The December 23rd letter signed by McHenry County Board Chairman and County Administrator Peter Austin offering Jack Franks’ former legislative district office assistant Bridget Geenen a $54,000 job.
McHenry County Board Chairman Jack Franks, with the concurrence of County Administrator Peter Austin, has hired his former legislative assistant Bridget Geenen of Lake in the Hills for $54,000 a year.
When she worked for the State of Illinois she earned 52,333.34 a year.
She was also paid to work in his County Board Chairman campaign. She got $250 a month for mileage in July, August and September.
Geenen’s new title will be Executive Assistant, reporting to Franks.
In addition, Franks has put Oliver Serafini on the County payroll for $48,000 as a “Communications Specialist.”
Jack Franks and Peter Austin signed this December 22nd letter offering a $48,000 job to a former House Democratic Party campaign operative named Oliver Serafini. The job title, unapproved by the County Board, is “Communications Specialist”… in other words, Press Agent.
In his previous job, Serifini earned $44,800.
He also received $8,999.30 from the Democratic Majority working on the 2014 campaign for Jenny Burke, an unsuccessful Democratic Party State Representative candidate from Itasca in DuPage County.
Serafini was previously on the House Democratic staff.
Currently Administrative Specialist III’s working for the County Board earn salaries of
- $47,055.45
- $45,719.55
I guess Mr. Tryon is going to eat mistletoe now.
Walkup said he would eat mistletoe hopefully Walkup will eat the grass in front of his house like an old billy goat that he is.
After all he lost the election remember
Are these newly created positions or did Chair Gottemoller also have an Executive Assistant and Communications Specialist?
Just used the amdminstiratiion staff and yes the existed before under Peter Austin
How is this lowering our taxes and where is that plan that was supposed to be announced after the election?
I guess you can say whatever you want to get elected.
Good grief.
This is the MOST disgusting news about these flim flam grifters.
Time to get out the pitch forks.
They apparently do not understand rhetoric.
@Jason
Ya think?
You and the mental midgets that voted for Lying Jack Franks haven’t seen anything yet. He’s just getting started.
The Board doesn’t have to approve the additional expense of new hires?
Were the positions open to members of the public to apply?
Wisard don’t blame Jason for Jack winning chairmanship.
Thank the bastardized Republican chairwoman and her father the puppetmaster ron and sandy salgado.
Hold the Salgado’s responsible for your first Elected county board Democrat chairman.
They ran the worst human being on the plannet Michael Walkup against a winner.
Michael isn’t half the man Jack is and Never Ever will be.
Outrageous!
So much for getting smaller less intrusive government that we can afford.
This guy knows how to play the system for sure!
We now have a self anointed KING, we just got one out of Washington but get another one here!
Wizard – Why the insults?
You have no idea who I am or for whom I voted.
Comments like that deligitimatize the effort to fight taxes by making supporters look uneducated.
“stand4truth”
Your comment: “They ran the worst human being ” is a flat out lie.
Did you inherit that trait from the “little liar”?
Anyone could have run for that office.
Gottemoller and Walkup ran as Republicans for that office – the voters chose Walkup, not the Salgados.
If you want to hold anyone responsible for Walkup losing, blame Walkup for a crap campaign and the people who claim they are Republicans but willingly voted for the “little liar”.
I, for one, do not share your description of a “man”.
Next you will be stating it was the Russians!!
Bridget M Geenen
2015 – $48,000 – House of Representatives, District Office Employee
2014 – $44,208 – House of Representatives, District Office Employee
2013 – $40,792 – House of Representatives, District Office Employee
2012 – $34,631 – General Assembly, District Office Employee
2011 – $2,078 – House of Representatives, Contractual Worker
November 28, 2011 edition of the Northwest Herald stated she was hired to manage Jack Franks’ Woodstock State Representative office.
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Oliver G Serafini
2015 – $26,888 – House of Representatives, Program Specialist, Office of the Speaker
2014 – $22,568 – House of Representatives, Program Specialist, Office of the Speaker
2013 – $25,778 – House of Representatives, Program Specialist, Office of the Speaker
2012 – $1,395 – North Shore Elementary School District 112 (Highland Park, Highwood)
2011 – $720 – North Shore Elementary School District 112 (Highland Park, Highwood)
He worked with the Woodstock office of Jack Franks in 2013 & 2014, among other tasks.
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Annual wage figures from Open the Books Widget.
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The Supporters of Jack D Franks PAC expended $28,448 from February 16, 2008 through March 27, 2015 to Bridget Geenen for mileage, cell phone, holiday bonus, staff salaries, and staff bonus.
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The Supporters of Jack D Franks PAC expended $2,000 from December 19, 2013 to December 18, 2014 to Oliver G Serafini for gas and holiday bonus.
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Maybe these Democrat operatives will be tasked to find a way to fulfill Jack Franks’ campaign pledge of delivering a plan to cut the property tax levy in every property taxing district in McHenry County by 10%, and using the County Board Chair as a bully pulpit to accomplish that task.
Jack Franks said during the campaign he would deliver the plan on his first day in office, which was December 5, 2016.
The plan so far is 37 days late.
Will be very interesting to see that plan given underfunded pensions, bond debt, collective bargaining agreements, administrator contracts, all the unfunded mandates from Springfield and Washington DC, and retiree healthcare.
Isn’t there like a whole process that has to take place to allow additional payroll to the budget.
Full on ahole move.
More good news for the moving companies as the Great Exodus
to escape the corruption in Illinois will continue unabated.
.
From the Land Of Lincoln to the Land Of Madigan.
Ah yes the Big Spender has hit the our town!
once again instead of Saving the tax payer $$ He is gonna spend, spend, spend our $$!
just like maddyman trained him to do.
Unbelievable!
and to boot they do they even live in MCC??
just sickening… !
utter disgraceful!
Yes 2017 off to a grim dark start just mo of the samo, samo…
No packet yet online for the COW meeting tomorrow?
Very transparent.
Noted with criticism by County Board member Yvonne Barnes during the Finance and Audit Committee meeting Wednesday.
Bridget Geenen lives in Lake in the Hills.
County Board Chair Jack Franks is not being transparent with Agenda Packets.
The “Agenda Packet” for tomorrow’s (Thursday January 12, 2017) Committee of the Whole meeting is one page.
That’s not an agenda packet.
That’s an agenda.
An Agenda Packet has attachments about the agenda items.
Here is the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting at 9AM at 667 Ware Road, Administration Building, Woodstock:
1. Call to Order
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Introductory Roll Call
4. Public Comment
5. Reports and Presentations
– 1. Strategic Plan Development Process
– 2. New Growth Presentation
– 3. Electronic Voting Update
6. New Business
– 1. Review the January 17, 2017 agenda items
[side bar – for transparency purposes, there should be at least 2 weeks between when an agenda item is introduced, and when County Board members vote on the item.
7. Administrators Report
8. Other
9. Executive Session
10. Motion to Adjourn
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Any presentations (PowerPoint, etc.) and any handouts should be posted in the agenda packet and posted separately on the County website before or after the meeting.
How did we get such a progressive as Peter Austin as an administrator?
I just did a little looking into who this guy actually is and I’m appalled that we let people like this run anything!
Start draining THIS swamp!
Did anyone else apply for these positions?
Who else was considered for these positions?
What was the process from start to finish, from Franks wanting the positions to the people being hired?
So where is the zero based budgeting document trail for these positions.
This unelected POS is supposed to report to the county board. NOT the other way around.
Twelve years of this incompetence is about to end. This king has no clothes.
He just exposed himself and his incompetence in his progressive push over the edge.
This issue needs to be addressed immediately or you will suffer further at he hands of these minions.
Drain this swamp NOW.
McHenry County Blog
Jack Franks Wants Personal Staff
December 23, 2016
http://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2016/12/23/jack-franks-wants-personal-staff
McHenry County Blog
Jack Franks Wants Personal Staff
December 27, 2016
http://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2016/12/27/jack-franks-wants-personal-staff-copy
It is obvious to a blind donkey that what Jack wants Jack gets.
Let’s hope that the County Board stops fiddling while their constituency burns.
It is actually pretty scary.
McHenry County Board Chair Jack Franks hired Bridget Geenen and Oliver Serafini to work in the County Board Office, without first obtaining approval by the 24 member McHenry County Board.
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Read the offer letters carefully.
Consider that these two people were paid by Jack Franks political action committees (PACs).
They are Jack Franks Democrat operatives.
This is an attempt by Jack Franks to gain Democrat political power in McHenry County.
Consider the complete process that took place in hiring these two individuals.
Play close attention to how the Northwest Herald reports the story.
Is the Northwest Herald reporting that these two individuals were paid by Jack Franks political action committees.
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“County of McHenry
McHenry County Government Center
2200 North Seminary Avenue
Woodstock, IL 60098-2637
December 22, 2016
Mr. Oliver Serafini
Dear Mr. Serafini:
On behalf of the County, it is my pleasure to extend you the offer of joining the County Board Office as our Communications Specialist at a starting salary of $48,000.
This position is eligible for the full county benefit package, which includes health insurance, retirement benefits, and paid vacation, sick, and personal time.
The anticipated start date is Monday, January 9, 2017, but we can be flexible with that date should you need an extra week to wrap up responsibilities with your current position.
If you should have any questions, please call the Human Resources Department at (815)-334-4220.
We look forward to having you on the team and know that your contribution will help us achieve our goals!
Sincerely,
Jack D. Franks, Chairman, McHenry County Board
Peter B. Austin, County Administrator
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County of McHenry
McHenry County Government Center
2200 North Seminary Avenue
Woodstock, IL 60098-2637
December 23, 2016
Ms. Bridget Geenen
Dear Ms. Geenen
On behalf of the County, it is my pleasure to extend you the offer of joining the County Board Office as the County Board Chairman’s Executive Assistant at a starting salary of $54,000.
This position is eligible for the full county benefit package, which includes health insurance, retirement benefits, and paid vacation, sick, and personal time.
The anticipated start date is Monday, January 3, 2017.
If you should have any questions, please call the Human Resources Department at (815)334-4220.
We look forward to having you on the team and know that your contribution will help us achieve our goals!
Sincerely,
Jack D Franks, Chairman, McHenry County Board
Peter B. Austin, County Administrator
Northwest Herald
McHenry County Board Set to Reconstitute Human Resources Committee
– Member Raises Question About Two New Administrative Hires
January 12, 2017
by Kevin Craver
“Geenen’s $54,000 salary will be paid out of the county general fund, while Serafini’s $48,000 salary will be split between the general fund and the transportation division’s budget.”
http://www.nwherald.com/2017/01/12/mchenry-county-board-set-to-reconstitute-human-resources-committee/a2z4sfo
Also from the above Northwest Herald article:
“One of the proposed human resource members, Donna Kurtz, took aim Thursday at two new employees in the administrative office.”
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Administrative office?
The letters from Mr. Franks to Mr. Serafini & Ms. Geenen state the positions are in the County Board Office.
The County Board Office is an administrative office?
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Also in the article, the Northwest Herald states Mr. Serafini will work primarily for the Division of Transportation.
And as previously mentioned, his salary will be split between the general fund and the transportation division’s budget.
Yet again the letters from Mr. Franks to Ms. Geenen and Mr. Serafini clearly state the positions are in the County Board office.
Has there been some backpeddling / spinning?
Were the offer letters erroneous or not complete?
The Northwest Herald article is time stamped at 4:22PM today.
I’m not really up on the rules of the Board.
Are these hirings a done deal now, or can the Board still vote to defund the positions?
The Board is going to need to get its act together real soon, or Franks is going to continue running roughshod all over it.
They should give serious consideration to a drastic pay cut for the Chairman for the next term.
Lyin’ Jack might lose interest in running again.
McHenry County Blog
Signs the Recession not Over in McHenry County
February 16, 2017
http://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2017/02/16/signs-the-recession-not-over-in-mchenry-county
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Read in comments in the blog most more about the patronage hires by Democrat Jack Franks of to Democrat political operatives.
– The County Administrator signed the HR Payroll Advice Form as the HR Director.
– The current job title on the HR Payroll Advice Form did not match the job title on the employment offers.
– Rather the future job title was included in the offer letters.
The two “applied” for positions which did not yet exist, per the HR Payroll Advice form.
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One of the operatives, Oliver Serafini, was previously employed for 3 years by Michael Madigan’s House Democrat organization, and been compensated by numerous Democrat political action committees.
Both of the operatives were employed in Jack Franks 63rd District State Representative office.
Both of the operatives had also been compensated by the Supporters of Jack D Franks political action committee (PAC).
Read in comments in the above blog post about the patronage hires by Democrat Jack Franks.
They are Democrat political operatives.