Ready for cheers was Governor Bruce Rauner and Lt. Gov.
Governor Bruce Rauner today vetoed House Bill 171 which would have given McHenry County Board Chairman Jack Franks increased power over the committees and board members. McHenry County Republican leaders worked the phones and wrote letters to the governor urging him to veto the bill.
If Bruce Rauner hopes to retain the Illinois governorship he will once again need a strong showing from McHenry County. In 2014 the McHenry County GOP gave Bruce Rauner a 64.69 percent victory over Democrat Pat Quinn.
Below is a statement released by the governor:
Today I veto House Bill 171 from the 100th General Assembly, which would codify the authority of certain county board chairmen to create standing committees and appoint members to standing committees subject to those boards’ approval.
We should not be codifying in state law carve-outs and special solutions that only apply to certain counties to account for local concerns. Passing state law on such specific question of local authority undermines local control and the ability to create rules as elected Board’s may deem appropriate.
This legislation, which stems from a disagreement about a change in McHenry County Board rules that stripped the Chairman of his historical authority to create and appoint members to committees, does just that. While the county governance model introduced by this legislation may represent good practice and a healthy balance of power between the local officials for McHenry County, it is not appropriately addressed by state legislation.
Instead, questions concerning the balance of power within local governments can be most appropriately reconsidered by local voters. Just as the citizens of a county can vote via referendum on whether their county adopts an executive form of government, so too should they be able to determine the appropriate power balance in question in this bill.
Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return House Bill 171, entitled “AN ACT concerning local government,” with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.
Sincerely,
Bruce Rauner
GOVERNOR
And now sunshine commenters love rauner again…stay tuned…tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock…
Name someone who loves you…..
Kudos to Gov. Rauner for paying attention to the people of McHenry County!
Thanks to Barb Wheeler, Allen Skillicorn, and Steve Reick for mounting the belated opposition to this bill, which was introduced in the State Senate by Sen. Karen McC and passed there with her and Sen. Althoff voting “present”.
Thanks also to this blog which made people aware of this bill when all other local media were silent. If it hadn’t been for that, this Stealth Bill would have sailed through.
Chairman Franks travelled personally to Springfield without informing anyone in the county government, including the county administrator, of his actions, where he sheparded this out of the committees in which it would otherwise have languished and mustered floor votes for it, all without approval of the County Board.
Chairman Franks has already adopted a new strategy for getting around the committees by putting together Committees Of The Willing and having them meet in secret, which was done last Monday concerning re-organization plans for the county administration building, without notice to the public or other Board Members.
Under this plan, two to three unneeded “conference rooms” are being carved out which can be silently filled with future Franks patronage workers.
I fear that this veto will only be a temporary respite as a Democratic Governor is likely to be elected next year who will gleefully sign a new version of this power grab.
With only a couple of people running for County Board next year who have any backbones, and the departure of several Franks opponents for various reasons, the Chairman should have no trouble in the second half of his term in bending the Board to his will.
Good luck to all.
Congrats to the little people!
Thanks to Governor Rauner for doing the right thing. Jeanne Ives still has my vote, though.
This is also a victory for little bloggers. Thank you freeloader, paparazzi, sunshine blogger! We stand with you full of pride. BTW, when will we get the next cat story? Tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock…
“Therefore, I hereby declare McHenry county sunshine blog the official blog of the State of Illinois. Happy bicentennial to both of you; our great state of Illinois and our sunshine blogger.”
Sincerely,
Bruce Rauner
GOVERNOR, tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock…
Angel needs a hobby that does not involve posting on blogs.
Thank you Gov. Rauner from the people of Mchenry County! I thank you for listening to us on this issue and we greatly appreciate your serious thought and consideration.
Wasn’t this a no-brainer? I mean with no checks and balances you create an abusive Govt.
Did anyone hear of the plan to get rid of County spending oversight by eliminating the Auditor’s position?
This would be a disastrous move to allow this!
Re: “Kudos to Gov. Rauner ”
No kudos from me. He is feeling the impact of Ives and is attempting to thwart her onslaught!
Too little – too late for the guy who is now funding abortions with my tax dollars and interfering in the enforcement of federal immigration law.
Wonder what’s up jackos sleeve to still get what he wants
Yes. The Chairman has met with Nancy Gonziorek, and had the discussion with her about working to eliminate the auditor position if she is appointed to replace Pam Palmer.
They have apparently reached an agreement on this as she has withdrawn from her most recent bid to run for County Board.
However, there is this little problem:
(55 ILCS 5/3-1001) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-1001)
Sec. 3-1001. Auditors in counties of 75,000 to 3,000,000. In all counties containing less than 3,000,000 and over 75,000 inhabitants by the last federal census, there is created the office of county auditor, whose term of office shall be 4 years and until his successor is elected and qualified.
(55 ILCS 5/3-1002) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-1002)
Sec. 3-1002. Auditors in counties of 75,000 population or less. In counties of 75,000 population or less, as determined by the last federal census preceding the date of appointment, the presiding officer of the county board with the advice and consent of the county board may appoint and employ a county auditor whose term of office shall be 4 years and until a successor is appointed and qualified.
It would therefore appear that the auditor’s position cannot be eliminated unless the population of the county falls below 75,000 or there is another Franks Stealth Bill that he secretly pilots through the legislature and gets signed by the new Democratic Governor who will almost certainly replace Rauner next year.
Too little too late for Judas “I’m not in charge” Rauner.
No amount of showmanship can save him from what he has done
to Illinois.
It’s Jeanne Ives for Governor now.
Sunshine blogger, still thinking governorship? You have a forever loyal, solid 2% right behind you…tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock…
Rauner is out, to be replaced by another buillionaire of the tribe.
Fallen Angel, I heard an ICE roundup was coming.
Jeanne Ives for Governor. She should easily win the primary against Rauner then will go on to beat whomever the Democrats put up. Oh, and she happens to be a woman. A woman who served in the U.S. Military.
She should easily get all votes from all Republicans in the general election as well as the bulk of the votes from women liberals and women Democrats who have been telling all of the U.S. that we need more women in top positions in both government and the private sector.
Jeanne Ives our next Governor of Illinois.
A very persuasive analysis! Tulsi Gabbard for president and Tammy Duckworth for vice-president! Tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock, tic, tock…
No GOP candidate will stand a chance for Governor this year.
Pritzger is worth 3 BILLION DOLLARS (cue Michael Myers) and will swamp anyone, including Rauner, who is only worth a paltry One Billion. Plus it will be a Democratic Wave Year.
The generic Democratic polling numbers are up 10% from 2014 when Rauner barely squeaked by the weak Pat Quinn.
Ives will not have the money to be competitive.
With a Democratic Governor and Democrats even more firmly in control of the General Assembly, Franks will be able to work his will on any legislation.
Will he, for example, be able to put his money where his mouth is and give counties more power over township restructuring?
Some changes would be to fix the tax discrepancy when townships merge, increase the size of the allowed townships via consolidations so the county could have 4 or fewer townships, and eliminate the 3/4ths of the townships vote requirement on county wide voter initiated abolition of all townships in the county.
Anti nepotism and anti patronage rules could also be enacted for townships which now have none.
There could be clarification of who takes over township functions when a township is abolished.
How about abolishing the Regional Superintendent of Schools, which hasn’t been needed since Olde Betsy was sold to the glue factory?
Then there is giving counties the power to take elected officials out of IMRF.
He will have the leverage, especially if Madigan is gone. Will he use it?
Swampbuggy, your vision is a scary one for any above room temp. IQ taxpayer.
A Fatty JB victory will initiate full-fledged taxpayer flight.
But when pictures of evil Rahm and Fatty JB pop up in black precincts along with “Bernie supports Biss” palmcards inundating university towns, LGBT nests, northshore libdom, etc., it may not be a JB walkaway, esp. when Kennedy pulls away too many white voters from fatty.
Boots on the ground for Ives is happening, with big pull Candidates. That’s better than money.
Besides, Bliss has a fantastic commercial out where Pritzker is colluding with incarcerated ex-Gov Blagoevich.
Swamp how do you propose to get rid if madigan
Should Jumbo Boy Pritzger happen to win the governorship
Illinois will become the sh*thole of the Midwest, there will be no stopping it.
Jay B will bury everyone with 50 Million Dollars in last minute TV ads.
That’s chump change for him.
Reserve your U Haul now.
There will be a waiting list by November.
I will NOT vote for either Mr. Reick or Mr. Rauner.
I voted for both of them once.
They are both liars.
The fat guy will see a lot of tv commercials of some of his shady sides including getting a $200K break on tax assessments of one of his houses by disconnecting toilets and also some taped conversations he had with the now jailed Democrat Governor Blago.
All politics obeys the Golden Rule.
Them that’s got the Gold, Rule.
**Fatty JB… The fat guy**
WTF is wrong with all of you?
AlabamiShake, newsflash: JB Pritzker is fat and as evidenced by his convo with defamed former gov Blago, he’s a nasty man. There are so many other words to describe him. “Fatty” “the Fat Guy” is just true and factual observation. What’s wrong with YOU?