Andrew Gasser
If Andrew Gasser had been a gladiator in a Roman arena, last night he probably would have lost his head.
(Can you tell I’ve been watching the Smithsonian TV series on the eight days that changed Rome? One episode explained that a cemetery next to a main road in York, Scotland, was an honored location for brave gladiators the archaeologists concluded. All the men had severed heads.)
It has been obvious for a long time that Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Andrew Gasser is not going to run for re-election.
He was elected because of nepotism in the Bob Miller family, which has been shown to be but a part of the problem when a public official has pretty absolute power.
Besides being an amiable fellow, Highway Commissioner Miller ingratiated himself to at least one Township Trustee by plowing his private driveway, plus did many other favors, some known, most probably not.
More than one involved salt for which no member of previous Township Boards criticized him.
I didn’t watch last night’s Algonquin Township meeting, but the Northwest Herald seems to have covered it well in two articles:
- Algonquin Township board asks Gasser to resign, rejects road salt bills again
- Highway Commissioner Andrew Gasser mails it in from Mississippi
I am sure that I am not the only one who finds the lack of bidding for the road salt inexplicable.
Andrew Gasser makes no secret of the attraction Mississippi has.
Will he decide the continual flogging by the Northwest Herald and the Township Board is worth avoiding by resigning?
Would that mean a return to the Miller dynasty?
Only time will tell.
Driffield Terrace is in York England, not Scotland.
I’d be kind of surprised if Gasser resigned.
He doesn’t seem to mind the criticism all that much, and the salary that he is making is probably considerably higher than what he is capable of earning in the private sector.
If Team Miller returned to the job, there would be a lot more people keeping an eye on them and they wouldn’t be able to get away a lot of the stuff they got away with before – it might not be worth it to them.
It would probably be best for the community as a whole if both the Township and the Road District were simply dissolved.
Board tells voters, ‘your dumb as hell and don’t deserve a say on how we run things’.
Gasser’s been about a big a disappointment as is possible.
I never dreamed we could get someone worse than Miller but here we are.
And Gasser is, to my mind, inexplicable.
Why would anyone be so antagonistic, so inept, so “checked out.”
A disaster .
Good luck, Algonquin Township.
Why would the Millers be the only option?
Maybe it’s time to revisit Lawrence’s motion to abolish the road commission.
Is it time yet Dave?
Every village in McHenry county, to my knowledge, hires a head of streets and san.
It seems to work for them. Why can’t the township?
(605 ILCS 5/6-120) (from Ch. 121, par. 6-120)
Sec. 6-120. In counties under township organization the provisions of law applicable to resignations from township offices and the filling of vacancies therein, and the making of a temporary appointment in case a township officer is incapacitated, shall apply to highway officers in townships not consolidated into township road districts in the same manner as to other township officers.
(Source: Laws 1967, p. 1726.)
(60 ILCS 1/60-5)
Sec. 60-5. Filling vacancies in township offices.
(a) Except for the office of township or multi-township assessor, if a township fails to elect the number of township officers that the township is entitled to by law, or a person elected to any township office fails to qualify, or a vacancy in any township office occurs for any other reason including without limitation the resignation of an officer or the conviction in any court of the State of Illinois or of the United States of an officer for an infamous crime, then the township board shall fill the vacancy by appointment, by warrant under their signatures and seals, and the persons so appointed shall hold their respective offices for the remainder of the unexpired terms.
(d) Any person appointed to fill a vacancy under this Section shall be a member of the same political party as the person vacating the office if the person vacating the office was elected as a member of an established political party, under Section 10-2 of the Election Code, that is still in existence at the time of appointment. The appointee shall establish his or her political party affiliation by his or her record of voting in party primary elections or by holding or having held an office in a political party organization before appointment.
IE: ITS MILLER TIME!
I’m all in favor of looking at our options, dissolve the road district should be considered.
Numbers, options, facts, not just go vote without a clue if it will actually save a penny.
One way or another the Highway Commissioner position needs serious change in legal oversite and related power.
Cal should lead the way on a active discussion on township modifications.
Could be.
It’s hard To take your blog serious when you constantly stick up for Andy.
Was it time for the Miller regime to end.
YES.
Was their questionable spending in the Miller regime, it sure looks that way.
It clearly entered into the gray.
But has Andy has been an absolute disaster.
YES.
From poor hiring, poor management, does he even live here? (a quick google search:Andrew Gasser currently studies at the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University)and the worst, the waisted tax dollars for lawsuits he can’t win.
But yet your blog posts paint him as a hero.
Stop yourself.
How do we even take you serious.
Call Andy out for what he is.
Bad at his job.
This is what we do with whistleblower’s ’round these here parts./s
If the hysteria were balanced it would be easier to stomach, just a little.
I don’t have any doubt that the township board’s scheme is to run Gasser out and replace him with a member of the Miller dynasty.
They’re not even willing to wait for the next election.
This board won’t approve of Trustee Lawrence’s resolution because it doesn’t fit their future plan of regaining absolute power.
Have we not had worse elected officials who have done worse than not put a bid out for salt in this county?
Have any of them been attacked to this level?
This isn’t about the price of salt or the competency of Andrew Gasser.
Stop looking at this with blinders on.
It isn’t just about the lack of a bid on salt, it’s also about all the miss handling by Gasser of various things that have lead to a millions of $$$$$ wasted on lawyers.
Service cuts that tax payers are having to deal with where even potholes have taken forever to get filled because no one is leading the troops that has the experience.
http://www.idot.illinois.gov/Assets/uploads/files/Doing-Business/Manuals-Guides-&-Handbooks/Highways/Local-Roads-and-Streets/MFT/General%20Administrative%20Duties%20of%20the%20Township%20Highway%20Commissioner.pdf
Either he didn’t read it or didn’t comprehend or just doesn’t care, take your pick.
MM, very well said.
Nob, just can’t resist spreading more lies.
Please provide the evidence that supports MILLIONS of $$$$$ has been wasted on lawyers.
Gasser has worked in government for along time he should have known it required bidding he was just plain ignorant of the law
Nob is in fact an inveterate, pathological liar.
Is he Jimmy Kelly, Esq?
I congratulate Mr. Allen on exposing all the corruption, crime and stupidity in McHenry County.