Algonquin Township Trustee Rachael Lawrence has tried and failed to gain approval of a referendum to abolish the Algonquin Township Road District.
The function would still remain, but the Highway Department would be put under the Township Board.
Instead of one election official being in virtual total control, there would be five elected officials, four Trustees and the Supervisor, in charge of the operation.
The monthly meeting was scheduled for tonight, but “security concerns” has prompted a rescheduling until next Wednesday night.
Trustee David Chapman has confirmed that he will second Rachael Lawrence’s motion.
Lawrence writes that she proposes the referendum be held at the 2020 gemeral election.
Put it in the hands of a board and have no one in charge.
While I support dissolution of townships as unnecessary and expensive layer of government, I would rather know where the buck stops with a single person at the helm than a finger pointing slow moving board unable to make quick decisions when needed.
We in Barrington Hills are fortunate to have trustee Brian Cecola who is an expert on roads have selected this type of work as his chosen field.
Our roads have never been this good, the point being find and elect qualified people….
This board is so inept and the people are dicey.
It would be stupid to vote for that.
They’d be no better than the Miller Klan.
How ’bout you do your friggin’ jobs and let Andrew Gasser do his!
The board, attorney, clerk and supervisor are the PROBLEM!
They are the LAST group of people I want in charge of ANYTHING.
Talk about fear mongering and idiocy….safety? Really? Oh I guess they said “security”…again, really?
Then we all need personal bodyguards against these people…geez.
Althoff and Franks protégé and Rino-ette, THE lovely Rachel Lawrence was a ringer from the beginning.
They were out to sabotage Gasser from Day One!
Ooo Is someone trying to pull a LyingJackFranks move?
Power grabs rarely work out for the people attempting such overreach.
I wouldn’t Surprise me if this crooked board made a deal to hire Miller and his whole family back.
Maybe be compensated for their efforts in convincing residents that this is for our own good. 🤣
For $500 of beer, Hells Angels can be hired to provide Altamonte style security.
At the present time there are no required qualifications for a person to run for the position of Highway Commissioner, so anybody can get elected as proven by a totally unqualified Andrew Gasser.
This change if voted for would mirror what most of the municipalities do, hire someone with the qualifications, which usually also means experience in the road field also.
It would help to vote in a Supervisor with some experience in roads also, after all it is one of the major functions of township people depend on the most.
“hire someone with the qualifications”
Just like the current Board hired their Attorney?
Tells me all I need to know.
If there was no meeting how did she get shot down?
Also what is the grave security concern?
The archaic township is the only form of government that elects a highway supervisor.
Every village and county hire someone with qualifications that can be vetted to manage their roads.
Step number two is to elect board members that are competent.
That was really stupid for the Northworst Herald to announce that Algonquin Townships meeting will be cancelled due to slain officer Keltner’s procession due to no available security!
That left the whole county to be sitting ducks for crime!
Idiots!
“Not Today, Satan”
All in the plan, Lani.
We’ve got lying Frank’s, Gasser, crazy board.
Carys got Kwonik and McAlpine.
Madigan, Burke and Rahm have nothing on McHenry County politics.
Don’t give up Mr. Gasser.
You are a good man and so many of us in Algonquin Township know what a difficult situation you were given.
So many people see through the supervisor, clerk, and board.
You are a good man.
I rarely agree with Pokorny, but do so now as to his above post.
What Gasser is going through is much like Pres. Trump.
Everything he has to do is an uphill battle, all those who were on the take when Millers were there are working against him openly and covertly, and if that’s not hard enough, he has to deal with the non-stop attacks from the local tabloid style Fake News.
Gasser managed to cut the tax levy with all this against him.
Just remember that.
Everyone else needs to be replaced.
Yes, you are so right Landon, just like Trump Gasser is his own worst enemy.
Firing people without cause, not bidding out things that need to be, having no clue how to run a gov agency or manage people, and then hiding because he’s afraid to sleep in the bed he makes for himself.
Gassers is spending more than he’s taking in Landon, buying people’s favor with $$$$$ saved for a intersection improvement that now will not happen.
Saving pennies while cutting service to dedicated roads and spending it on private roads he’s annexed before improved.
The Road dist needs a leader who knows their stuff, and that isn’t Gasser. and something can be done to stop future duds from getting elected by changing the form of gov.
Everybody seems to complain the system now is wrong, to much power in the hands of the Highway Comm, well this will change that.
Thank YOU! Landon! Finally! Someone said it!
Cal and others:
1) Nowhere was it written that, if my resolution is passed, the referendum would take place at a primary. The resolution states the “next eligible general election.”
2) Even if passed at referendum, law states it will not take effect until the end of the current Highway Commissioner’s term in 2021, also after the entire board elections as well.
Mr. Pokorny, while your plan is admirable, you have it bass ackwards!
Realizing that the board is going to select the highway commissioner, don’t you think that it would be wise to first have a functional board in place to make that decision?
The current roster of idiots aren’t up to the task.
They can barely function in complex situations like opening doors.
Landon and Cindy, Andrew Gasser is in favor of this type of change, as well as Bob Anderson and a host of others.
Ya whine about the Highway Comm having to much power, then ya don’t what to change because of….what?
Give-read Rachael’s comments.
This change doesn’t happen over night,
Thanks for the correction.
I would again, as I have at pretty much every meeting I have attended since the election, ask that what Trustees receive about the meetings (an agenda packet like McHenry County, Crystal Lake, Lakewood, McHenry County College, etc., post) be made available on the internet before the meeting.
After all, Algonquin Township is the county’s largest.
The whole idea of this referendum is to allow the township board to properly vet and hire a competent person to supervise the road district’s operations, exactly the way the McHenry County board oversees the management of McDOT. The fatal flaw of electing a road district commissioner is that there is no vetting process, no qualifications standard and no educational requirement. Also, there is no recall process if the elected is found to be incompetent. If you believe in the will of the voters, then let the voters have their say on the referendum.
@Rachael
Any reason why you won’t do a forensic audit on the computer system?
Mr. Gasser asked for a simple thing and your board has refused to do your job!
All of this could be avoided if you and your board would just do that.
And why are you not pushing to eliminate the Township altogether?
That should be your main focus!
Horrible idea
Legislation allowing abolition of townships in McHenry County was killed by Governor Bruce Rauner.
There is a complete answer for all the Millers’ graft and nepotism, sweet deals, exorbitant township pensions, low IQ boards, parasites like Atty Kelly milking the township taxpayer cash cow for decades, endless drama and back room skullduggery, a useless layer of dysfunctional government,
AND 17 counties in central and southern Illinois have done it. Quite successfully!
GET RID OF USELESS TOWNSHIPS!
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20140930/OPINION/140929799/illinois-has-1-431-townships-it-s-time-to-get-rid-of-all-of-them
Re: “Legislation allowing abolition of townships in McHenry County was killed by Governor Bruce Rauner.”
Really? There is already a mechanism to get rid of Townships in a County: (60 ILCS 1/25-5)
“Sayitaintso”:
I was (and am) in favor of Gasser’s proposed forensic audit.
In fact, if memory serves, I argued (during the meeting when it was first proposed) that the only reason I couldn’t approve his $5,000 retainer for that vendor was because, just like with his attorney, bills should be submitted on an as-performed basis for services received and not pre-paid retainers.
I’ve had several conversations with the Highway Commissioner encouraging him to perform his requested work and submit the bills for work performed.
The idea that I didn’t support a forensic audit is a falsehood.
These are the liberated, township free, counties.
Read this: https://www.nwitimes.com/uncategorized/some-illinois-counties-get-by-without-townships/article_da6bb762-07b5-57eb-b164-d4f182e862ba.html
..
Have the Watchdogs or anyone else submitted FOIAs for recent text messages by Township Trustees?
“text messages are considered a public record because in many instances they contain business conversations
related to government work. When government employees are texting between mobile devices on the job, these
messages are public records, and by law must be preserved.” Note: “by law must be preserved”.
Same question would apply to the McHenry County Board where I understand the Chairman is frequently texting during meetings.
@Cal Yes I know that but Rachael and others could be pushing for that legislation.
McSweeney is/has reintroduced that bill again.
Rachael is just looking for control/power.
Supply the numbers and facts, saying eliminating is the best move needs proof.
He has. Sen. Craig Wilcox has introduced a more comprehensive version.
The mechanism, if my assumption is correct, requires abolition of all townships with a county to be abolished by a referendum which has a large petition signature requirement and a requirement for a 75% affirmative vote.
If my memory is not correct, please correct me.
There may be some who wish to abolish townships in rural areas, but I am not one of them.
@ Stephen Pokorny
I stand by what I said.
I fully realize that it is NOT an overnight process, but you list having a competent board as STEP TWO. We must have a competent board in place before we start making these changes.
What are the chances of getting anything but a dysfunctional board here?
“The archaic township is the only form of government that elects a highway supervisor.
Every village and county hire someone with qualifications that can be vetted to manage their roads.
Step number two is to elect board members that are competent.”
Rachael sums up her particular sadistic genius, by offering up to the ignorant superstitious villagers, what they fear most.
The truth.
The abolition of the road commission wouldn’t be until the present term of the supervisor is up, even if voted now.
There will be board elections prior to that time.
Even if they hire the wrong person, he can be removed at the direction of the board and not at the next election cycle.
Mr. Chirikos, if anyone vetted you, yikes!
Didn’t like you on the McH Co board, either.
Ms. Lawrence, we’d like to replace you – the entire board, supervisor, clerk and attorney.
YOU all are the problem.
After outwiththeold’s anarchist revolution, genuinely curious of who the choice would be, to stop people from re-establishing the next fiefdom.
Said as I stroke from laughter.
I thought the idea was for the board to appoint someone qualified, not to be “in charge of the operation” themselves.
Am I reading this right?
No commissioner?
The board will just pretend they’re highway experts now?
No thanks!
Are they going to have to vote on who sweeps the floor and who gets the trash?
It is a highly technical job.
For that reason, it should be determined by a board who can carefully deliberate on candidates with resumes and interviews, not by the mob.
For that same reason (it being a technical job), the work of the position itself should not be schluffed off on the board.
The day you see Lutzow in a bobcat or Victor in a tow truck will be the day hell freezes over.
@Nick Chirikos
So what your saying is nobody should be able to run for State or Federal positions because they need to be vetted to make sure that they can be educated enough to vote on things. i.e. Underwood, AOC etc.
The voters voted for Gasser and they will have a chance to vote him out in 2 yrs. if they so choose.
Does Racheal Lawrence support eliminating Townships?
That is the question that needs to be answered from her and Township officials.
If that is the case then don’t worry about putting the Road District underneath you!
Fight to Springfield to have a way to eliminate Townships.
Come out publicly and support McSweeney’s bill and Wilcox’s amendments!
But if she doesn’t than this is nothing but a power grab on her and the elected people in the Township!
@Nick Chirikos, “Also, there is no recall process if the elected is found to be incompetent. If you believe in the will of the voters,”.
You are correct.
With that acknowledgment does that mean that you will stop attending meetings and asking for Mr. Gasser’s removal?
Do you believe in the will of the voters?
Can you at least respect the will of the voters?
Stop the presses!
The nob announces who this board will hire for the next Highway Commissioner.
Hmmm, who could he be thinking of, “hire someone with the qualifications, which usually also means experience in the road field also”?
Gasser is the only official in that sickening township worth a damn.
Lutzow is a disgrace, physically, morally, intellectually….. but, as pathetic as he is, Lukasic is even worse!
The trustees combined IQs = 65.3, and Lawrence is 59 all by herself.
Mr. Allen deserves a medal, and Pokorny deserves a tar & feathering. Oh sorry, Poo-Corny.
Who was that that I announced Murmuring Mutton?
Unlike Gasser hiring of patronage workers, the next person if hired should be qualified and the position advertised also.
@nob So you believe that Franks patronage hires are a terrible idea as well?
Gasser is like Trump; surrounded by fat cats who are united in trying to wreck any reform.
Ummm, no that describes Millers
Canasta, More poop jokes from the Gasser crowd.
Shows your level of intelligence. Keep them coming.
It’s like going back to third grade.
How he hired them even more so.
It isn’t unreasonable to hire a few you know and trust if there are openings or in typical political positions.
Franks nor Gasser has done that, they have hired pals in non political positions.
People maintaining our roads shouldn’t be subject to political payback, seems logical to remove that.
Re Cal’s comment: “The mechanism, if my assumption is correct, requires abolition of all townships with a county to be abolished by a referendum which has a large petition signature requirement and a requirement for a 75% affirmative vote.”
10 % of the registered voters required for the petition.
For a successful referendum the following applies:
“a majority of the votes in at least three-fourths of the townships, containing at least a majority of the population in the county”
If these requirements in are too stringent, why has there been no attempt to change the requirements instead of single Township screwball Legislation like the McSweeney bill?
The single county legislation will be a ‘train wreck’.
You saw what happened in McHenry Twp. when a referendum was attempted to move the Road District under the Board of Trustees.
Run the numbers as to current Township cost versus moving those functions under the umbrella of the County and then let the voters know the facts.
So far, all the ‘dabbling’ by Springfield in Township law has done nothing but increase cost.
psuedo-knowitall Pokorny says
“Canasta, More poop jokes from the Gasser crowd.
Shows your level of intelligence. Keep them coming.
It’s like going back to third grade.”
My question to Pokorny: If this blog is so juvenile, why must you keep returning to it to post your comments?
Are your opponents capable of being educated to the maturation point you desire, or are they perpetual babies?
I’ve noticed several of your comments are infantile and/or terribly naive.