NWH Reporter Kevin Craver Goes to Work for Jack Franks

Friday, “Communications Specialist” Oliver Serafini quit his Jack Franks patronage job.

The resignation paperwork says he was the “Utilities Coordinator” for the McHenry County Department of Transportation.

Nevertheless, his name did not appear on the June 16, 2017, organization chart under that title.

Now former Northwest Herald political and County Board reporter Kevin Craver has been hired to fill the same “Utilities Coordinator” slot at McDOT, although his application says the position is called “Communications Specialist.”

That’s the position that deals with JULIE, the underground pipe and wire people.

He will be paid more than Serafini, $51,051, more that Serafini’s $48,000.03.

Below you see the paperwork for Craver’s hiring.

The document about Kevin Craver’s employment by McHenry County.


Comments

NWH Reporter Kevin Craver Goes to Work for Jack Franks — 42 Comments

  1. Had never seen a critical article of Jack Franks while Keven Craver was at the Northwest Herald.

  2. Peter Austin, the County Administrator, and Cheryl Chukwu, did not provide an answer for the following questions on the HR Payroll Advice form for Kevin Craver (1st document in the blog post):

    “Who is the employee replacing or is this a new position?”

    “Supervisors Name”

    +++++++

    Also on that form, the “Proposed Assignment” is the “Division of Transportation.”

    Does Keven Craver report to Jack Franks?

    If so, Jack Franks does not work for the Division of Transportation.

    Jack Franks is the elected Democrat County Board Chair.

    So if all of that is true, is this hire against a board policy?

    +++++++++

    It’s acceptable to the county that the top hiring officials in the county do not complete the HR Payroll Advice document?

    +++++++++++

    Also, on that same HR Payroll Advice document, why is there a series of dots above the signatures of Peter Austin and Cheryl Chukwu?

    The question preceding the dots is, “Please type anything in the remarks section that will help clarify the action you are taking.”

    +++++++++

    Was this job posted by the county?

    Where?

    Was anyone else interviewed for the job?

    Who?

    Was Kevin Craver interviewed for the job?

    When?

    ++++++++

    The Northwest Herald never published an investigatory report about all the questions that arose around the Oliver Serafini and Bridget Geenen hires.

    The paper’s articles about the matter centered around what transpired in board meetings.

  3. How long before NWH closes shop?

    Has Kevin now been bought and paid for?

    With taxpayer dollars?

  4. Kevin has done more for good government in this county than the far majority of purported Republican officials that we’ve elected.

  5. Kevin’s a good man.

    I don’t blame him for wanting a position with more stability and better hours.

    The Herald needs to come up with a plan for the new media future, quick.

  6. Right know I am looking up the meaning for the word collusion, know I know why there never was a anti Jack Franks article in The Nwh…

    I am so feeling justified in my cancelling my subscription for this yellow rag

    come on everyone it’s time to wake up…

  7. I wonder if His Royal Corpulentcy put in the fix with the County Board for this hire?

    I can’t imagine Craver would quit his job to take a position that stands a good chance of being eliminated.

    Perhaps Jacko has already decided to run for another office, and promised Craver a position?

    The mind wobbles at the possibilities.

  8. Monday July 31, 2017 was the signature date for Peter Austin and Cheryl Chukwu on the the HR Payroll Advice form for Oliver Serafini.

    Monday July 31st is also the date of Kevin Craver’s McHenry County employment application.

  9. So Kevin Craver completed his job application the same date McHenry County signed the resignation paperwork for Oliver Serafini.

  10. The village of Lakewood is situated at the mid-southern section of McHenry county; west of Lake in the Hills and Crystal Lake, south of Woodstock, west of unincorporated Union and Marengo, and north of parts of Algonquin and Huntley. Lakewood was incorporated as a village effective July 10, 1933. It is home of a few wealthy folks. McHenry county was formally established as a government entity in January, 1836. More prodigious research coming your way in the one and only sunshine blog. Tic, tock, tic, tock…

  11. Most if not all of Lakewood is directly south of Crystal Lake not Woodstock.

    Crystal Lake extends west on Route 176 to Route 47.

    +++++++++++

    Mr. Llavona is a very highly paid public school teacher who will receive an overly generous pension funded by all state of Illinois taxpayers.

    The overly generous pension will be the result of overly generous pension benefits (state legislators and Governors created that mess) and overly generous salary hikes (the result of the Maine Township High School District 207 school board approving collective bargaining agreements between the Maine Teachers Association, IEA-NEA and the district).

    After 22 years worked, in 2016 Mr. Llavona earned $132,720, which means starting pension, after 35 years of service (likely less than 13 additional years worked) would be $99,540, if he never received another salary hike.

    Yet the solution in SB 1 is to give Maine Township High School District 207 more money.

  12. Angel some questions given your obvious support of taxes for out noble public servants. Do you believe those wealthy people in Lakewood should pony up Even more? Share the wealth so you can have a decent retirement vs the measly 100k your on track for? Maybe they should provide you with free healthcare and a car allowance in your golden years?

  13. None of the last 3 comments have anything to do with the post. Two of them, however, show hatred dripping from the fingertips as the copy and pasting occurs. Guess which ones? More information about the Village of Lakewood. It had a population of 3,868 as of July 1, 2017. Lakewood ranks in the upper quartile for Diversity Index when compared to the other cities, towns and Census Designated Places (CDPs) in Illinois. The primary coordinate point for Lakewood is located at latitude 42.2246 and longitude -88.3866 in McHenry County. The formal boundaries for the Village of Lakewood encompass a land area of 4.73 sq. miles and a water area of 0.31 sq. miles. McHenry County is in the Central time zone (GMT -6). The elevation is 889 feet.
    The Village of Lakewood (GNIS ID: 2398390) has a C1 Census Class Code which indicates an active incorporated place that does not serve as a county subdivision equivalent. It also has a Functional Status Code of “A” which identifies an active government providing primary general-purpose functions. The Village of Lakewood is located within Township of Grafton, a minor civil division (MCD) of McHenry County. Source: the cyberspace. Tic, tock, tic, tock…

  14. Was this job properly posted & offered to the public?

    Is this another behind the scenes hire?

    Is the hire legal?

  15. Feel free to defend your salary and pension instead of labeling such transparency hatred.

  16. No, it’s not Paul. The first time he pulled this it wasn’t! Our board is still sitting on their hands. No worries on Angel’s pension. He’ll never see it the way things are going.

  17. I hope they give angel a car allowance as part of his retirement.

    We could do this by convincing one school board it’s a good idea, then the others will quickly follow suit so they can “retain and attract “quality” teachers” never mind the woefully unemployed recent graduates for k-12 that don’t have an ESL specialty.

    I digress, the point is 100k a year in retirement is not enough in return for 9 months of work per year.

    What do we want?

    A car allowance…

    when do we want it?

    Now.

  18. The taxpayers could “save” money by giving such retirees a new $75,000 car every year in retirement rather than a tax free pension starting at $99,540.

    The pension includes a 3% annual cost of living increase, which means after about 24 years that starting pension will double.

    Rule of 72: 72 / 3 = 24.

    Thus after 24 years, the annual pension will be $199,089, state income tax free.

  19. And so the ‘pimp’ apprentice has joined his sith lord and now sits next to the throne.

    And the elected board does what?

  20. Jack Franks is 53 years old. If he is alive in 8 more weeks, he will turn 54 on October 3, 2017. Tic, tock, tic, tock…

  21. This casts into question the entirety of the NW Herald’s overly favorable coverage of the County Board since last December.

    Nothing has been written there about the extensive turmoil now embroiling the Board, only what look like press releases from Franks.

    Now we know why.

    How is it that Kevin knew about the job on the same day it became vacant?

    Didn’t Oliver know for a long time, possibly before he even took the job, that he was going to go to graduate school this Fall?

    You don’t suddenly decide to go to grad school.

    Was there a quid pro quo all along?

    Did this extend back to the election period and the coverage at that time?

    Is Jesse White going to endorse Franks for Secretary of State next week when he speaks to the dinner for the state County Board Chairman?

    Isn’t that an odd place for the Secretary of State to be making an announcement that he is not running again, which he has already indicated is his intention.

    Why have a dog and pony show around that type of announcement unless you are going to be throwing your weight behind someone in particular to replace you?

    Read the tea leaves.

    Franks needs someone back in Woodstock so he can go campaign.

    Will the county be paying for someone to do his press work for a statewide campaign?

    Have various people in county government, such as the Administrator, been promised better jobs with the State if Franks wins a state position?

    Was the county administrator in on things as far back as 18 months ago when the Board members were set up to sign statements about the pensions?

    How deep does this go?

    Tic tock Lavona.

  22. Re: “Will the county be paying for someone to do his press work for a statewide campaign?”

    The taxpayers of McHenry County already do.

    They voted to hire him as County Board Chairman!

  23. I have known Kevin for a long time.

    We used to work at the same dorm food service, and he wrote for the college paper, and he wrote a comic strip that was hilarious.

    He was always a good guy, intelligent and a good worker.

    I didn’t keep in touch post college job, but it was a pleasant surprise to find him writing for the NWH.

    His writing both annoyed me and pleased me, so he probably took the commitment to fair and balanced writing seriously.

    If he views this as a good move, I won’t begrudge him it, but I do wish, personally that it was happening under less cloudy circumstances.

  24. Is the job application invalid?

    There is no signature at the end of the application to match the name given at the beginning of the application.

  25. Bingo! There is the scandal. Signature-gate. This is the beginning of the end of Jack Franks’ oppressive tyranny over the good, law abiding, tax paying citizens of rural McHenry county. To mirror our prodigious researcher, could anybody file a complaint? Not me, certainly…tic, tock, tic, tock…

  26. You don’t blame him for “wanting a position with more stability” ????

    Not that the NWH is stable in the least, but this job isn’t stable.

    I’m thinkin it’s gonna dry up like a raisin before Summer’s end!

  27. What a laugh!

    Craver WAS ALREADY working for his Royal Corpulency (good one Billy Bob!)for a rotten rag called the Jacko Franks Herald!

    I can’t wait till that birdcage liner folds up and blows away.

    Then I can do my Chief Illiniwek Victory Dance over its overdue grave, a dance I shall repeat when His Royal Corpulency goes down in flames next?

  28. Hey fallen angel….. what do you mean “If” the little liar Jackanapes ‘is alive’ in a few weeks?

    Do you know (or are planning) something????

    I should think Jacko would be your false idol, but then again, ex-adorers do tend to turn on the objects of their former adulation when their masks come off and all their drivel was revealed as fakery!

  29. Jack Franks lives in Marengo, McHenry county, Illinois, US. He is affiliated to the Democratic Party. He served in the Illinois General Assembly from 1999 to 2017, which means he served for a total of 18 years or 9 terms. he is male. He also drives McHenry county compassionate conservatives absolutely crazy, which manifests prominently in the posts of this sunshine blog. More prodigious research coming your way in our one and only sunshine blog…tic, tock, tic, tock…

  30. Look at those references. What a joke.

    Craver’s been looking for a cushy government job for years.

    He just needed to put in his time writing for the local rag before he got his just desserts from Franks.

  31. I think Angel has threatened the Franks. Maybe the Franks should look into that comment about “…if he is still alive…”. Sounds like a threat to me.

  32. The real laugh is when these newspaper reporters claim to be “independent”.

    They are virtually all liberal democrats.

    Kevin is no different.

    The only reporters who are conservative identify themselves as such.

    I wish the best for Kevin.

    He has every right, naturally, to make this life decision.

    But, he pretended to be a moderate reporter….”conservative” he claimed to be on some issues….

    What a joke.

    Newspapers carry water for the democrats, let’s stop pretending this isn’t true.

    This is yet another example of that reality.

  33. Jack Franks currently holds the position of president of the McHenry County Board. His first name is Jack, while his last name is Franks. Tic, tock, tic, tock…

  34. Angle sounds like a threat to me.

    Jack will now be getting more deputies to protect him thanks to you.

    Maybe they’ll take away some of you future pension to pay for it

  35. Classy compassionate conservatism. Can you feel Jesus’ presence? Tic, tock, tic, tock…

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