The Edgar County Watchdogs have posted another article on the problems with the Algonquin Township Clerk Karen Lukasik. Reprinted with permission.
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Algonquin Township Clerk – Please Resign!
BY KIRK ALLEN ON MARCH 22, 2018 • ( 1 COMMENT )
McHenry Co. (ECWd) –
Clueless public officials are the downfall of this once great state, and the Algonquin Township Clerk is yet another example of a failed public official bringing public distrust of their elected officials.
As if failed public officials are not bad enough, we have said for a long time, local reporting is failing the public on numerous fronts by their failure in reporting on local government’s illegal actions.
As we have always said, “Says Who and With What Proof” are two questions that must be asked and answered in all reporting.
Reading the Northwest Herald article published last month, we once again have to point out the bigger story that they failed to report on. The one that directly affects your tax dollars and exposes violations of laws. Now I understand they sell papers and a squabble between one official and another may make a great headline and sell more papers, it does nothing to address the bigger problem, illegal acts.
It is clear, Karen Lukasik has no clue what powers are provided to her position and if she is getting legal advice for her actions, then the lawyer should be fired.
According to the local paper, Lukasik is of the opinion employees and contractors are not the responsibility of the Township Board, specifically the one she hired illegally to work in her office.
“Leave the employees and contractors alone,” Lukasik wrote. “They are not your responsibility. I have every right to say something. You need to know your role. You audit the bills. … You do not oversee contractors or employees.
PERIOD. You will not speak to him anymore about what he is doing while at the township.”
“He has been hired to help in the clerk’s office,” Lukasik said. “The scope of his responsibility is not your decision or oversight. This is official township business that needed to be discussed. This is not unprofessional but ensuring you understand your role in relation to contractors and employees.”
Lukasik could not be any more wrong on this one. In fact, her powers are spelled out by statute and the ONLY person she could hire is a deputy clerk and even that can only be done with authorization by the Township Board.
60 ILCS 1/75-45 Sec. 75-45. Deputy clerk.
(a) The township clerk, when authorized by the township board, may appoint one deputy clerk.
She claims he was hired, but that too, is now yet another violation of the law as such hiring brings certain requirements that for some reason this Township Clerk has no record of.
60 ILCS 1/100-5 The township board may employ and fix the compensation of township employees that the board deems necessary, excluding the employees of the offices of supervisor of general assistance, township collector, and township assessor.
There is no exclusion for the Township Clerk. That being the case, the hiring of township employees is done by the Township Board, by law. That means there has to be an agenda item for action to hire and that would lead to minutes where the board voted to employ the person now working for Lukasik. Additionally, the board is the one that sets the compensation for the employee, not the Clerk. That too, as shown above, is by law and should have an applicable agenda and minutes where such action was taken.
In what may be the Golden FOIA award, my FOIA request today was received and responded to in just over two hours. Sadly for Lukasik, there are no records applicable to my request, which means she has a problem.
The law does not permit her to hire anyone and doing so is a clear violation of the law she took an oath to uphold. Considering there are no records of any board action pertaining to this hiring or setting his compensation, it’s safe to argue the fact he should not be working there as he has not been legally hired!
Of additional interest is the fact the Clerk, who thinks she is in charge of this person, was unable to produce a job application. Makes you wonder, how did he know there was a job opening? Better yet, how do we know he was the best selection for the job if there is no application? Yep, your tax dollars hard at work in Algonquin Township.
We urge the McHenry County State’s Attorney step up the pace on the ongoing criminal investigation and indict ALL the bad actors at Algonquin Township sooner, rather than later.
We also urge Karen Lukasik to do the right thing and resign as it is crystal clear she has not read the law as it applies to her powers and duties and she has proven to be incapable of complying with the most basic duties of her office.
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Should many of the concerns expressed over the past few year regarding Algonquin Township prove to have merit, would not the law firm present at meetings and advising both staff and elected officials have some liability for all this. I wonder if damages could be recovered from the law firms E&O insurance?
VERY GOOD QUESTION!
The current state of affairs in Illinois has nothing to do with
“clueless public officials”, Mr. Allen.
It does however have much to do with CORRUPT public officials.
are they ignorant or evil? either way we the people suffer
Johnny? Time and again they have proven to be ignorant. Now as the stories unfold we see how truly stupid they are; and with discernment, yes they are evil.
I understand the watchdogs have asked for quite a few FOIA requests, as has Cal and the NWH, intentionally increasing the work load of the Clerk.
Ya well the political games at Alg Twh are over the top for sure.
Supervisor that takes the Fifth?
Highway Commissioner who lies or exaggerates?
How about all three resign, then neither side has reason to complain.
Fair and Balanced.
When Wisconsin went through the recall for Governor, Lib’s flood the state with workers trying to get Walker voted out.
Many of the Wis resident’s didn’t like Walker, but even hated the outside interference more and voted to retain.
Are the outsiders like the Watch Dogs and many who don’t live in AT any different?
Nope, outside agitators.
the nob, you love the Millers and their style. News flash, you are NOT always right nor is your
view the correct one, ALL the time.
Give us all a break, please.
Outside agitators? What a crock of chit. You REALLY are THAT stupid!
Nob drive a bus be done
I have to agree with Michael’s comment . . . Law Firms should be held responsible for their enabling, and how to.
No, the lawyer for the township is not responsible for “all this,” as is suggested above, whatever your “all this,” means. The lawyer gives legal advice to the township when asked. What malpractice are you alleging, giving rise to what damages?
Put in simpler terms, a lawyer answers “may I?” questions, not “ought I?” questions when representing a government body. The politicians decide what they ought to do.
It is factually inaccurate to assert that an attorney retained by governmental bodies may never be guilty of malpractice.
It seems accurate in general to note that few malpractice suits against such attorneys are pursued.
As a result, a fortune in taxpayer money is left on the table, all over the country.
But particularly all over Illinois.
Short of malpractice litigation, citizens may file complaints with the ARDC in hopes of that self regulatory body taking action against bad actors within the ranks.
‘Clueless’ really doesn’t apply to her. Shge’s no babe in the woods. All her actions are guided by Miller who uses atty Kennedy to OK his schemes with Lukasik when she gets nervous.
L’s in way over head, that’s true, but she’s a knowing evildoer!
Outside agitators? Really Nob, aka Millerite “Loaf” Mohr.
Edgar Co. Watchdogs are TOPS!
You are the DREGS!
Nob is or was Algonquin-Miller bus driver? Thanks this explains everything.
yup, a passenger on the Miller taxfunded gravy train doesnt deserve our ear until they’re willing to come clean.
This is ridiculous, Karen is being sacrificed you know they sit around deciding what is this fool allowing herself to be convicted of, Karen don t be a fool, save YOURSELF, they will never ever have your back when it all goes down, and it’s about to go down hard
Tommy Is so right, Karen is the perfect scape goat thinks she is more important than family ,this family must sit aroundlaughing at her dumb ass and for what???? You are all o st the national news as the dumbest most gulable person ever