McHenry County Blog

The roll call was 11-9 with four McHenry County Board members absent when the vote was taken on whether voters should be allowed to determine they should be allowed to elect the County Board Chairman starting with the 2014 election.

You can see the roll call below:

The nine voting in favor were

1. Joe Gottemoller
2. Michele Aavang
3. Yvonne Barnes
4. John Jung
5. Donna Kurtz
6. Nick Provenzano
7. Sandy Salgado
8. Mike Skala
9. Mike Walkup

The eleven opposed were

1. Nick Chirikos
2. Sue Draffkorn
3. Diane Evertsen
4. Jim Heisler
5. Tina Hill
6. Ken Koehler
7. Robert Martens
8. Anna May Miller
9. Robert Nowak
10. Carolyn Schofield
11. Ersel Schuster

Right before the old Board was replaced by the folks whose names are seen above, it voted 20-3 to put a “377″ tax hike referendum on the ballot in April.

You can read the article and why I am going to vote against the referendum here.

Not only did the Board vote to put the referendum on the ballot, but the resolution seems to endorse it. Read the specific paragraph I reference below:

“Need for Tax: It is necessary and in the best interests of McHenry County, in order to provide sufficient funds for the provision of facilities and/or services for the developmentally disabled, that the County levy and collect a tax not to exceed .1% of the value as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue of all taxable property in the County for said purpose.”

As Northwest Herald reporter Kevin Craver wrote on his blog, Opening Doors,

“• LACK OF FOCUS: More than one Management Services Committee member on Monday suggested that community outreach, focus groups and the like were needed to gauge the community’s mood on whether to make the chairmanship popularly elected.

“The idea might rear its head again Friday.

“But speaking of that ’377 Board’ referendum we’ll be facing in April, I don’t remember any County Board member suggesting that they first go out into the community to gauge support for a new taxing body and a new property tax to finance it.

“The nobility of the agencies’ cause aside, would any focus group or meeting of regular voters have come back in this state’s economic climate asking the County Board for a tax increase referendum?”

In any event, some might be interested in comparing who voted to put a tax hike on the ballot at the lowest turnout day in the election cycle with who voted not to allow citizens decide whether their County Board Chairman should be elected by those who cast ballots.

Comparison time for the roll calls, anyone?

That might be the question being discussed by some prior to Friday morning’s vote on whether or not to put a question on the April ballot as to the direct election of the McHenry County Board Chairman.

I figured out I may have been wrong when I wrote the following about why Democrats were opposed to electing a County Board Chairman at-large yesterday:

All are Republicans [who signed the petition to call a special meeting to consider the referendum], which when one thinks about it, that probably just recognizes the lay of the political land, that is, Democrats are more likely to gain positions of power, e.g., Paul Yensen’s appointment as Chairman of the Management Services Committee, through politicking in the current system of selecting a Board Chairman than through a one-on-one fight with any Republican in a countywide contest. Both Yensen and first time Democratic Party Democratic Party Board member Nick Chirikos voted for Hill and neither showed any support for an at-large election at the Monday Management Services Committee meeting.

I wasn’t taking into consideration that Jack Franks might be interested in such a job.

I can’t think of any Democrat besides that Franks who might be able to put up a decent race.

Here are the McHenry County Board members who signed Nick Provenzano’s petition to call a special meeting on Friday, January 18th at 9 AM to consider whether voters should have a shot in April at passing a referendum on whether the Board Chairman should be elected.

You can see eleven signed the petition.  Eight–one-third of the Board’s members–were required to sign to call a special meeting.

So people can find their names, let me list them in the order in which they signed and who they ended up voting for in the County Board Chairman’s race:

• Nick Provenzano (supported Koehler)
• Mike Walkup (new, supported Hill))
• Ken Koehler (supported Koehler)
• Robert Nowak (supported Koehler)
• Joe Gottemoller (new,  supported Gottemoller)
• Mike Skala (new,  supported Gottemoller)
• Robert Martens (new, supported Hill)
• Diane Evertsen (supported Schuster)
• Donna Kurtz (supported Schuster, then Hill)
• Sandy Salgado (supported Koehler)
• Mary McCann (supported Hill)

Four supported Tina Hill for Board Chairman.

Four supported Ken Koehler for Board Chairman.

Two supported Joe Gottemoller.

One supported Schuster.

All are Republicans, which when one thinks about it, that probably just recognizes the lay of the political land, that is, Democrats are more likely to gain positions of power, e.g., Paul Yensen’s appointment as Chairman of the Management Services Committee, through politicking in the current system of selecting a Board Chairman than through a one-on-one fight with any Republican in a countywide contest.   Both Yensen and first time Democratic Party Democratic Party Board member Nick Chirikos voted for Hill and neither showed any support for an at-large election at the Monday Management Services Committee meeting.

Only one of what I would consider hardcore supporters of Hill broke ranks to potentially endanger the new ruling coalition’s ability to continue its power after the 2014 election cycle.

Just because someone signed the petition does not mean that they are committed to vote for an April referendum.

There are twenty-four Board members and a majority vote will be required to put the question on the ballot.

Do you want to express your viewpoint to your County Board members?

Here are their phone numbers:

• Michele Aavang – 815-648-4210
• Yvonne Barnes – 847-516-2719
• Nick Chirikos – 847-658-3434
• Sue Draffkorn – 815-653-6057
• Diane Evertsen – 815-943-3298
• Joe Gottemoller – 815 382 9940
• John Hammerand – 815-728-0700
• Jim Heisler – 815-459-1971
• Tina Hill – 815-347-4222
• John Jung – 815-338-6201
• Ken Koehler – 815-459-7841
• Donna Kurtz -815-788-0632
• Bob Martens – 815-675-6353
• Mary McCann – 815-568-1061
• Mary McClellan – 815-482-5693
• Anna May Miller – 847-639-5112
• Robert Nowak – 847-516-9637
• Nick Provenzano – 815-355-8540
• Sandy Salgado – 815-271-5293
• Carolyn Schofield – 815-455-9550
• Ersel Schuster – 815-338-2207
• Mike Skala – 847-669-3804
• Mike Walkup – 815-459-7090
• Paula Yensen – 815-404-3918

At this point one can see that Nick Provenzano read the political wind better than the Management Services Committee did on Monday.

Whether the wind is blowing hard enough to overcome the reticence of Board members who like the current insider system (for reasons including an inability to raise sufficient funds to mount a countywide campaign–campaign cost having been mentioned by several Board members during the ongoing debate) remains to be seen on Friday morning.

And whether the measure passes or fails, the roll call will be used in the 2014 elections.

It will be interesting to see if any County board members from the last Board who voted to put a tax hike on the ballot in April will refuse to allow their constituents to vote on whether to elect their County Board Chairman at the ballot box.

Yesterday’s meeting of the McHenry County Board’s Management Services Committee resulted in inaction on the issue of putting a question on the April ballot asking whether voters want a direct election for County Board Chairman in 2014 has given Democrat State Rep. Jack Franks an opening.

When he passed petitions to ask voters whether they wished to adopt the County Executive form of government, he said at times that he was doing so just because the County Board wouldn’t put a referendum on the ballot regarding the at-large election of the County Board Chairman.

So, might Franks again introduce legislation to force a referendum.

Could he convince his Democratic Party colleagues to go along with him?

If he doesn’t or can’t, would he pass another petition to see a referendum on single-member districts, something that might actually help the local Democratic Party?

If memory serves me correctly, he passed such legislation about ten years ago for advisory referendums, suggesting that if the County Board didn’t follow the wishes of the electorate, he might just pass a mandate.

In researching what advisory referendums can be put on the ballot by petition, I found the following language:

Advisory referenda. The voters of a county may advise the county board, through an advisory referendum, on questions concerning

1. the number of members of the county board to be elected,
2. whether the board members should be elected from single-member districts, multi-member districts, or at-large,
3. whether voters will have cumulative voting rights in the election of county board members, or
4. any combination of the preceding 3 questions

The advisory referendum may be initiated either by petition or by ordinance of the county board.

Just from examining the agenda that newly-installed Management Services Committee Paula Yensen drafted, one could predict that nothing would come of the Monday morning meeting concerning whether the public should be allowed to vote on whether the Chairman of the McHenry County Board should be elected or not.

And, guess what?

Nothing did.

Parenthetically, let me point out that the previous County Board managed to put something probably more important on the ballot before they left office–a tax hike referendum.

So, the public will get a chance to vote on whether their property taxes are increased in April, but probably not whether they will get an opportunity to vote for the next County Board Chairman in 2014.

While 2014 sounds like it is a long way off, for the current insider system of selection of whose hands control County government to be changed in 2014, it has to be approved in April.

And, there is still a chance such a referendum on the ballot.

(Last day to adopt a resolution or ordinance is Tuesday, January 22nd, advised County Clerk Katherine Schultz.)

Committee member Mike Walkup brought up the topic of a special meeting, which takes one-third of the members to call.

Before that, however, Anna May Miller called for more input.

“I still am 110% in favor of allowing the public to weigh in on the subject,” but she said she though more time was needed for citizen comment, e.g., “different focus groups,” including “McCog for municipal perspective.”

“I don’t understand the need for speed on this issue,” she said, pointing out that under 20% of citizens would probably vote in April.

There was discussion of two options, one for a two-year term in which the County Board Chairman candidate would also have to be nominated as a district board candidate.  The other was a four-year term in which the Chairman would not have a vote on the County Board.

Non-member Nick Provenzano was allowed to address the Committee twice.

The first time, he contended County Board candidates “kind of made a grand bargain with the voters” by opposing Democrat State Rep. Jack Franks’ County Executive referendum.

“It was always assumed that we’d follow up immediately.

“I think it’s absolutely a bargain we should fulfill at the next election cycle.

“The decision was to get that to the voters as soon as possible,” he contended.

There was disagreement with that interpretation from member Ersel Schuster, who preferred limiting County Board Chairmen to two terms.

While she said she was “always for the electors being allowed to vote”… she was “totally comfortable with the existing process.

In December, Schuster ran for Chairman, along with Ken Koehler and Tina Hill.  Hill won.

Mike Skala, at his first Committee meeting, told of being told people “wanted change” and “wanted some turnover, fresh ideas, fresh perspectives” when he went door-to-door.

“I’m personally not in favor of it. I think what we have does work,” he said.

“I agree they the voters should need (an opportunity to vote on the issue.)  I don’t think it should be rushed to judgment.”

Anna May Miller suggested that “accountability” of the  Chairman was “the only issue that resonates with the public.”

“We’re trying to do this very quickly,” he said.

“Act in haste, repent in leisure.”

“That’s really right on,” Donna Kurtz interjected.  “It goes back to the problem we’re trying to solve.  The problem is how do I make government more responsive, how do I make it more honest?

“I better dam well sure be sure I’m not making the problem worse.”

But, if I understood her context correctly, Kurtz, referring to the at-large election of the Chairman, said, “Many of us wanted to do that on Day 1 when we took office.”

Advanced earlier by Schuster as a means of making the Board Chairman more accountable was the proposal of putting term limits in the Board Rules.

Assistant State’s Attorney Donna Kelly explained twice that doing so would subject the County to litigation. from not only an office holder who might want to exceed the term limit, but also from voters whose rights to see the person they wanted in office would be curtailed.

Kelly pointed out that neither the State Constitution nor current Illinois law allowed for such term limits for County Board Chairmen.

“Out concern is litigation,” she said.

Skala, who has chaired many a meeting while he was President of the Huntley District 158 School Board, pointed out,

“The way I’m reading the agenda, we couldn’t pass anything even if we wanted to.”

He then pointed out that “it comes down [to] if we have people that want to have a special board meeting to do it.”

Walkup, who carried the ball on the side of having an April referendum, said he though people out to be put on record.

Provenzano took the floor again, saying,

“The fact that you had no resolution on the agenda doomed this proposal.

“The only way to do that is a special election.

“We’ve talked about it for two years.

“There have been numerous public hearings.

“There’s been plenty of opportunity [for input].

“We do have all the answers; some just don’t understand [them].

“We have a four-year term.  Put it on the ballot.

“Let the County Board members vote on it.”

“It’s not something where you just toss a coin and it’s heads or tails,” Kurtz replied. “We could paint ourselves into a very dangerous situation. We could potentially create far worse problems than we have now.”

Closing the debate was non-member, newly-elected Nick Chirikos:

“I respectfully disagree with Mr. Provenzano. Fully a third of this board is new [and] haven’t had the opportunity to weigh in on this subject.”

Discussion also covered the monetary requirements to finance a countywide campaign for Board Chairman.

“I agree with some who have said [candidates would be ]self-funding millionaire or millionaire backing or special interest [financing, such as] developers,” Walkup said.

Newly-elected McHenry County Board Chairman attended about three-fourths of the discussion.

On Monday morning, the top ranking official labeled a Democrat will have her spot in the sun.

Named head of the Management Services Committee, Lake in the Hills McHenry County Board member Paula Yensen is chairing her first big meeting.

At it will be discussed whether a referendum should be put on the April ballot asking voters if they want to elect the Chairman of the County Board in an at-large election.  (See my Wednesday article.)

Since the deadline is rapidly approaching for placing such a referendum om the ballot and the agenda does not indicate any action will be taken, getting the issue before the County Board will take some fancy footwork.

Here are the committee members:

• Chairman: Paula Yensen
• Vice-Chairman: John Hammerand
• Member: Donna Kurtz
• Member: Anna May Miller
• Member: Ersel Schuster
• Member: Michael Skala
• Member: Michael Walkup

The outgoing County Board managed to put a tax hike on the April ballot.

Of course, a majority of the County Board may not favor electing the County Board Chairman.

After the election in November, the outgoing McHenry County Board managed to put a tax hike on the April election ballot.

But the panel with nine lame ducks couldn’t find time to put a referendum on the same ballot to allow people to decide whether they want to have a direct say in who will be the County Board Chairman starting in 2014.

Now, I see the Management Services Committee will have “discussion” on a “Countywide Elected Chair” on Monday (8:30 AM County Board Conference Room).

No resolution is being considered on this pretty much time when the Committee might make a recommendation.

Just talking.

I guess a member could move that a resolution be drafted by staff to be recommended for approval at the next County Board meeting.

It’s a comment from County Board Chairman candidate Tina Hill. I found it in a Sunday Daily Herald article.

“I’m not going to have any comment on that because it’s an internal thing,” she said. “I don’t deny what I said (this summer).”

If you are not one of the twenty-four elected to the County Board last week, you have no right to know anything about the maneuvering.

I can tell you that more than one source has told me that current County Board Chairman Ken Koehler cannot get re-elected.

Hill announced that she was running against him this summer.

Ersel Schuster is also seeking the post.

The article says Nick Provenzano is considering running.

Below are the comments of District 3 McHenry County Board candidate Mike Walkup made to the Board this morning:

Yesterday Jack Franks filed his petition to establish a county executive in McHenry County.

I was at the County Fair over this past weekend.

Jack and his volunteers were telling people who they wanted to sign the petition that it was to “elect the county board chair”, and “to end cronyism in the county.”

In reality, this petition will fundamentally change our form of local government.

It will do the following:

• Eliminate the County Board Chair;
• Create a County Executive who will be elected to a four year term, with no term limits, and who will have the following powers:
  (a) Chair the county board meetings and vote to break any ties;
  (b) Veto any votes of the County Board requiring a 3/5th supermajority to override;
  (c) Perform the duties now being performed by the County Administrator, including hiring and firing of staff and department heads, setting the county budget, awarding contracts; appointing members of commissions and special districts, and more.

Michael Walkup

Effectively a McHenry County Czar.

Hardly the way to “end cronyism”.

To the contrary, it is rife with potential for cronyism on an unprecedented scale.

Is this what you want? As a potential member of this Board in December myself, I don’t.

But , if you don’t do something right now, this may very well be what you get.

As we have already seen, the proponents of this measure think nothing of misrepresenting the effect of this referendum.

You can expect their campaign literature to do the same.

They have the money and means to get that message out.

Think: last minute mailings and robocalls the day before the election.

In fact, who is it, exactly, that is going to raise the money and form the organization to get out the true facts between now and November?

As I see it, the only way to counter that is for this Board to place the issue of direct election of the County Chair on the ballot yourselves.

This take the direct election issue off of the table and will allow the debate to be reframed as what it really is, a question of the distribution of power in county government.

This must be done before the end of this month.

I would also recommend that you include term limits in the proposal, which the County Executive referendum will not have .

I am out of time now, and so are you. Thank you.

Jack Franks has given another signal that he wants to be King of McHenry County.

Today a robo-call poll asks whether people favor a McHenry County Board Chairman “elected by the citizens of McHenry County.”

Here’s as close to the script as a Friend of McHenry County Blog could get:

Jack Franks

“Hi this is State Representative Jack Franks asking for your opinion on a bill I just filed in the Illinois House of Representatives.

“After the tone press 1 if you think that County Board chairman should be elected by the citizens of McHenry County or press 2 if you think he should be appointed by the county board.

“Thank you for your time and consideration, and if I can be of any help please don’t hesitate to call my office for any reason.

“Thank you.”

Franks, sitting on $450,000 in his Political Action Committee, is again signaling that he is not satisfied just being a State Representative.

And, who in their right might would want to commute at least 3 hours twice very week the General Assembly is in session.

From personal experience I can tell you it is wearing.

Franks obviously enjoys the limelight and he obviously enjoys exercising influence.

So why not try to change the way the McHenry County Board Chairman is election in a direction in which he might well be able to win.

There is no way that the Democrats could gain control of the County Board if they had to elect a majority of its members.

And, even if he could, that does not guarantee enough power.

But in a big constituency big campaign money talks.

Ask Kent Gaffney and Danielle Rowe about that.

As readers may remember, I’m not a supporter of at-large election of the County Board Chairman.

The reason is not that I don’t want to have a say.

It is because, under state law, when a County Board Chairman is elected at-large, power is tremendously concentrated in the hands of that Chairman.

Concentration of power is something I have opposed all of my life.

It leads to abuses of power.

Do I think Jack Franks is capable of abuse of power?

Well, yes.

And would a Republican County Board Chairman be capable of abuse of power?

I believe so.

I think the County Board Chairman needs the checks and balances that the present system provides.

But since everyone wants to vote on everything, undoubtedly a sizable majority will say they want a direct election for the McHenry County Board Chairman.

The problems that come with concentration of power won’t become evident until it is too late to do anything.

= = = = =
It should be noted that Franks is having a fight with McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler. Some say that it is because Koehler refuses to dump former State Senator Jack Schaffer from the Metra Board.

And, there is no doubt that Franks was fuming over the billboard that was put up by Liberty Outdoor at the location on Route 14 closest (next to Woodstock Harley Motorcycle) to his legislative office.