (both public and private).
The McHenry County Board has been quite responsible with most of its budgeting (exception is Valley Hi which was a tax APPROVED by the voters) and voted to pass a resolution supporting the Governor’s attempt to restore this state AND they voted against Prevailing wage.
Their reward?
A lawsuit by Local 150 and an inquisition relative to IMRF.
BTW have you heard about a request that Jack Franks provide the taxpayers with documentation that he WORKS full time for the taxpayers?
Parades, public appearances, drive time to and from Springfield, attendance at cocktail parties in Springfield, public presentations of awards, sleep time while in Springfield, fund raisers etc. do not count as work.
I say you need to ask former board members how many board members we should have.
They have the experience and in most cases have no personal agenda any more.
Any suggestion to change the number of board members by a sitting board member is suspect at best.
The average voter has no clue.
Most people who comment here have no clue.
The prohibition against lowering compensation after an election is a requirement of the State Constitution, so it would be quite difficult to change.
Is the Jack Franks-Mike Walkup fight heading toward a TKO?
Mike’s still standing, but he ain’t looking too good…
Re: “The prohibition against lowering compensation after an election is a requirement of the State Constitution, so it would be quite difficult to change.”
This is true but with the exception of the position of Road Commissioner I am not aware of any restriction on reducing benefits and salary for elected officials who will be voted into office in the NEXT term.
I question the request of materials on the County Administrator position.
Is this Franko researching the true power of the Executive Chair?