McHenry County Blog

This comment by Algonquin Township Assessor Bob Kunz appeared under an article about assessment appeals and it’s too good not to share more broadly:

We now deal with two competing standards of property-tax valuation, one statutory and one not.

Bob Kunz

The equalization standard: referenced earlier, this statutory standard requires assessed values to be balanced at one-third of the market for the three years prior to the assessment year. For 2012, this means that assessments will reflect the average market for years 2009, 2010, and 2011.

To further simplify to a single date, the date of valuation would, more or less, be July 1, 2010.

The appeals standard as currently applied: the competing standard, not reflected in statute but applied by the board of review, uses a date of January 1, 2012, pretty much BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT PROPERTY OWNERS EXPECT THE MARKET-REFERENCE DATE TO BE.

However, the assessor is unable to use that date, as expanded upon below.

Separated by 18 months, the two standards conflict in any market that is not flat-line, whether an up-market or down-market.

Thus, the statutory equalization date is almost 3 years old by the time a taxpayer opens their real estate tax bill and refers to the “Fair Cash Value” on the bill.

Further, when he or she receives the assessment notice, that number is more than two years old.

This is not an issue in an up market, because it leads most property owners to think the assessed value is lower than it should be were the market at the time the notice or bill is opened used.

This is where the old folk wisdom the-assessment-system-purposely-undervalues-property came from.

However, from a down market, a new folklore springs, the if-the-assessor-was-doing-the-job-right-there-woud-be-no-reason-to-appeal wisdom.

The fact is that, if the assessor were to value property at one-third of January 1, 2012 (for the 2012 year), the statutory equalization system would auto-correct to walk all values back 1½ years to July 1, 2010.

Actually, this is something Mr [Bill] Ottley attempted in 2010 after local equalization, with the approval of the chief county assessment officer, I might add, and a great deal of havoc was raised.

The only way the board of review can deploy the non-statutory January 1 standard is if a subset of all property owners files complaints.

We can notice the effect the form of a state equalization factor that is positive in 2010 and 2011 for the first times since 1982, as the state factor corrects for the board of review reductions that throw the overall values out of synch with the statutory equalization standard.

The more owners who file complaints successfully, the higher the corrective state factor.

So, due to the current conflict between statutory and non-statutory valuation standards, the board of review offers a deal the assessor cannot offer.

Those who do not appeal suffer for it, and they are right to think it should not be that way.

The state constitution, in Article IX says one thing about property taxes, that they “shall be levied UNIFORMLY by valuation ascertained as the General Assembly shall provide by law.”

This is not what we have right now.

And, as I was preparing to post the above, Grafton Township Assessor candidate Al Zielinski posted the following comment:

Mr. Kunz is the Algonquin Township Assessor who, by properly doing his job, REDUCED his township’s Urban Equalized Value $294,000,000. Yes, Algonquin Township DECREASED almost $300,000,000.

The Grafton Township Assessor, who, by NOT properly doing his job, forced an INCREASE in his township’s Urban Equalized Value of $60,000,000.

Three neighboring township Assessors were also properly doing their jobs:

• McHenry Township had a reduction of $154,000,000
• Nunda Township had a reduction of $129,000,000
• Door [Dorr] Township had a reduction of $60,000,000

Source: McHenry County Office of Assessments Annual Report Assessment Year 2011.

Property values aren’t that variable among these neighboring townships; some even share the same subdivision developments.

Three neighboring township Assessors who did their jobs very well properly REDUCED their townships’ Urban Equalized Values by hundreds of millions of dollars.

If I lived in any of those, I wouldn’t run for election.

To the contrary, I’d shake their hands and thank them for their exemplary service.

Grafton Township suffered because its Assessor wasn’t doing his job and forced an INCREASE in the township’s Urban Equalized Value of $60,000,000.

Conveying accurate data isn’t mud-slinging; it’s reporting facts of which all Grafton Township taxpayers should be aware.

Rather than conducting classes informing residents how to compensate for his poor performance, perhaps it’s the Grafton Township Assessor who should take classes so he’d at least be on par with our neighbors.

16 of 17 McHenry Township Assessor’s properly reduced their urban taxpayer’s EAV last year.

Only Grafton Township had an increase.

The data clearly show “the guy DOES NOT know his stuff.”

Since the 1973 fiasco of a caucus conducted by the Algonquin Township Republican Central Committee, McHenry County largest township has allowed voters to decide who GOP candidates for township office shall be.

That was the year that first-term Assessor Forrest Hare was challenged by a young school teacher.

While the caucus looked like a three-precinct primary, after the 3 AM Crystal Lake Community High School Field House results showed the school teacher winning by a handful of votes and even the judges weren’t sure the count was correct, the Central Committee members would not allow a recount.

There was no way to legally force a recount, because the committeemen set the rules.

At that time losers could run as a write-in and Forrest Hare did.

And he won.

The local Republican Party really took a beating as every weekday it was taken to task by Crystal Lake WIVS Radio station owner Mal Ballairs on his morning talk show.

To avoid future similar problems, our State Senator Jack Schaffer and I passed legislation to allow township party organizations to select candidates by citizen votes.

When I brought up the idea at Monday night’s meeting in an Algonquin Township Road Commissioner’s building, only I and Lou Anne Majewski remember the 1973 fiasco.

Precinct Committeemen attending the Algonquin Township Republican Central Committee organization meeting on April 9, 2012.

I was immediately met with the objection of cost.

I couldn’t come up with a figure, but with the low turnout of 19% from both party primaries in March (plus non-partisan only votes on referendums) it’s pretty easy to predict that the turnout will be less when only township officials are on the ballot.

The result will be a high cost per vote, which could be lowered if McHenry County Clerk Kathie Schultz can combine precincts.

The projected expense was really the only argument.

But it was a long discussion.

I pointed out that Democrats could have a field day challenging Republican candidates who had been selected in a secret meeting.

Conversely, Republicans could make hay of any Democratic Party candidates who were not selected at the ballot box, but rather by party bosses.

With township government under attack, I argued, the potential negative publicity would not be helpful.

In the end, all of the Algonquin Township Republican Precinct Committeemen present voted to authorize a primary election next February in which candidates for Township Supervisor, Road Commissioner, Assessor, Clerk and Township Trustees would be selected.

The Algonquin Township Assessment List published Nov. 16, 2010.

When I picked up a copy of the Northwest Herald today while buying my favorite citrus tango salad at Colonial Cafe this afternoon, I thought it seemed thicker than normal.

When I got home, I figured out why.

It dedicated two sections to the publication of the Algonquin Township Real Estate Assessments.

The cost if you buy a copy of today’s newspaper is 75 cents.

If you wait until tomorrow, you can still buy the assessment listing from the NWH, but it will cost $2.50.

So, if you live in McHenry County’s largest township and are interested in the publication, it would be best to buy it on the newsstand or find some other place to find a copy.

Appeals for Algonquin Township are due December 16th.

People who have an appraisal can use it as evidence.

Before the word “activist” had been invented, Julie Covert, who spent most of her life in Algonquin and Cary, was one.

In the foreground sits Julie Covert. Leona Nelson is behind.

I don’t know when my father and mother met Julie, who just died at age 96, and her husband Ben, but my guess is during the late 1950′s. She and her family moved to Algonquin in 1951, so she was a 59-year resident. They were great friends.

Julie probably was present at the Silver Lakes subdivision special assessment road meeting at the Algonquin Township Highway Commissioner’s garage that I attended one summer while I was in college. That’s the first government meeting I remember.

Julie’s doggedness had resulted in the road commissioner’s vehicles being identified so they couldn’t be driven for private use without taxpayers being able to figure it out.

Making people accountable.

That was one of Julie’s attributes.

She and Stan Steckley (am I spelling that correctly?), who moved to Pennsylvania and was elected township supervisor where townships really do a lot, were involved in the Government Improvement League. Some meeting of thar group may have been where my father and mother met Julie.

My father eventually because editor of the GIL News, which morphed into Dad’s Public Affairs Newsletter and the Star Reporter. McHenry County Blog could be considered the lineal descendant of that publication.

I heard of the mass meeting she organized outside a fire house after re-assessment notices went out one year. I can’t remember if it was in Algonquin or Cary, but the report was hundreds of people showed up.

When I ran for County Treasurer, her neighbor up the hill from the Fox River held one of my first coffees.

Previously, she had worked to elect Woodstock Mayor James Cooney judge.

This was in a time an acquaintance of my father, Sam Smunk, who identified himself as the slot machine repairman for McHenry County, told my father that he delivered $1,000 a week to each of the county’s two judges.

What a change having an honest judge in the courthouse must have been.

Having an interest in county government, Julie attended board meetings. Before I started attending them in the spring of 1966 when I was running for County Treasurer, she told me G. Watson Lowe “tried to kick the ladies out.”

You can imagine how successful her fellow Cary resident’s effort was.

Once Julie went to the courthouse (the one on the Woodstock Square) and found an election sign right in the front yard behind the iron fence. It promoted the re-election of the State’s Attorney.

I can imagine her outrage.

She took it down.

A sheriff’s deputy followed her out of town. I can’t remember if he stopped her or not, but husband Ben got a warning call telling him of her action.

I can imagine the response.

Had it been in person, he would have probably shrugged his shoulders and asked, “Why are you calling me?”

Julie didn’t need the Women’s Movement to assert her rights.

Why would she?

In the late 1940′s she had organized a company in Chicago that made electrical parts for the turn tables on record players.  The name of the Company was WEB-COR or Webster.

That takes the type of boldness Julie showed all of her life.

She was, however, an active member of the Crystal Lake-Cary League of Women Voters. That may have been where my mother met her.

Julie probably spent the most time on the League’s court watching program.

The ladies would just sit in the courtrooms and take notes. They even got access to the juvenile courtrooms.

Having seen how the behavior of the McHenry County Board of the late 1960′s improved when Crystal Lake Community High School teacher George Hartung brought his class to observe, I can imagine decisions were better when the Court Watchers were in the room.

Given her interest in property taxes and the vast inequities in Algonquin Township, where she lived most of her life, the 1969 and 1973 candidacies of Crystal Lake’s Forrest Hare for Township Assessor was a natural. Those campaigns were crusades against the Establishment, which, by the way, were won.

Julie also supported Democrat Art Tryell in his upset 1970 victory over Republican Party pick Nick Justen for McHenry County Sheriff. Tyrell is the only Democrat to have won countywide office in McHenry County’s history. He was soon co-opted, however, and headed Democrats for Ogilvie in 1972.

Once Julie ran for county board. I still remember the attack headline on a condemning editorial

in the Crystal Lake Herald (predecessor to the Northwest Herald):

“Covert Actions”

It was a typical newspaper hatchet job that reformers in McHenry County encounter when they run for office.

I have written elsewhere of Julie and Janice Johnston’s interest in those with special needs. Julie was a founder of the McHenry County Association of Retarded Citizens. Of course, the organization’s name has been changed.

I saw her interest close-up and personal when she and attorney Janice took an interest in Bill Spencer.

Bill Spencer was the son of the city hall janitor of year’s past and everyone treated him as if he was retarded.

When he was forty or fifty-something, he came into my office across the street from the train station one day, parking his bike out front.

That was in the days when he was the only one riding a bicycle in Crystal Lake.

He talked quite rapidly.

I finally concluded that his speed speech was because people didn’t listen to him, so he was trying to get his message out before they turned him off.

They must not have listened to him.

I had to keep telling him, “Bill, slow down.”

Julie and Janice took him to the University of Chicago for testing and, guess what?, he wasn’t mentally impaired.

That was the type of interest Julie took in people.

Her capacity for outrage is demonstrated in a short letter she sent to the Northwest Herald which I wrote about May 10, 2009.

Reacting to the McHenry County College Board’s giving a Golden Parachute to former MCC President Walt Package, Julie wrote,

“How dare the McHenry County College Board give away our tax dollars as though they are confetti?

“Hopefully, they all will be defeated in the next election and we will have new members with more fiscal responsibility.”

All were re-elected, but obviously not with Julie’s vote.

Earlier, she wrote a letter chiding county board members for being “childish” for complaining about my taking flash photos.

Julie’s daughter Ruth Rooney was elected as Algonquin Township Clerk and McHenry County Auditor, showing her mother’s interest in politics “took.”

Her obituary, which contains additional information, is below:

Woodstock – Julia M. (Dunn) Covert 96, of Woodstock, passed away Monday August 9, 2010, at Centegra Hospital – Woodstock. She was a resident of Hearthstone Village Independent Living, Woodstock, for the past six years.

She was born Nov 13, 1913, in Lehigh, Mont., to Hugh P. Dunn and Loy (Eslinger) Dunn.

She and her sister Dorothy were orphaned when she was 5 years old and her sister 3 years old.

They were brought up in the Catholic Orphanages both in Great Falls, MT, and Indianapolis IN.

They moved to Chicago when they were 13 & 15 years old to live with their uncle and his family.

She married Benjamin L. Covert on June 16, 1934, in Chicago.

She was an activist all of her life, both politically and socially.

She raised her family and worked for the war effort during World War II in the factory that made the parts for the B-29 Planes.

She was the epitome of a “Rosie the Riveter”.

After the war she worked as a union organizer trying to better the lot for men and women in the everyday toil of factory work.

In 1951 she and Ben moved to Algonquin and lived there for many years before moving to Cary, Where they lived for 36 years.

After raising her children, she had an interest in piloting her own plane and leaned to fly and received her license when she was 51. She and Ben had many happy times flying around the Country.

She worked as an advocate for the disabled and children’s issues, such as the League of Women Voters Court Watching Project in the 1980′s.

She is survived by two children

• Dorothy L. (Richard) Sherwood and
• Ruth Rooney (Michael) Murray;

six grandchildren,

• Richard C. Sherwood, Jr. of Naples, Fla.,
• Karen (Sherwood) (Tom Gill) of Chatam, N. J.,
• Michael A. Sherwood, (Bronwyn) of Falcon Heights, Minn.
• Sandra L. Rooney, of Lake-in-the-Hills,
• Jeffery M. Rooney (Marcia) of Chicago and
• Patrical R. (Rooney) Grindle of Madison, Wis;

and eight great-grandchildren,

• Elizabeth M. Gill,
• Ryan P. Gill,
• Syrah Sherwood,
• Carly Sherwood,
• Bennett Sherwood,
• Sarah Rooney,
• Abby Rooney, and
• David Grindle.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years Benjamin L. Covert, Sr., on March 7. 1985; Benjamin L. Covert, Jr., May 3, 1994, three sisters Geneva (Dunn) Brookfield, 2002; Georgia Marie (Dunn) Morgan, 1998; Dorothy (Loy) (Dunn)Covert, 2001 and one brother Thomas H. L. Dunn in 1993.

A memorial service will be held at 2 PM Saturday August 14, at Hearthstone Village, 840 N. Seminary Ave. Woodstock, IL. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Hearthstone Early Learning Center in Woodstock.

It has happened time and time again.

Uppity voters prevent elected officials from doing something they dearly desire.

Or uppity voters punish elected officials and those officials don’t like it.

What do the elected officials do?

They ask their state legislators to ask for the law to be changed so they can get their way, so they can thwart the will of the voters.

I first saw it happen my friend Forrest Hare was Algonquin Township Assessor.   It was about 1971.

To set the stage, way back then, township government was the closest thing to direct democracy around. The people attending the annual town meeting actual set the budget.

Uppity township electors (that’s the fancy name for registered voters who attend township meetings) in Algonquin Township did the unthinkable. Hare’s allies directed the township board to do something the majority most definitely did not want to do. They put $500 in the budget (a large amount at the time) to sue McHenry County for discriminating against Algonquin Township taxpayers in the issuing of township multipliers. Algonquin Township property was assessed higher than property in other McHenry County townships.

In neighboring Nunda Township, uppity township electors from Porten’s Subdivision packed the meeting. They were really quite upset that the Nunda Township Road Commissioner would not repair their private subdivision roads.

Well, duh, they were private.

Regardless, that explanation did not wash, because the homeowners knew they were paying township road taxes.

In retaliation for the lack of road assistance, the town meeting’s electors replaced each line item in the township road commissioner’s budget with $1.

That pretty much killed the township road program for the coming year.

So, what did the township officials do?

They went to their statewide lobbying organization, the Township Officials of Illinois, and asked that the power to set the budget be taken away from voters who had gotten uppity.

I’m not sure, but I think that may have been the time when the title of the office of “Township Auditor” became “Township Trustee.”

So much for any legitimate claim that Illinois township government as a “direct democracy.”

One of the few remaining rights of township voters have is to approve borrowing for new township halls at a referendum.

This power was exercised with a vengeance the night of April 13th at the Huntley High School Gym. Over 700 residents showed up in person, proved they were registered voters and told the township trustees that they disagreed with their continuing efforts to build a new township hall or buy and remodel an old factory.

That effort by the township trustees came after Judge Michael Caldwell ruled that their efforts to build a township hall with money not approved by the voters was unlawful.   And after the 2nd Appellate Court upheld Judge Caldwell.

Pam Althoff

Mike Tryon

Despite the tidal wave of opposition to building a new township hall in Grafton Township expressed at the Annual Town Meeting April 13th, State Senator Pam Althoff and State Representatives Mike Tryon and Mark Beaubien voted to allow township boards to to lease a township hall or senior center without referendum with funds that are not the proceeds of specified bonds.

Senate Bill 3010.

The bill was introduced before Judge Caldwell’s court decision. It’s sponsored by Bremen Township Supervisor and State Senator Maggie Crotty, a township supervisor, and State Reps. Dan Brady, Kevin McCarthy and Al Riley.

Before the Grafton Township Annual Town Meeting began.

Wouldn’t you think that having seen such an outpouring of public sentiment and with a $3 million township hall referendum on the fall ballot that the state legislators who represent Grafton Township would have voted against such a bill…even if they were allies of the losing side at the township’s Annual Meeting?

Later this week, the township trustees will be in court trying to get Judge Michael Caldwell to kick Township Supervisor Linda Moore out of office.  They filed such a motion in response to her Separation of Powers suit.

Here’s the relevant language of the bill:

“Notwithstanding any provision of this Section to the contrary, any township may, by ordinance or resolution, build, purchase, or lease a township hall, a multi-purpose senior center, or a combined township hall and multi-purpose senior center within the township without referendum approval, if the building, purchasing, or leasing of the township hall, multi-purpose senior center, or combined township hall and multi-purpose senior center is paid or provided for with funds that are not the proceeds of bonds authorized under this Article.”

In the Senate the bill passed 39-4 on March 12th. Two months ago.

State Senator Pam Althoff, who represents Grafton Township, voted, “Aye.”

Senate Roll Call on Senate Bill 3010, which takes the power to borrow out of the ballot box and puts into the hands of Township Trustees. Click to enlarge in order to see the large number of state senators who did not cast a vote on this legislation.

The Roll of Honor of those voting against was small. Just four members:

• Tim Bivins (R)
• Brad Burzynski (R)
• Gary Dahl (R)
• Dan Duffy (R, representing eastern McHenry County)

16 state senators didn’t even bother to vote. Were they confused or just didn’t want to get on the wrong side of their local township officials?

Last Wednesday, the bill was on Short Debate in the House. Under that order of business only two people from both sides could speak.

It would not have mattered anyway.

The skids were greased.

98 voted in favor, 19 opposed.

House Roll Call on Senate Bill 3010. Click to enlarge if you want to see the state representatives in whom you might be disappointed.

I’ll list the friends of the taxpayers who voted against the bill:

• John Cavaletto (R)
• Linda Chapa LaVia (D)
• Fred Crespo (D)
• Shane Cultra (R)
• Anthony DeLuca (D)
• Keith Farnham (D)
• Robert Flider (D)
• Jack Franks (D of McHenry County)
• Paul Froehlich (D)
• Careen Gordon (D)
• Jehan Gordon (D)
• Emily McAsey (D)
• David Reis (R)
• Darlene Senger (R)
• Carol Sente (D)
• Keith Sommer (D)
• Andre Thapedi (D)
• Mark Walker (D)
• Jim Watson (R)

So, much for Republicans being for having referendums before taxes are hiked.

I think it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that Governor Pat Quinn will sign the bill. He has not stood up for the “pee-e-e-ple” in a pretty long time…maybe since becoming governor.

Can’t you hear the township trustees soon saying,

“Referendum? We don’t need no stinking referendum!”

McHenry County Blog has some thoughtful thinkers.

One has posted the comment below under the last article.

Grafton Township Board, from left to right, Trustees Gerry McMahon, Betty Zirk, Rob LaPorta, Barb Murphy and Superviosr Linda Moore.

Certainly people are talking about abolishing Grafton Township.   Two trustees have told me that might even favor the idea. I found one at last night’s meeting who had inquired how to do it by petition and referendum.

Grafton Township Road Commissioner confers with his attorney Pat Coen about how to unwind the deal that had the Road District buy the township hall in order to find money to build a new township hall on Haligus Road. Now, at least Trustee Gerry McMahon wants to keep the money, have township voters who attend the April 13th Annual Meeting legally authorize the purchase of the Haligus Road property from the Village of Lake in the Hills, then sell that land, using both sources of money to buy and remodel a vacant building to house township offices other than the Road District's. Township electors on April 13th will have the last word. The effort would nullify any results from the court-order referendum this fall about proceeding with the new $3.5 million *over $5 million with interest) township hall

I asked Road Commissioner Jack Freund how abolishing the township would affect his operation.

His basic answer was that it wouldn’t. That’s because the Road District is a separate municipal corporation.

And the Assessor’s Office?

Well, someone has to do the work. It might end up under county jurisdiction. After all, the County Supervisor of Assessments is charged with assessing all property.

What would happen to Assessor Bill Ottley and his employees?

Since Ottley has the most uniform assessments in McHenry County (the last time I looked), he would undoubtedly head up the operation.

Where would the office be?

Probably right where it is or in some other area space rented by the county. Ottley could probably even find a great deal in this economy.

Another possibility occurs to me.  The bill I sponsored back in the 1970′s to create the office of Multi-Township Assessor could be modified to allow for the election of such an official from a neighboring township, plus Grafton Township.  An analysis by then-Algonquin Township Assessor Forrest Hare convinced me that bad (defined as having a large margin of error) assessments were much, much more likely to occur in townships with less than 5,000 people than those larger.  The reason, I believe, is that larger townships could afford a full-time assessor.  I guess the still existing township board would handle the bill paying and oversight functions.

Then, there’s the other services that Grafton Township provides.

For starters, people should know that virtually all such services were permitted by law at the request of township officials trying to justify their existence.

Townships have only three mandated functions:

• Maintaining some local roads
• Assessing property
• Administering General and Emergency Assistance

All the rest are add-ons.

However, let’s say bus service for seniors and the handicapped is considered by the community to be necessary.

I would note that senior bus service is provided by the Road Commissioner in Algonquin Township. The same could happen in Grafton Township, if Freund were amenable to the idea.

Gus Philpott, in his Woodstock Advocate, suggests there may be a much cheaper way to provide transportation services to seniors and the disabled. Subsidize taxis and handicapped equipped vans. Or subsidize PACE, I would add.

Since most of the service is provided Huntley residents, the village itself could even assume the responsibility.

Bingo can be run by any entity. The same with helping with handicapped vehicle hangers and handing out batteries for hearing aids.

The food pantry is already off on its own. The subsidies of the past are over, if not accounted for.

The General and Emergency Assistance is minimum. I believe one of the last year’s of former Grafton Township Supervisor John Rossi’s administration is was about $12,000. I guess the area would operate the same way the one-third of Illinois counties do now. There are no townships in Southern Illinois.

Compare that to the $16,000 in legal bills for Ancel, Glink last month.

When would the township go out of business if such a referendum were put on the ballot and passed?

I can’t tell you. I think I remember some provision that says elected officials serve out their terms.

Too much from me. Here’s the reader comment:

“Dear” Grafton Township Elected Officials and “Hired” (more like appointed) Employee(s),

The money you are so droolingly intent on spending for Your WANTS not NEEDS is OTHER PEOPLE’S money.  It’s not your private little world and check book.  It doesn’t matter if you are taxing $5 or $200 dollars, you are still taxing.

Stop trying to grow what some people consider a no longer needed layer of govt. BIGGER.  In Grafton, it would make sense to allow other govt. entities to absorb most or all of what Grafton does.

There are plenty of places for bingo, food pantires, meeting rooms, yada yada yada and they are spread across Grafton Township – not just in Huntley.  Certain types of transportation services can be worked out with local Taxi companies eliminating the need to own vehicles/buses, pay for gas, labor, insurance, upkeep, schedulers, etc.

If you absolutely MUST MUST MUST have Grafton Township’s name on such things instead of cooperating with others, then RENT them.  The events would still be called Grafton Township Bingo but it doesn’t require a multi million dollar building and loan interest.  I repeat, it’s far cheaper than a multi-million building and loan interest.

Trying to recreate the wheel and sliced bread in this case sure seems to be  ego driven.  The way it’s being handled reminds me of Washington DC/Chicago tactics.

NOTE:  Huntley isn’t a small place anymore.  Have the elected and “hired” people not noticed? Perhaps when it was small, there was a dream in someone’s mind to make the Township more important, provide missing services, and so on.  That was then.  ”We” aren’t living in “then” anymore.  Grafton Twp. elected officials and “hired” employees, are YOU still living in the “then” in the “dream”?  If so, as one movie character once succinctly said “Snap out of it!”

Is someone looking to have their name engraved on a room, a program, ………….a political ballot?

You’d think there was a hot primary election in Grafton Township today.

There were mailing from both incumbent John Rossi and challenger Linda Moore.

Both distributed literature door-to-door.

Moore had made phone calls on Wednesday, Friday, Monday and today.

I’d post a picture of the Chezak Elementary School polling place for three precincts at 11:45 this morning, but I have uploaded so many photos onto Google’s Blogger that now I must pay an annual fee.

I paid it yesterday afternoon, but, apparently, it has not been processed yet, so please imagine a big room that is empty, except for bored judges from three big precincts.

Grafton Township Precinct 12 had 24 voters, Grafton 19 a mere 5 voters and Grafton 20 – 10 voters.

39 in all.

My own precinct is numbered Algonquin Township 7. I was the fifth voter at 3:30 this afternoon before picking up my son. I think Algonquin 19 had twelve.

And, coincidence of coincidences, both Algonquin 19′s GOP committeeman Joe Stecker and I were voting at the same time. Both of our polling places are at the Crystal Lake Park District’s Main Beach House.

The judges couldn’t get past the front gate until 6:30 AM. It was cold standing outside trying to find someone with a key.

And the one they found?

The park district employee with the snow blower.

The judges didn’t indicate that anyone was disappointed in not being able to vote that early.

And, why are there township primaries?

In a sentence, incumbent Algonquin Township Assessor Forrest Hare’s overwhelming write-in defeat of the winner of the 1973 Republican Township caucus in 1973. Details are in these stories:

Democrats in Nunda and Algonquin Township selected their candidates in caucuses on pretty much the coldest night of the year. Don’t know how many people showed up at each, but I’ll bet it was not many.

You’d think there was a hot primary election in Grafton Township today.

There were mailing from both incumbent John Rossi and challenger Linda Moore.

Both distributed literature door-to-door.

Moore had made phone calls on Wednesday, Friday, Monday and today.

I’d post a picture of the Chezak Elementary School polling place for three precincts at 11:45 this morning, but I have uploaded so many photos onto Google’s Blogger that now I must pay an annual fee.

I paid it yesterday afternoon, but, apparently, it has not been processed yet, so please imagine a big room that is empty, except for bored judges from three big precincts.

Grafton Township Precinct 12 had 24 voters, Grafton 19 a mere 5 voters and Grafton 20 – 10 voters.

39 in all.

My own precinct is numbered Algonquin Township 7. I was the fifth voter at 3:30 this afternoon before picking up my son. I think Algonquin 19 had twelve.

And, coincidence of coincidences, both Algonquin 19′s GOP committeeman Joe Stecker and I were voting at the same time. Both of our polling places are at the Crystal Lake Park District’s Main Beach House.

The judges couldn’t get past the front gate until 6:30 AM. It was cold standing outside trying to find someone with a key.

And the one they found?

The park district employee with the snow blower.

The judges didn’t indicate that anyone was disappointed in not being able to vote that early.

And, why are there township primaries?

In a sentence, incumbent Algonquin Township Assessor Forrest Hare’s overwhelming write-in defeat of the winner of the 1973 Republican Township caucus in 1973. Details are in these stories:

Democrats in Nunda and Algonquin Township selected their candidates in caucuses on pretty much the coldest night of the year. Don’t know how many people showed up at each, but I’ll bet it was not many.

I happened across the following letter to the Crystal Lake Herald that was published February 9, 1977, prior to the Algonquin Township primary election that pitted appointed incumbent Ed Traub against Forrest Hare’s former top assistant Bob Kunz.

I thought some might be interested in it.

You may remember the debacle (Article 1, Article 2) for the local Republican Party when Forrest Hare “lost” the 1973 caucus by four votes and no recount was allowed by the township central committee. Hare ran a write-in campaign and easily beat the establishment candidate.

Below was one of my father’s contributions to Bob Kunz’ campaign. He was running against appointed incumbent Ed Traub, appointed when Forrest Hare resigned to go into private enterprise.

Editor:

Noting Ed Traub’s letter to the editor in Friday’s paper, it appears desirable to really set the record straight.

If Traub does not have a bad memory or if he did not reduce the taxes on those 200 or so properties last year, then he should promptly bring suit against somebody for forging his name on records which are at the courthouse.

It was reported to me that abatements (tax reductions) were signed by a person named Traub, purporting to be the Algonquin Township Assessor; and the handwritten information on the forms corresponded to the signed name.

In addition Supervisor of Assessment Hogge confirmed to the reporter that the abatements were made by Traub. Hogge would have no reason to such a thing to harm a friend.

Traub actually confirmed in his letter that the 11 per cent multiplier was not added to his home, just as I had stated.

Traub is wrong when he says “the 1975 assessment on which you paid taxes some months ago were…the work of Hare.” Only the initial base was provided by Hare; the extra 11 per cent was added by the courthouse, the group from which Traub is an alumnus.

Regarding homes that were not on the assessing rolls, Traub should be aware that most (and maybe all) of that fault lies with the Supervisor of Assessments who is currently on the pan for not having passed occupancy permits along to the township assessors.

Traub’s acquaintanceship with Algonquin Township assessments if he isn’t aware of the uprising in the late 1950′s when some 800 to 1000 attended a mass meeting in Cary to demand legal assessments.

Attorney Tom Henley started his local practice on that project. The people got but a bare bone tossed to them, just sufficient to calm them down. Some of us think the battle is worth continuing until preferential taxation ceases and we are all treated fairly.

Traub misreads my intent, but is entitled to his opinion. It is not my desire to “Control and manipulate assessments.” Quite the contrary is the case. I want to see such practice cease…throughout McHenry County. And, especially, I don’t want it Algonquin Township. That’s why I so strongly favor the election of Bob Kunz.

Sincerely,

Cal Skinner, Sr.

Kunz won that primary election and is running unopposed for re-election as Algonquin Township on February 24th.

= = = = =
My father could certainly write better than I.

I happened across the following letter to the Crystal Lake Herald that was published February 9, 1977, prior to the Algonquin Township primary election that pitted appointed incumbent Ed Traub against Forrest Hare’s former top assistant Bob Kunz.

I thought some might be interested in it.

You may remember the debacle (Article 1, Article 2) for the local Republican Party when Forrest Hare “lost” the 1973 caucus by four votes and no recount was allowed by the township central committee. Hare ran a write-in campaign and easily beat the establishment candidate.

Below was one of my father’s contributions to Bob Kunz’ campaign. He was running against appointed incumbent Ed Traub, appointed when Forrest Hare resigned to go into private enterprise.

Editor:

Noting Ed Traub’s letter to the editor in Friday’s paper, it appears desirable to really set the record straight.

If Traub does not have a bad memory or if he did not reduce the taxes on those 200 or so properties last year, then he should promptly bring suit against somebody for forging his name on records which are at the courthouse.

It was reported to me that abatements (tax reductions) were signed by a person named Traub, purporting to be the Algonquin Township Assessor; and the handwritten information on the forms corresponded to the signed name.

In addition Supervisor of Assessment Hogge confirmed to the reporter that the abatements were made by Traub. Hogge would have no reason to such a thing to harm a friend.

Traub actually confirmed in his letter that the 11 per cent multiplier was not added to his home, just as I had stated.

Traub is wrong when he says “the 1975 assessment on which you paid taxes some months ago were…the work of Hare.” Only the initial base was provided by Hare; the extra 11 per cent was added by the courthouse, the group from which Traub is an alumnus.

Regarding homes that were not on the assessing rolls, Traub should be aware that most (and maybe all) of that fault lies with the Supervisor of Assessments who is currently on the pan for not having passed occupancy permits along to the township assessors.

Traub’s acquaintanceship with Algonquin Township assessments if he isn’t aware of the uprising in the late 1950′s when some 800 to 1000 attended a mass meeting in Cary to demand legal assessments.

Attorney Tom Henley started his local practice on that project. The people got but a bare bone tossed to them, just sufficient to calm them down. Some of us think the battle is worth continuing until preferential taxation ceases and we are all treated fairly.

Traub misreads my intent, but is entitled to his opinion. It is not my desire to “Control and manipulate assessments.” Quite the contrary is the case. I want to see such practice cease…throughout McHenry County. And, especially, I don’t want it Algonquin Township. That’s why I so strongly favor the election of Bob Kunz.

Sincerely,

Cal Skinner, Sr.

Kunz won that primary election and is running unopposed for re-election as Algonquin Township on February 24th.

= = = = =
My father could certainly write better than I.