Shannon Teresi
Shortly after McHenry County Auditor Pam Palmer annpunced her retirement, McHenry County Board Chairman Jack Franks appeared in a Northwest Herald article announcing that he wanted to abolish the office.
In the same article former Crystal Lake Grade School Board member and then-County Board candidate Nancy Gonsiorek was featured as Frank’s likely choice to replace Palmer.
Gonsiorek announced that she was withdrawing from the GOP Primary race in District 3, thus giving Lori Parrish a clear shot at being on the fall ballot.
Then, I am assuming, Franks started calling Republican County Board members seeking support for his choice.
Concurently, Chief Deputy Auditor Shannon Teresi seeking County Board support.
Teresi managed to obtain solid Board support…enough to defeat a nomination of Gonsiorek or anyone else should Franks proceed with what appears to have been his original plan to consolidate power.
Sta†e law says that County Auditor replacement appointments are to be made within sixty days.
Since using any data Palmer’s resignation became effective in early January, Franks is way overdue on fulfilling his statutory duty.
Franks had two choices.
He could have left the office empty until a new Auditor would be elected in November and sworn in the first week of December.
Or he could have appointed Teresi.
He figured out that Teresi would be nominated by the GOP Central Committee to be its candidate this fall.
She was distributing campaign material at events during the recent primary campaign and courting Republican Precinct Committeemen over the phone.
Franks bowed to the inevitable and nominated Tereis.
But, he didn’t want to appear to be capitulating to Republican Party wishes.
So, he seeks to take accounting duties away fom the Auditor’s Office and put them under his control.
Perhaps he will hire Gonsiorek for that function.
There is one important element that Board member Larry Smith brought up in the Finance Committee meeting that considered Franks’ proposal.
Will the Auditor retain the current authority to reject vouchers that are suspect.
Or will Franks get that power?
Think of the implication with regard to Mary McClellan’s purchase of Christmas gift coats for her employees in the County Clark’s Office.
Pam Palmer turned down McClellan’s request.
Under current procedure, McClellan could have appealed that decision to the Finance Committee, but, so far, has not done so.
Palmer also rejected requests for reimbursement for candy distributed by elected officials at parades.
County Board members need to examine the ordinance that Franks will present very carefully to make certain that if elected or appointed officials seek to purchase questionable items with tax dollars that the Auditor can stop their payment.
Our Founding Fathers set up a government of checks and balances.
That principle is no less needed now than it was then.
The current County Board is in my opinion one devious lying scoundrel.
The Appointment of the new auditor has not yet occurred.
All we have is an agenda item that can be pulled by the Chairman who it appears wants to get approval by the Audit and Finance committee right before the next COW that the RULES for the Auditor will be changed.
At the COW he will try to get consensus for the rule change which will remove a very important role from the Auditor.
Then he will try to get the rule change approved before the Auditor appointment item on the agenda.
My prediction is that if the aforementioned lying scoundrel does not get the rule change approved by the Audit Finance committee and the Board, he will pull the agenda item for the appointment.
BTW the proposed rule change would likely result in the approval of expenditures for items like the infamous McClellan blazers and God only knows what else – remember Dixon, Illinois!
NOTE: That post should start with: The current County Board Chairman.
Done deals, next.
So, Franks appoints Sager and it’s a crony move.
Franks appoints Palmer and it’s kissing the ring.
I can’t get enough of this!! What a load of BS.
I nominate ‘the nob’ or if he declines Angel Llavonda to be County Bd Chairman.
Somehow, and I know it sounds weird, it would be an improvement because the ‘nob’ and angel are both so brain-dead they’d make a complete and uproarious mess of the County within 3 business days
With Baby Patty-Cakes Franks, it’s all so deceptive, surreal and under the surface, the ovine County Board (with a few notable exceptions)with their limited powers of cognition can’t recognize a charlatan when they have one.
W/ either of the two named dolts, even they will see the obvious!
As Chief Deputy Auditor, isn’t Shannon Teresi running the office now, and won’t she continue to run it until a replacement is appointed by Franks and approved by the Board?
If this is true, Jacko doesn’t really have any leverage here.
I hope the Board doesn’t give him something in return for bowing to the inevitable.
Good job sunshine blogger! This is a great piece of journalism based on “I am assuming” assertions. Keep up the good job. We are all proud of you. Stay tuned…tic, tock, tic, tock, meow, meeeeeoooooowwwwwww…
Spotlight, did you mean to say Teresi? (you said Palmer)
thx
Its,amazing how some people can see a coyote behind every bush.
@JoeK
When a bunch of your chickens wind up dead, there’s good reason to suspect coyotes. Or weasels.