Algonquin Township Legal Bills

In this article, republished with permission, Illinois Leaks looks at Algonquin Township legal bills:

Algonquin Township & Road District – Legal Bills

McHenry Co. (ECWd) –Legal bills in the Township of Algonquin and its Road District have been a point of interest to residents and the local paper.

In fact, today a comment was made by the local media that triggered us getting this article up today.

“I am also interested in the lawyers who are making money (you bring up the township one – why would that be singled out?

“I think you sued them, right? – but what about The other 2 lawyers involved.

“Do you have any accounting of that?

“Why or why not?) off all of this.

“All of them.”

The comment implies that since we wrote about one attorney, James Kelly, we were singling him out, which is far from the case as we simply have not had time to compile ALL the records we have been gathering.

He mentions the other 2 lawyers involved and I believe that number misses the total.

Regardless of the number, I must admit confusion when it is stated they are interested in the lawyers who are making money yet they are asking us if we have an accounting of it.

If it is truly of interest, why have they not taken it upon themselves to look at?

Should we ask the same question regarding their reporting on Rob Hanlon, why was that one singled out?

Or is a better question, why haven’t you written about any of the other attorneys?

As we stated, for us it’s about time.

I wonder why the local media has not written about the other attorneys?

How many attorneys are billing the Algonquin Township? 

We have identified five that are providing representation to the Township, and one to the Road District, for various services and have obtained numerous invoices to support that with the exception of the TOIRMA attorney involved in tax objection cases.

Reviewing the billing, which we have been doing for some time, has revealed numerous questionable billing and it appears the Township Auditors have had no concern with any of them except those of the Road District.

We know of one particular case where the attorney actually billed for work a trustee claimed to have authored.

We understand an ARDC complaint was filed but to date have not heard of any hearing dates scheduled by the ARDC.

1 -James Kelly – Representing the Township (includes Road District billing before he was terminated) 

2 -Thomas Gooch – Representing Bob Miller –  Quote of interest found in a Road District public record bio for Mr. Gooch:  “The proper care and feeding of the Town Board but who really runs the Road District?  The Township Attorney does what you tell him to do and how to be sure he knows that.“

3 -Steven Brody – Representing Anna May Miller 

As we understand this situation, TOIRMA has declined to cover this expense and/or representation and the bill is being paid for by the Township. During a recent meeting, the subject was raised regarding having this bill pushed onto the Road District to pay.

Considering the Road District has never authorized such an expenditure we find it difficult to understand how the Township thinks they can turn this into a Road District obligation.

The board discussions on this can be found at this link.

4 -Zukowski, Rogers, Flood & McArdle – Representing Township Clerk Karen Lukasik

Of interest, this attorney bills for – “telephone call from Attorney Kelly to coordinate FOIA responses; – .25 hrs.  (see page 23, October 30, 2018 entry.

Of interest, because Kelly’s billing shows that James Kelly is not only responding to FOIAs, a duty of the public body, but calling other attorneys to coordinate the responses which drive up the legal bills for the Township.

An FOIA officer is supposed to be designated by the board and be an employee or official of the Township.

Why would Kelly need to “coordinate FOIA responses“?

5 – TOIRMA – We have no records as to what bills they have for services but can FOIA that information if the local paper would like us to.

6 -Rob Hanlon – Representing the Road District

What the local residents may not be aware of is the legal bills for the Road District are just a few clicks away, unlike the Township.

Andrew Gasser, the current Highway Commissioner has been putting his bills online for some time.

Considering the local paper has covered the legal bills of the Road District maybe they can publish the link where people can access those records, which can be found at this link and then scrolling through the folders and opening the files that are named Hanlon Law.

We have to admit, we were surprised to have the local media claim they have an interest in this matter in their questions to us.

Algonquin Township is in their back yard so one would think they would have already had this information at their fingertips.

We know they have it now as it appears they are playing catch up because the local “reporter” has FOIA’d our FOIA and all the responsive documents.

Doing that ensures they get everything we have.

It will be interesting to see what they write about next as there is plenty of malfeasances yet to expose.

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Comments

Algonquin Township Legal Bills — 3 Comments

  1. Once again, Mr. Allen to the rescue of McHenry County’s doltish denizens who are so helpless they’ve been the nonstop victims of protracted township corrupt practices for generations.

    I’m not in any way attempting to be sarcastic.

    The majority of the taxpayers are so infantile they cannot even perceive how ripped off they have been over the years and are powerless to even effect their own self preservation or take basic steps at safeguarding their own interests.

    Perhaps some are just too tired and beaten down to take action because they have 2, 3, or even more jobs to pay their various taxes and support all the illegals and political snake-elites.

    With anti-white haters and communists like Underwood, Carsten and Kwami Raoul in power, the future is dim.

    Solution: move out, commit suicide or just die, or fight back like the revolutionaries of 1776.

    Thank you Mr. Allen for all you do!

  2. Fully expect a lot of noise relative to the legal expenses involved but I ask these questions:

    Why did the voters in this Township continue to elect a Highway Commissioner who knowingly had his wife working for him at the Township at an extremely lucrative salary AND while she was also getting paid by the County?

    Even worse, why did the voters of the County not rebel when the wife of a Highway Commissioner was appointed to Chair the County Highway Department Committee?

    Take a look at how many tax dollars were ‘given’ to Anna May when the position was really only worth less than one half of what she was paid –

    I am using the $45,717.72 number that Cal just posted for a County Administrative Specialist III for comparison. Where was the outcry by the voters?

    Do I agree with the current activities of the Township Board, the Clerk, the Highway Commissioner?

    NO!

    But if you want to lay blame – look at who voted and how they voted for the last thirty years!

    Now, the voters replaced a fair member of Congress with a Jack Franks lackey!

    Want to lay blame?

    Look at the root cause.

    Grafton had a problem – the voters fixed it.

    Hopefully the voters in Algonquin will complete their fix in 2021 – the last election was the first step.

  3. Considering the Road District has never authorized such an expenditure we find it difficult to understand how the Township thinks they can turn this into a Road District obligation.

    Who did she work for?

    The township or the road district.

    I know it is probably not as simple as this, but it should be.

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