Nepotism on Steroids
The following Letter to the Editor was printed in the Northwest Herald and is posted here with permission from the author.
To the editor:
How much of this “Misc Pay” crap at a township road district do we have to see before we realize that, even just for that reason alone, we need to have these decisions made by a five member board rather than a single individual.
For my part, a savings doesn’t need to be shown to justify rolling the road district operations into the already existing town board.
You wouldn’t find five board members to go along with some of the nepotism on steroids or financial largess that a single individual can do if they want to.
I live in McHenry Township and for over forty years I was President of my subdivision association. Our association maintained our subdivision road.
Not a private road.
Not in a gated community, but a public residential road that was privately maintained.
Until a few years ago, for over thirty years, my association was denied acceptance into the McHenry Township Road District system.
We were pretty much told, by different Highway Commissioners over the years, in so many words, that unless we spent about a million dollars digging ditches where they weren’t needed and cutting down some trees that made our neighborhood charming, that he wouldn’t accept us.
His call. Only his call. No greater body to appeal it to.
We were pretty much dismissed, sometimes rudely, because things hadn’t changed from a few years ago when we said “NO! You don’t meet our standards”.
In my township, I don’t see any financial handouts and mismanagement that one man can get away with if they want to, but what I do see is that, on some important issues, there is a “one man rule” system that I simply don’t like and that I feel is structured improperly.
I have a chance to deal with it and I’m going to encourage everyone I know to vote “YES” to roll the McHenry Township Road District into the town board’s operation.
The town board could hire the current Highway Commissioner at the same salary and change nothing and I’d be happy.
No more one man rule.
Ned Neumann
McHenry
If the road is not a dedicated County, Township, or Municipal road, it is a Private road by definition.
Waltzing words doesn’t change that fact.
The Non Dedicated Subdivision act will gradually change most of the counties private roads to dedicated township roads.
NDS is a expansion of responsibility for both county and township government, which will cost more $$$$ in the long run, or reduce services to roads already dedicated.
Combining Township and Road district works for me, more oversight, but there will be no savings if a qualified person is hired to replace the Road Comm.
The change will stop future elections of people not qualified to lead a Road Dept like what has happened in Alg Twh the last election.
Just that fact makes the change worth the effort.
One question of many questions that need consideration is what will happen to the NDS program roads if a township/road district are totally eliminated like Bob, Dave, Andrew, Cal, and etc want?
Did the private/public dead end road in question receive motor fuel tax funds for maintenance & upkeep?
https://idot.illinois.gov/Assets/uploads/files/Doing-Business/Manuals-Guides-&-Handbooks/Highways/Local-Roads-and-Streets/MFT/Motor%20Fuel%20Tax%20Funds%20Source,%20Distribution%20and%20Uses%20for%20%20Municipality.pdf
Ned, you better pray that should the Road District be eliminated the Board of Trustees is not made up of a bunch of wimps like we have on the County Board. The McHenry County Board is allowing a tyrant to come to power. Consolidation of Road Districts under Township Boards will make the position of Supervisor much more attractive – watch for the establishment of more tyrannies.
Elimination of Road Districts has become mandatory because Springfield took away the power of the residents at the Annual Township meetings.
Pam Althoff voted ‘present’ recently when more legislation was passed in Springfield to increase the power of the County head weasel – fortunately citizen pressure forced Rauner to veto it – McConnaughay carried the water for the weasel on that one.
Be very careful of what you wish for and be even more careful of who you vote for.
The current situation relative to non-dedicated roads was created by the County Board years ago and it is the responsibility of the County Board to fix that problem.
Ned left out the most important thing in his scribe.
Everything he and his neighbors have done for their community over 40 years, has been Voluntary!
Township rats like Nunda’s Lesperance should be consulting with you, instead of hiring deposed pals from other crooked fiefdoms.
It’s fine if the present board corrects a past boards mistake, that’s also what’s happening on Randal and Alg roads.
The problem is the NDS plan itself, the residents are getting something for nothing in many ways.
The NDS deal is a expansion of gov, no Waltzing will change that fact.
Nob, you’re telling me those roads are privately maintained, but any yahoo can drive down them and not have to pay?
Who’s the real freeloader in this situation?
No he said that, I didn’t!
The owners could put up a sign saying no trust passing, or even put up a gate if they want.
It’s their road, they have the power.
“The Nob” is none other than this pig: http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2017/11/13/formal-criminal-complaint-filed-with-mchenry-county-sheriff-concerning-bob-millers-road-district-expenditures/