Former Democratic County Board Member Nick Chirikos Gets $550 in Bonuses Miscellaneous Income from Bob Miller

Bob Miller defending township government before the McHenry County Board’s Township Consolidation Task Force.

Former McHenry County Board member Nick Chirikos was employed by Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Bob Miller during his last year in office.

Chirikos beat Republican Bob Bless in 2012.

Republican Andrew Gasser beat him four years later.

Chirikos was hired after Miller lost the township GOP primary on Aapril 16, 2017.

He was terminated the day Gasser took office, May 15, 2017.

During that month he was paid $3,910, which includes $500 in miscellaneous income within twenty days of getting the job.

Some have called this miscellaneous pay a “bonus/”

Chirikos had four sick days in the month he was on the payroll.

The Democrat supported Anna May Miller in the GOP Primary Election she lost in March or 2016 to Tom Wilbeck and Yvonne Barnes.

He was also involved in Bob Miller’s re-election effort in the February, 2017, Republican Primary Election in which Andrew Gasser was narrowly victorious.

Chirikos received $500 about two months after the early February primary election last year.

That was just before Bob Miller left office.

Chirikos was one of four employees whose employment Gasser terminated upon taking his oath of office.


Comments

Former Democratic County Board Member Nick Chirikos Gets $550 in Bonuses Miscellaneous Income from Bob Miller — 31 Comments

  1. This is on Facebook:
    Andrew Gasser,”the Algonquin Township Highway Commissioner has paid Luis Torres, rumored to be the Algonquin Township Supervisors neighbor and former employee, $2,800 in miscellaneous pay between 11/16/2017 and 2/17/2018.”

  2. Fair and Balanced information related to the same subject.
    More like a slow waltz.

  3. Got back when Millers boss Anna Miller started working there shocking

  4. That’s the worst hologram of Baron Von Rasche and his famous Iron Claw I’ve ever seen.

  5. Nick was a political “EFF YOU gasbag” hire.

    Why would Bob Miller, “a republican”, hire a democrat who gasser has spared with before?

    Nick had nothing for that job and was not qualified.

    Actually, Nick had one qualification – he would piss gasser off.

    The entire township has been dragged down to Miller’s level with his scorched earth and screw gasser at any cost policy.

    Poor Rich.

    Poor Chuck.

    Poor gasser.

    The clerk (who was unemployable was hired by Miller and paid a bonus) and three of the trustees are all grandstanding trying to take gasser down.

    http://www.nwherald.com/2018/02/23/algonquin-township-highway-commissioner-wants-clerk-to-pay-back-250-bonus-from-bob-miller/aq26xi2/

    We know the nob got a bonus from the township.

    We can only wonder how much more Miller is paying nob now.

  6. IS MY CHECK IN THE MAIL? It seems like everyone in the county got a check from this guy. He must be a true democrat.
    Sure operated like one.

  7. Nick worked a month, took four sick days and still made four Grand???

    Man Miller really hated losing didn’t he.

  8. Herald, Nick was more qualified than both positions little Ryan has held.

  9. I’ve been in this county longer than most of you, and was elected when there was still some semblance of decency and fairness here.

    I will match my work, both paid and volunteer, against anyone’s.

    Cal knew me from when we discussed siting a senior or affordable housing project for our local area back in 1993, back before his mind atrophied in right-wing political thought.

    No one can impugne my integrity without expecting a response.

    This “miscellaneous income” everyone is blathering about was earned by everyone who received it.

    I was paid (along with everyone else who worked) a flat rate of $250 per day (no overtime) for the two recycling days I worked, and a $50 payment for working at the Algonquin Post Office for the local food bank delivery (most of a Saturday).

    I was hired at $25.00 an hour.

    I had been without a job for almost 5 months.

    Miller hired me because I had an application in at the road district for over 2 years.

    There are many things other than driving trucks, I was capable of and willing to do, the dirty jobs like processing used paint and washing the vehicles. I

    was grateful for the work.

    Can any of you relate to that?

    Oh, and when the union came in, my pay was reduced to $22.00 per hour.

    Then my former political opponent fired me because I was his former political opponent.

    For people who actually live in Algonquin Township and have known the level of services under Bob Miller, there is no comparison to the disaster we have now under Andrew Gasser.

  10. Out of People’s Ass to kiss Nick was capable of and willing to do,the dirty jobs like processing BS in the comments section of Mchenrycountyblog.com

  11. Transparency is a wonderous thingy
    $2100 in misc pay since late Nov. 2017 till now for Andrew from Andrew.

  12. You make me sick, Nick. I probably have socks older than you; so you can can it about being here sooo long. Why should I HAVE to pay YOU to recycle? I was doing just fine driving my recycling all over two counties. Sometimes they even gave you a stipend of cash for those recyclables. I didn’t relish when the “city” started up their recycling program while neglecting to mention they were CHARGING us to do it. I am certainly NOT ok with ANYONE getting paid daily to do something that never should have been. The whole system is totally out of whack and you are NOT going to EVER convince me that I was well invested in paying a salary for useless endeavors. Your endorsement for the Miller clan makes you even less likeable.

  13. Poor Nick.

    You got played son.

    I can understand you not wanting to face that.

    I wouldn’t either.

    How much are you making now, for spreading Miller manure?

    Did you have to kneel, and kiss Don Bob’s ring when you received your check?

    The only people you’ll ever convince that the Miller’s are the distributor’s of great charity, are those who got paid off.

  14. Nick,
    Don’t mind Cindy, she doesn’t bite, doesn’t work, doesn’t volunteer, doesn’t do anything.

    @the nob – Thanks for sharing! Great to know that the Schusters are behind the threats. I think it’s himsrious when AT&T traces the comment back to their house and they claim to not have posted it! Were they hacked?! Were they set up?! What’s their explanation how someone from their IP address was able to comment the threats?

  15. Spotlight is an idiot. Just more proof of that conclusion supplied by the horse’s mouth.

  16. @Cindy – Now we can add IP addressss to the list of hints you have no idea about.

  17. What the Hell are you talking about Spotlight? Are you hiding from someone with that fake screen name?

  18. “This “miscellaneous income” everyone is blathering about was earned by everyone who received it.

    I was paid (along with everyone else who worked) a flat rate of $250 per day (no overtime) for the two recycling days I worked, and a $50 payment for working at the Algonquin Post Office for the local food bank delivery (most of a Saturday). ”

    Nick, speaking to you as a human being, and hoping this experience causes an epiphany about the devastating effects of crony, insider political favor trading and passing around public money for the benefit of insiders only.

    There are few jobs here because of high tax rates.

    there are high tax rates as a result of the type of above-the-;law behavior by local politicians which raises the cost of public service provision here so high as to make our property tax rates such a high multiple of property tax rates all over Illinois and America.

    How many people would have liked the job you were given as a political insider?

    How many people have lost homes to 4% property tax rates they could not afford without even a shot at getting a crony-awarded insider government job with health insurance and pension benefits which eclipse all other private sector workers in this country?

    You were PAID to handle food bank work???

    That is staggering.

    I cannot believe you find that defensible.

    At Woodstock Food Pantry, ALL work (including our gas money to fetch food from NIFB Rockford, Waukegan, and food drives at post office) were ALL VOLUNTEER on our own dimes. It is stunning that you were paid for that.

    To my knowledge, no other local food pantries (crystal lake, marengo) pay ANYONE, it is a volunteer gig.

    Finally, If Recycling, for example, was not considered a part of regular duties but was instead a MISC 1099 expense then the recycling job should have been posted for BIDS by independent contractors who might have performed the task at more competitive cost to taxpayers.

    Do you not see that?

    Any of it?

  19. Maybe someone should clarify being a volunteer and a paid volunteer What am I missing

  20. Schroeder? The meaning of the word volunteer MEANS no payment. Thanks for pointing that out to the nitwits that do not own a Thesaurus.

  21. Susan, Everyone from the road district who drove or rode in a township vehicle was required to clock in.

    It was as simple as that.

    Our job was to transport the food containers after they had been collected.

    This was not a volunteer position.

    I was assigned the job.

    This was one of many ways the township assisted the local charities and community organizations while Miller was in office, but I don’t expect you to see it that way.

    Trying retroactively to both understand and criticize the actions of a previous administration is a foolish exercise.

    Were you at the meetings when these activities were discussed and approved?

    Have YOU ever volunteered (as I had before I worked at the township) for the popular recycling programs developed by the Millers?

    In short, keep your armchair politics to yourself.

    When you’re ready to post with your full name, we can talk again.

  22. Susan Handelsman.

    I believe Volunteer activity isn’t something people should talk about,, that makes it for personal gain.

    What I have or have not done as a volunteer has no bearing on this discussion.

    If recycling was an activity at the Township for which employeess were paid, then there should have been no need for misc 1099 payments.

    Those, per IRS refs, are for independence contractors .

    If recycling was an independently contracted service, it should have been advertised for bisfs by private contractors ( thus creating more jobs on the community which were not a function of political, friendships), and getting the best deal for Township taxpayers.

    It is not armchair politics when we pay more than 4% property taxes in the region due to such paractices by political office holders. We are all very much incpvolved in the game.

    The difference is we are on the paying end or the game and people like you, with your attitude, foster the taking end of the game.

    Your own acknowledgment of your unnaturally low assessment years ago that was making you oblivious to the economic hardships of most homeowners in the County seemed suincere at the time, but evidently that was a fleeting observation that didn’t stick with you.

    Susan Handelsman

  23. Thank you for coming out of the blog closet, Susan.

    I’m proud of my volunteer service over the past 4 decades, as i am sure you are also.

    I won’t engage you in arguing about getting paid to work the recycling weekends.

    This was part of my job, and everyone who worked those weekends to process thousands of items for recycling.

    The program was extensive: dangerous and fast-paced.

    Volunteers may come and go at will.

    These shifts required paid, insured and responsible workers, and that’s how the program became as successful as it was.

    This was probably the best and most efficient use of tax dollars I have ever seen in local government.

    I have many years’ experience in recycling programs, including organic wastes, composting and secondary materials markets.

    Algonquin Township’s recycling program was the envy of every other township in our county and the region.

    Without it, as we are now witnessing throughout the township, recyclable items are being discarded along the roadsides and abandoned in empty lots and fields.

    Furniture, used tires, televisions etc.

    Even hazardous materials like computer monitors and paint is being discarded haphazardously.

    Every opportunity for proper disposal and reuse of these items should be afforded our citizens, and yes, it costs money: tax money.

    That is what government is supposed to do.

    That is what our tax dollars are supposed to be used for.

    And for your information, my “unnaturally low” tax assessment some years back, unfairly leveled against me during my re-election, reflected the pre-assessment state of my home during the construction of my room addition.

    Not only do I pay my fair share, but unlike some who incessantly whine about their taxes, I am proud and happy to support my government.

  24. 1.I’ve often posted my name and regular readers know me, i am only Susan posting in comments. Never tried to hide it.

    Although I will say that I can understand why people with more to lose than me (people with young children, or local businesses) are rightfully afraid of the bully tactics used against children and businesses by unions, school district employees, and McHenry County elected officials who SELECTIVELY enforce the law.

    So I do not blame people who want to be heard, and talk about bad actors in politics, but do not want to subject themselves or their families to threats.

    2. I do not understand your definition of the words ‘volunteer’ OR ‘service’.
    Both involve putting something of your own at risk or out with no hope of no compensation.
    When one is paid, I do not believe that can be considered as ‘volunteer’, or ‘service’ unless one risks bodily harm like military servicemen police and firefighters).

    What you are essentially arguing for is that the government can, at its own discretion, take over tasks which are not statutorily defined under that particular governmental section’s purview, and charge to do them via the mandatory property taxation system.
    Your argument works out nicely for the few chosen to work at that government section, but it works out HORRIBLY for everyone else.

    By monetizing the Food Pantry Delivery system, You cost your township taxpayers the chance to have a FREE, all-volunteer food pantry such as we have in Woodstock.

    By monetizing the Recycling ‘Service’, you cost your taxpayers the chance to have it done cheaper, better, and also providing new jobs and entrepreneurial opportunity by competitive bidding.

    3. Your tax assessment.
    As you recall, your absurdly low tax assessment was noticed by some sharp reader of this blog and posted in comments after YOU made the observation, as a member on the County Board, that you didn’t think property taxes were too high in McHenry County.
    I don’t know if you were paying your ‘fair share’ then, or are now. That depends on your assessment. Assessments are quite subjective.(Maybe some reader can research that on AThena?/Zillow?)who cares? well, it is continuing problem when a perennial office seeker with your attitude thinks property taxes aren’t too high and may again attain some position of power to tax the rest of us.

    What ALL of us taxpayers pay is the same RATE.
    and that RATE is defined as
    public spending relative to the means of the taxed community.

    Our tax RATE is triple national average, it is more than double Chicago tax rates.

    YOU should be ASHAMED, not ‘proud and happy’, to support a local set of governments which (by virtue of logic) must be so inefficient, wasteful, and/or corrupt as to need TRIPLE the means extracted from communities all over America, in order to provide the very same social services which are provided by taxing bodies all over America at 1/3 the relative cost.

    Why ASHAMED rather than PROUD?

    Because, you speak nothing about the economic destruction, the devastation of property value, the inordinate percentage of household income taken by force by YOUR form of government so that it couldn’t be saved for a child’s education or spent to have a pet—more than DOUBLE relative to that same percentage of household income all over America–that YOUR style government takes by force to pay people with your attitude.
    You ignore and dishonor the VICTIMS of your attitude, and who have been the source of funding of personal enrichment. to you and those like you

    What would make me proud of you would be to see an awakening realization about the staggeringly bad effect you and yours have had on a lot of good people. And maybe work to change the system so it can STOP HAPPENING.

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