From former McHenry County Board member Ersel Schuster:
The McHenry County Board members smile for the camera. Michele Aavang was not present.
McHenry County Taxpayers; Chairman and, County Board Members:
Following the drama playing out with our County Board over the last 5+ weeks, it gives no one assurance that those we’ve elected are effectively representing us.
They are actually boxing themselves into corners we will all regret.
Just in case you have not been paying attention; you need to.
It is our pocketbooks at stake!
At the moment, we have a simmering war; a war playing out between the newly elected chairman and our county board.
The chairman and a majority of members are new to county government.
They lack the experience necessary to grapple with their role and the rules under which they operate.
Blame for the situation can be laid firmly at the feet of the county board itself.
Jack Franks
When they, together with Mr. Franks, ran the 2nd referendum on the chairmanship question, they did not take into account the fundamental need to provide a legal road-map defining the relationship been an elected chairman and the board itself.
Fast forward to today: Had the new county board chairman stepped into his role with grace and a willingness to honor existing rules, policies and practices of the board, we would not be in the dangerously contentious situation we’re in today.
Had the board itself had the courage to call out the chairman for his immediate and exaggerated over-reach; it could have allowed everyone to step back to reset the clock.
At the moment, both the rules and the process under which the board has been rearranged, have corrupted the system.
The chairman orchestrated; and the board, for fear of being labeled as playing politics… fell into lock step.
Refer to the agenda of the 1/17/17 County Board Meeting: Without county board input your chairman has taken it upon himself to implement an “electronic voting” process. The problems and issues surrounding this system were not tested and several thousands of unbudgeted dollars have been spent without board approval.
Circumventing existing protocol, the chair hired employees (his friends) without an approved job descriptions and funds to pay for those costs.
From the beginning of his reign, the chairman has deliberately defied the intent of open and transparent government.
So, what should be done to fix this mess?
First and foremost; Mr. Chairman and County Board Members; please!
Place your collective egos on the self.
Put a stop to all actions surrounding your 1/17/17 agenda if they have not been through the appropriate committee for in-depth review.
[You can read the 173 page agenda package, what the County Board has before it Tuesday night, here.]
Then, and only then, place the items back on the next agenda.
If that means calling another voting meeting… so be it.
Return to in-depth discussion on the Board Rules.
In all cases, remember one serious point:
The County Board runs the county.
Major responsibilities of the chairman elect include conducting county board meetings; he carries out the board’s directions; signs said documents on behalf of those actions; can make arbitrary decisions in the case of a legitimate emergency; and, he is the “face” of the board.
Board Members: understand that the method of committee restructuring was completely inappropriate and was intended to “manage” board actions; to confuse; and, to undermine your authority.
Looking in, from the outside, this has been accomplished.
Fix it!
You must settle the current power struggle between the board and the chairman.
What you have allowed to happen affects the board’s employees.
They should never have been put in a position where they must balance their livelihoods between the administrator, the county board, and the chairman.
The undeclared war places them in a no-win, impossible situation.
This must be rectified.
You must address the issue of the county board’s legal representation.
The States Attorney (SA) is the board’s legal representation.
You cannot have that SA representing both the board and the chairman.
There are far too many examples where these two offices are at odds and require separate legal representation.
This is simply one additional, and huge expense no one factored into this situation.
Reference the inappropriate hiring of employees; stop this right now.
No prior chairman ever found it necessary to have his “exclusive” staff; much less a PR person.
The preliminary job descriptions for these two people indicate they will be doing the chairman’s work, will be political operatives; and will see that the chairman’s publicity is controlled.
McHenry County residents… it is with deep concern that I implore you to get involved. Learn about our local county government and speak up when you should.
One person cannot be allowed to represent us.
The Madigan/Franks oppression cannot not be allowed to rule McHenry County government.
Sage advice.
The only reason Jack Franks is in this position is because of deception as has been pointed out endlessly.
Don’t trust him.
The added expense of a 2nd attorney for legal opinions for the Chair was not considered by voters; voters never thought a Chair would not take the reigns peacefully.
I guess that perhaps was because Jack Franks promised he ‘was not running for county chair.’
Thank you Ersel.
Your comments give the Board some clarity.
Why is the State’s Atty improperly giving the Chair legal opinions–thus giving the Chair more power than board rules allow.
Whatever you do don’t say you weren’t warned.
Ersel cannot be the only one thumping this.
If you know any of the board members, Speak up! (Because we already know that most of them cannot read.)
Put the pressure on these simple folk that they are being had.
If they cannot understand what you are telling them, then they are purposefully sinking this ship.
Tell your neighbors.
Tell everyone that you see on the street.
Don’t let Ersel be the only one fighting for your survival in this county!
The Tuesday January 17, 2017 meeting agenda packet is not fully searchable.
All someone has to do is run the recognize feature in Adobe which takes 5 minutes or so.
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Page 8 of 173 of the January 17, 2017 County Board Packet.
“The members were informed that McHenry County is only one of a few counties in the state that holds two meetings each month.
The COW allows everyone to know about the whole business of the County prior to their voting meeting.
An emergency meeting can be called if needed.”
“Chairman Franks noted that holding one meeting per month is a best practice that has been identified and the idea came out of the Committee on Committees unanimously.
If the process does not work, it can be revisited.”
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There is no mention of the recent hires without Board approval of Bridget Geenen and Oliver Serafini in the Agenda Packet.
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There are two resolutions for Advisory referendums in the Agenda Packet.
1. Resolution Calling for an Advisory Referendum on Freezing Property Taxes.
2. Resolution Calling for an Advisory Referendum on County Board Size and Method of Election.
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Not noted in the agenda packet.
Jack Franks voted for legislation to hike local pensions while a State Representative.
Such unfunded state mandates to local government are a reason for hiked property taxes.
But Jack Franks always maintained he never voted for a tax hike.
Listen very carefully to what Jack Franks does and does not say and become an informed taxpayer, because just listening to Jack Franks, you would know know he is part of the problem of hiked property taxes.
The COUNTY CLERK is implementing the electric voting system and it will make our county ADA compliant.
This was stated at the same 1/17 meeting Ersel speaks of and is the same electronic voting system Ersel says Franks is implementing.
Can’t believe everything you read but you can believe everything you hear for yourself.
Dear Miss Martha…
Please, your defense of the indefensible is disappointing.
County “facilities management” is not a “county clerks'” responsibility
Pure and simple this has been another run-around the county board.
Ersel writes: “They lack the experience necessary to grapple with their role and the rules under which they operate.”
I’m sure that is at least partially true.
But, I also firmly believe that playing an equal role is the fact that many are lacking the necessary principles to “govern well” to begin with.
We all know this.
And I suspect even moreso, they lack the courage to take a stand for something, and God forbid stand alone.
But luckily, for our board members, none of this will be an issue for a few more years.
With Jack at the helm, republican board members can blunder and plunder away, supporting the worst of policies, and they’ll get a pass because there’s always Jack (the guy who doesn’t even get a vote) to blame.
Paul: Please show me where “the Board” was given a pass by Ersel or for that matter Cal.
Note: Hate is a powerful destructive force.
Paul’s post could lead one to believe that he has joined the camp of the “little liar”.
Paul makes a valid point.
Numerous articles on this blog take aim at Franks because he puts an item in the agenda, alters a process, etc…
As Ersel states, there have been plenty of examples of this in the last 5 weeks.
But this blog, and many of the commenters, continuously excoriate Franks, always pointing out that he’s a Democrat, rather than taking the Republican board members who actually vote to implement these policies and allow the process to be altered, to the wood shed.
Ersel says there “a war simmering” between Frank’s and the Republican board members.
I don’t see it that way.
I see Franks repeatedly stepping up to the line and Republican board members repeatedly either laying down or lining up behind him.. I’ve seen nothing that resembles a fight, let alone a war.
So many people try and make McHenry County out as a micro-chasm of Washington.
Things are not even close to life or death.
This is local politics.
Treat it as such.
There are no simmering wars.
Respectfully Ersel, anyone can listen to what happened at the meeting online.
Your account is not entirely true.
Thank you.
I contacted both of my County board members via email and a telephone call.
Haven’t heard back from either Wilbeck of Barnes.
Theres a process to follow when forming committees, plain and simple and Jack Franks violated that by pointing instead of following it to what is appears his own agenda.
If any single County Board Member was serious about:
Protection of taxpayers from anti discrimination policy lawsuits
Patronage/nepotism hiring
It would be a simple matter to move that the County establish Jobs Posting protocols which comply with EEOC standards.
The fact that no such protocols exist and no Member has sought them enforces the belief that elected officials are corrupt and complicit.
BIG money in ‘little’ politics, and Moderate is encouraging no one to pay attention.
Kind of sounds like Clinton rhetoric…
“nothing to see here Move on”…?
Yeah, you at so right Cindy – it was definitely that Obama, Clinton, Reid, Pelosi, Durbin, Duckworth, Emanuel, Madigan, Cullerton, Franks rhetoric.
Thank God to the Bush, Trump, McConnell, Ryan, McCarthy, Kirk, Kohler, Walkup coalition for banning together and not believing all the same things that you do!
It’s good that all the Democrats are the same while Repulbican leadership is soooo varied in their thinking and you can’t lot them together all in the same bucket.
Clearly liberals all think one – single – minuscule way.
Pond scum.
Funny, Moderate.
I don’t see one name on your list that I would trust as far as I could throw them.
You are laboring under a delusion that there are different parties and different agendas. T
hey are all people; and as such, they have lots of foibles.
You are still in lalaland to believe in that political rhetoric.
I hope you are not STILL calling me pond scum.
You would have to be a total idiot to keep doing that.
You have four county board members.
Jack Franks as voter elected County Board Chair is acting differently than past Board elected County Board Chairs.
He is rushing decisions and not involving the full elected body (board) in some decisions which, in the name of transparency and in the best interests of taxpayers, should involve the full elected board.
Those are both hallmarks of Michael Madigan and dysfunctional Illinois General Assembly.
He is not acting as a taxpayer advocate despite his rhetoric.
He is acting to serve his own interests and the interests of the Democrat party.
Just a few incidents to date:
– Oliver Serafini hire
– Bridget Geenen hire
– Committee changes
– etc.
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This is no surprise given the political landscape and history in Illinois.
The most powerful politician in Illinois is Michael Madigan.
Michael Madigan was first elected as House Speaker in 1983 (83rd General Assembly).
He has held that post to this day with one 2 year exception, that being the 95th General Assembly (early January 1995 – early January 1997), when Republicans had a majority in the State House and elected Lee Daniels as the Speaker.
Michael Madigan referred to those two years as being in the wilderness.
He didn’t like the wilderness.
When the Democrats regained a majority in the 96th General Assembly (early January 1997 – early January 1999), they voted Michael Madigan back in as House Speaker.
Michael Madigan proceeded to make changes to House rules, to benefit himself and Democrats, because he did not want to return to the wilderness.
Steve Rauschenberger speaks about that in the one hour Michael Madigan movie available for free on YouTube and http://www.MichaelMadigan.com.
For the last 18 years (9 terms), Jack Franks was a State Representative observing how Michael Madigan runs the State House.
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Now Jack Franks wants to run McHenry County.
Jack Franks, as McHenry County Board Chair, is attempting to follow the Michael Madigan playbook of changing and interpreting rules to his advantage.
He is making changes to benefit himself and the Democrat Party.
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Michale Madigan wears many hats.
Michael Madigan is also Chair of the Democrat Party of Illinois.
Michael Madigan as Chair of the Democrat Party of Illinois would like more elected Democrats in McHenry County.
Michael Madigan controlled PACs have provided substantial support to Jack Franks, especially early in Jack’s legislative career.
PACs of which Michael Madigan was chaired (Democratic Majority, Democratic Party of Illinois, & Friends of Michael J Madigan), contributed $405,387 to Jack Franks PACs (Supporters of Jack D Franks, Citizens for Jack D Franks).
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Oliver Serafini
Oliver Serafini is a Democract political operative.
He has worked on the following six Democrat campaigns:
Election Date – Candidate – District
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November 4, 2014 – Jack Franks – 63rd State House District
– District entirely in McHenry County covering all of western McHenry County including all of Harvard and Marengo, and a good portion of the rest of the county.
– Jack Franks defeated Steve Reick in the general election, 52% – 42%.
– The Supporters of Jack Franks PAC paid Mr. Serafini $500 bonuses in December of 2013 and December of 2014, plus $1,000 for gas in 2014, for a total of $2,000.
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November 4, 2014 – Jenny Burke – 45th State House District
– District in DuPage County (Bloomingdale, Bartlett, Wood Dale, Itasca, etc.)
– Ms. Burke was defeated by Republican Christine Winger (46% / 54%) in this general election.
– The Friends of Jenny M Burke PAC expended $2,000 to Mr. Serafini in 2015 as a bonus for campaign work.
– The Democratic Majority Fund expended $3,524 in 2014 to Central Management Services (state agency) for insurance premiums for taxpayer subsidized insurance for Mr. Serafini to benefit the Friends of Jenny M Burke PAC.
The purpose of the Democratic Majority PAC is to elect Democrats to the State House, and the PAC is chaired by Michael Madigan (whom is also the House Speaker).
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November 6, 2012 – Dee Beaubien – 52nd State House District
– District in parts of McHenry, Lake, Cook, and Kane Counties, including parts of Crystal Lake, Cary, Fox River Grove, Barrington, North Barrington, South Barrington, Barrington Hills, Carpentersville, Lake in the Hills, and Algonquin.
– Dee Beaubien was defeated by Dave McSweeney (41% / 59%) in the general election.
– Personal PAC expended an in-kind contribution of $231 to Oliver Serafini for contractual staff work for the Citizens for Dee Beaubien PAC.
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November 6, 2012 – Michelle Mussman – State House 56th District
– District includes parts of Schaumburg, Rolling Meadows, Elk Grove Village, Roselle, and Hanover Park.
– Incumbent Mussman defated John Lawson, 60% – 40%.
– The Clean Energy Illinois PAC expended $4,640 to Oliver Serafini for contractual work for the Friends of Michelle Mussman PAC.
– The Friends of Michelle Mussman PAC expended $297 for payroll to Oliver Serafini.
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March 20, 2012 – Paul Basta – 14th State House District
– District mostly in the northeast corner of Chicago including parts of Rogers Park and Edgewater, bordering Lake Michigan on the east and roughly Ridge Blvd on the west, from approximately Howard on the north to Foster on the south.
– District includes a small part of southern Evanston.
– Paul Basta lost to incumbent Ms. Kelly Cassidy (37% / 63%) in this primary election.
– The Friends of Paul M Basta PAC expended $660 to Oliver Serafini in 2012 for consulting.
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February 28, 2011 – Rafael Vargas – Chicago 43rd Ward Alderman
Mr. Vargas was 4th of 9 candidates with 9% of the vote, the victor being Michele Smith with 38% of the vote, in this Democrat Primary.
The Vargas for 43 PAC expended $1,508 to Mr. Serafini in 2010 for staff salary.
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Oliver Serafini was employed by the House Democrats (Michael Madigan organization) as a Program Specialist from 2013 – 2015.
More specifically:
From February 2013 – January 2015 he was the In District Legislative Liaison for Jack Franks.
From January 2015 – August 2015 he worked as Legislative and Communications Staff working for several House Democrats.
Those positions are funded by state taxpayers.
Per Open the Books Widget:
2015 – $26,888
2014 – $22,568
2013 – $25,778
Did Jacko provide that picture?
It appears to be intentionally cropped to hide some of his chins.
I do the cropping.
LOL Billy Bob!!!!
Believe me, Franks aka the White Haired Elvis is still in the building!
Moderate: “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was to convince the world he didn’t exist”