McHenry’s Elizabeth Kirk offers the following observations on the McHenry Township Special Meeting that purported to raise the salaries of the Township’s elected officials in cointervention of state law. Her original form was the Letters to the Editor section of the Northwest Herald. It is reprinted here with the author’s permission.

Township form of government screams abuse of taxpayer

Witness another disgusting charade of a special interest group acting as if they represent the 47,000 McHenry township residents, watch on YouTube McHenry Township Live 3-16-21.

First, they set up a special meeting which is allowed under the outdated township code that allows 15 people to sign a petition at a local bar requesting a special meeting and then it is announced to the public by hiding it in the classified section of the local paper.

Said meeting was held on March 16, 2021 with the purpose of increasing the pay for the part time elected officials for the next 4 year term which starts May 2021 and reinstating the full time benefits and pensions that were eliminated by the current elected board.

Of the 36 total attending the meeting, 31 voted for increased salaries, 2 voted against because they felt this was illegal and 3 abstained from voting.

With maneuvers like this, we should all be voting this outdated form of government out of Illinois like many other states have done.

This form of government screams abuse of taxpayers and their hard earned tax dollars.

The lack of transparency and the redundant services that townships provide, begs for consolidation. 

Between your Municipal and County government, the three mandated services are covered.

There are 1431 townships and 1389 separate road districts with no oversight of a board in Illinois; 39 townships have no road commissioners. 

With Illinois having several thousand more taxing bodies than any other state and our current financial crisis, too many taxing bodies acting independently yet providing exactly the same services  are definitely part of the problem.

As tax payers, we have to demand that our legislatures, municipal and county boards start representing the tax payers with efforts to consolidate redundant forms of government that are abusing the tax payers.

On April 6, 2021, you can vote to consolidate McHenry’s road district under the general township which eliminates the position of the elected road commissioner and gives oversight to an elected board. 

This offers some transparency to the problems of township government until more can be done.