Jack Franks’ County Official Pension Elimination Issue Tabled at Franks’ Request

Jack Franks dumped his pension abolition plan at the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting.

The McHenry County Board tabled discussion on eliminating pensions for countywide elected officials without discussion from anyone except Chairman Jack Franks.

No discussion.

Just a hurried voice vote.

But immediately after County Board member Mike Walkup gave an explanation of why Franks was in such a hurry.

While agreeing that elected officials should not have pensions anymore than most citizens have, Walkup gave a timeline that led to Franks’ abandonment of his pension abolition idea.

First came the proposal from Franks.

Then Franks talked with the Executive Director of the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund.

At that time Franks was told his proposal is illegal.

This was followed up with a memo from IMRF reiterating that Franks’ proposal is Illegal.

Mike Walkup

Walkup pointed out that Franks had received this memo prior to the Human Resources Committee considering the issue, but did not provide it to committee members.
put copies

Walkup noted that it “was subsequently leaked to a blog,” presumably by a countywide elected official who received a copy.

[Guess which blog? See “IMRF Says Franks’s Proposed Pension Revocation Action for Countywide Elected Officials Illegal and Unconstitutional.”]

“Ten day later” Franks put copies of the IMRF opinion in Board members’ boxes the day the Committee of the Whole met, Walkup explained.

Continuing, Walkup pointed to an October 13th memo from McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally confirming the IMRF opinion that no unit of local government can opt out of that pension system “in whole or in part.”

The resolution that Franks’ proposed, Walkup said, would be “an action without consequence,” one “without legal effect.”

“So, [Franks’ idea] was half-baked, half-thought out probably just to grab headlines.

“Government by grandstand is not good government.

“We’re not the lawyers for the County.”

Louis Kosiba

During Public Comment IMRF Executive Director Louis Kosiba re-iterated what he told Franks verbally and via memo.Kosiba urged the County Board to follow the Rule of Law.

He pointed out that county government could not override state law.

“State law cannot be changed by action of county or city government,” he said.

And, he added, pensions cannot be take away from current elected officials.


Comments

Jack Franks’ County Official Pension Elimination Issue Tabled at Franks’ Request — 4 Comments

  1. Thanks to Mike Walkup for very clearly walking through Franks cover up.

    Under Franks, public meetings are skewed to showcase himself as he great savior, thanking the individual county board members who march mindlessly to his tune. And, please pat me (Franks) on the back for reducing the levy by 11%.!

    If this does come to fruition,the $ came out of someone else’s budget and not HIS – and his ever growing staff.

  2. NEWSFLASH: Taxes go up next year!

    Any cut that occurred is only temporary as a mere abatement.

    “Cut 10%” of property taxes that he campaigned on, couldn’t even be done.

    This was nothing but smoke and mirrors.

    A ruse.

    A joke played upon some very gullible voters.

    As far as his Pension Proposal, is he willing to put his money where his mouth is and give up his pension ???

    (that’s another rhetorical question – of course he’s not)

  3. Frank’s is nothing but a power and money hungry jackass who likes to see his name in the paper.

    As a crappy attorney he thinks he knows more than the Executive Director of IMRF.

    That whole law firm is incompetent as far as I’m concerned.

    Hired them one time and wouldn’t recommend them to represent a chicken thief.

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