Back in the 1970’s, Algonquin Township Assessor Forrest Hare computerized his office, probably the first to do so in the State of Illinois. He also took an interest in how assessment could be made more accurate. Hare looked at measures … Continue reading
Friday McHenry County Blog published the salary and pension information for Algonquin Township as seen on Open the Books. Thinking that there might be more recent information, a commenter looked at the compensation reported on the township’s web site. Required … Continue reading
The following comment was posted about township government’s consolidation of power in township boards over the years: I do not support the creation of laws that divert attention from the real problem. Townships have become targets for elimination because Springfield … Continue reading
New Chief Financial Officer of MCC Bob Tenuta offered up a levy increase half of his predecessor’s 9.99%. Tenuta suggested 4.99%–just 1/100 of a percentage point below the 5% figure above which tax districts have to publish their greed in … Continue reading
Two local Republican Precinct Committeemen bloggers, Andrew Gasser and Larry Emery, wrote articles recently about areas of their interest. Gasser, from Fox River Grove, wrote an article entitled, “McHenry County Taxpayers Left Holding the Family Services $1.4 Million Dollar Loan?“ … Continue reading
Since our American Revolution was stimulate by taxation, how about looking at the average McHenry County real estate tax rate calculations that Algonquin Township Assessor Bob Kunz has prepared. They can be enlarged by clicking on their images. A second … Continue reading
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. The … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Before the word “activist” had been invented, Julie Covert, who spent most of her life in Algonquin and Cary, was one. I don’t know when my father and mother met Julie, who just died at age 96, and her husband … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
McHenry County Blog has some thoughtful thinkers. One has posted the comment below under the last article. Certainly people are talking about abolishing Grafton Township. Two trustees have told me that might even favor the idea. I found one … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
I remember when I was following the quality of real estate assessments more closely that a margin of error of 10% for an assessor in Illinois was excellent. Algonquin Township Assessor Bob Kunz, first elected in 1977, consistently did that … Continue reading
I remember when I was following the quality of real estate assessments more closely that a margin of error of 10% for an assessor in Illinois was excellent. Algonquin Township Assessor Bob Kunz, first elected in 1977, consistently did that … Continue reading
Yesterday, the scene was set for explaining why Algonquin Township has had primary elections instead of caucuses as the method of selecting candidates for township office since the mid-1970’s. It all started when incumbent Republican Township Assessor Forrest Hare was … Continue reading
Yesterday, the scene was set for explaining why Algonquin Township has had primary elections instead of caucuses as the method of selecting candidates for township office since the mid-1970’s. It all started when incumbent Republican Township Assessor Forrest Hare was … Continue reading
