McHenry County Blog

Two more county board candidates have filed their conflict of interest forms with the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water.

That brings the total to 20 out of 27 candidates who have answered the ALAW questionnaire.

74%.  Pretty amazing.

McHenry County Board Distrist Map

District 1 incumbent Yvonne Barnes is one of the recent filings. She has a contested primary election with three candidates—fellow incumbent Anna May Miller, Algonquin Township Highway Commissioner Bob Miller’s wife, and Robert Nowak, neither of which have filed. At the Patriots United County Board Candidates’ Forum, Nowak was the only one of the three to attend.

The second new filer is unopposed District 3 Democrat Lori McConville. District 3 is where the Democrats picked up a seat two years ago when Kathy Bergan Schmidt beat incumbent Nick Provenzano. Provenzano is trying to regain that seat this year. All five Republicans previously filed forms.

That means both non-incumbent Democrats have filled out the form. The other is District 4 candidate Jeff Thirtyacre.

However, the Democratic Party incumbent who is up for re-election, District 5’s Jim Kennedy, has not yet done so. He will be on the ballot this fall whether or not he decides to reveal his potential conflicts of interest. His Democratic Party colleague from District 5, Paula Yensen, not up for re-election this year, has also voluntarily filed the form.

Twenty-seven people want to be elected to the McHenry County Board next fall.

Twenty-one are Republicans, three are Democrats and one is a member of the Green Party.

Although the February 2nd election will decide who will be on the GOP ballot, the Democrats and Greens could appoint people to the ballot after the primary to challenge Republicans in Districts 1, 2 and 6, where Republicans currently face no fall contest.

100% of the Greens have filed (Frank Wedig, running in District 5).

Two-thirds of the Democrats have filed.

Of the twenty-one Republicans, seventeen have filed. That’s over 80%.

So, which Republicans haven’t told us what land they own and what business interests they have?

• District 1 – Incumbent Anna May Miller of District 1 and challenger Robert Nowak.
• District 2 – McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler of District 1. ( All of his opponents have filed their ethics forms with ALAW.)
• District 4 – Incumbent Pete Merkel
• District 5 – Challenger Dave Frederick
• District 6 – Incumbent Dan Ryan

Two-thirds of the non-filing Republican candidates are incumbents.

Of the ten Republicans and Democrats now in office running for re-election, sixty percent have now filled out the conflict of interest forms.

There’s still time to file and I’ll more than happy to write an article if addition people decided to reveal their potential conflicts of interest.

McHenry County Republican Party Chairman (and State Rep.) Mike Tryon formed a political action committee separate from the Central Committee.

I thought you might find the contributors and expenditures of interest. They are included in the PAC’s campaign disclosure filing this month.

The price to join the group of inside advisors seems to be $500, although more seems to be welcome.

Here are the contributors:

• Algonquin Township Highway Commisisoner Bob Miller’s PAC – $500
• State Rep. Mark Beaubien’s PAC – $500
• Alliance Contractors Inc – $1,000
• Robert Boncosky – $500
• Randy Donley – $395.20
• Blake Hobson – a $500
• Howard Green Company, Cedar Rapids, IA (John Smith’s Smith Engineering was acquired by HR Green) – $500
• Human Resource Techniques Inc, Algonquin Karla Dobbeck is its president) – $500
• Innovative Component Sales Inc, Huntley (Mike Skala is its president) – $2,500
• Kathleen Kuchta – $500
• Donald Lewis – $500
• Madsen Sugden and Gottemoller – $500
• Marc Munaretto – $500
• Gary Overbay – $500
• Tom Zanck – $500

About $3,500 of the money raised has been spent on “Roundtable Breakfast Meetings” at Crystal Lake’s 1776 restaurant and Richard Walkers Pancake House. I’ve been told candidates were “vetted” at some such meetings.

Richard Walkers Pancake House

• 8/12/2009
• 8/12/2009
• 9/15/2009
• 10/23/2009

1776

• 8/30/2009
• 9/8/2009
• 9/14/2009
• 10/12/2009
• 10/23/2009
• 12/2/2009
• 12/9/2009

In addition utilities have been paid at the campaign office and a camcorder purchased for the Young Republicans.

The fund has $11,800 in the bank.

“Traditional” might be the best way to describe literature being rolled out by the Algonquin Township candidates at the Crystal Lake Expo this weekend.

It’s pretty much a straight name ID piece with a group photo of all the candidates on the front and head shots and names on the back.

No reason offered to vote for the candidates unless the words

• Experience
• Integrity
  
• Dedication

and the phrase

Local Government Service at the Lowest Possible Cost

motivates you to vote Republican.

Two of the candidates, Linda Lance and Lowell Cutsforth were manning the Algonquin Township Republican Central Committee’s booth at the Crystal Lake Expo.

Each of them had signs.

The other two candidates, Joe Powalowski and Neils Sorensen, did not.

All are incumbent Algonquin Township Trustees.

Click to enlarge the images.

= = = = =
For those of you who don’t know much about townships, they perform three basic functions: assessing, road maintenance in unincorporated areas and hand out local welfare, called General Assistance. Crystal Lake is in four townships. The two major ones are Algonquin and Nunda. The horizontal dividing line is Crystal Lake Avenue. The western part of Crystal Lake (west of our home in Lakewood on Meridian Street, in fact, is Grafton Township. The far Northwestern corner is in Woodstock-dominated Dorr Township.)

Raising $18,200 during the last six months of 2008 and spending $11,400, Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Bob Miller had $63,090 for the spring township election.

No wonder Algonquin Township Democrats did not decide to run anyone against him.

Contributions came from the following:

• Robert Abboud, Fox River Grove – $250
• Allied Benefit Systems Inc, Chicago – $250
• Michael & Elizabeth Barnas, Cary – $250
• Harold Bauer, Cary – $215
• Behm Pavement Maintenance Inc, Crystal Lake – $250
• Bless & Associates Ltd., Palatine – $500
• Bollinger Lach & Associates Inc. Itasca – $250
• Celske, Anthony and Diane, Fox River Grove – $250
• Chris’ Coach House, Cary – $500
• Fox Mechanical Inc., Fox River Grove – $250
• Geske & Sons Inc., Crystal Lake – $715
• Gummerson & Rausch LLC, Woodstock – $160
• H.R. Stewart Inc., Cary – $1,000
• Jennifer Helman, Cary – $250
• Hi-Viz Inc., Elgin – $560
• William Igyarto, Algonquin – $300
• Thomas Kane, Cary – $250
• Matuszewich Kelly & McKeever LLP, Crystal Lake – $500
• PAKO Corporation, Arlington Heights – $250
• Smith Engineering Consultants Inc., McHenry – $250
• SNI Solutions, Genesco – $250
• Standard Equipment Company, Chicago – $570
• 10/23/2008 Individual Contribution
• Randall O. & Holly Voss, Cary – $250
• Nick Wellenstein, Cary – $500

Raising $18,200 during the last six months of 2008 and spending $11,400, Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Bob Miller had $63,090 for the spring township election.

No wonder Algonquin Township Democrats did not decide to run anyone against him.

Contributions came from the following:

• Robert Abboud, Fox River Grove – $250
• Allied Benefit Systems Inc, Chicago – $250
• Michael & Elizabeth Barnas, Cary – $250
• Harold Bauer, Cary – $215
• Behm Pavement Maintenance Inc, Crystal Lake – $250
• Bless & Associates Ltd., Palatine – $500
• Bollinger Lach & Associates Inc. Itasca – $250
• Celske, Anthony and Diane, Fox River Grove – $250
• Chris’ Coach House, Cary – $500
• Fox Mechanical Inc., Fox River Grove – $250
• Geske & Sons Inc., Crystal Lake – $715
• Gummerson & Rausch LLC, Woodstock – $160
• H.R. Stewart Inc., Cary – $1,000
• Jennifer Helman, Cary – $250
• Hi-Viz Inc., Elgin – $560
• William Igyarto, Algonquin – $300
• Thomas Kane, Cary – $250
• Matuszewich Kelly & McKeever LLP, Crystal Lake – $500
• PAKO Corporation, Arlington Heights – $250
• Smith Engineering Consultants Inc., McHenry – $250
• SNI Solutions, Genesco – $250
• Standard Equipment Company, Chicago – $570
• 10/23/2008 Individual Contribution
• Randall O. & Holly Voss, Cary – $250
• Nick Wellenstein, Cary – $500

You can bet there will be thanks and rejoicing at the Miller household in Cary this Christmas.

That’s because 22nd Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Michael Feetterer dumped the Cary Police charge of obstruction of justice charge. It resulted from David Miller’s dumping a load of gravel Saturday, June 16, 2007, rather than going to a weigh station, as instructed.

Judge Feetterer ruled that the prosecution did not provide that charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

The decision freed Miller from the possibility of serving up to three years in state prison.

Feetterer did not, however, let Miller completely off the hook. He found him guilty of a business offense and fined him $2,000, the maximum amount possible. Miller also has to pay court costs in addition to the $2,000.

According to Josh Stockinger’s Daily Herald story,

“Last week, he testified that he thought the weight check was a ‘waste of time’ and an example of police targeting truckers for revenue. ‘I didn’t think I was doing anything illegal,’ he said.”

The story was featured in the Northwest Herald a month after the arrest.

The paper reported Miller’s brother, Algonquin Township Highway Commissioner Bob Miller, called his friend Judge Mike Chmiel after his brother’s Saturday arrest, which was after the regular Saturday bond hearings. He sought another bond hearing, so his brother would not have to spend the weekend in jail.

Chmiel held such a bond hearing.

The Judicial Inquiry Board got involved, filing a complaint against Chmiel and sent an investigator to interview witnesses in McHenry County.

No action has resulted from what presumably is the resulting report. The next move is by the Illinois Courts Commission, to which any report from the Judicial Inquiry Board would be submitted.

David Miller’s niece (Bob Miller’s daughter) Rebecca Lee was the defense attorney in the case.

Some comments below the Daily Herald article and Northwest Herald story are pretty biting.

= = = = =
The McHenry County Courthouse is the building you see.

McHenry County Board member Anna Miller and her husband, Algonquin Township Highway Commissioner Bob Miller, are seen behind two unidentified women entering the Illinois Republican Party Convention in Decatur. Judge Michael Chmiel can be seen below.

You can bet there will be thanks and rejoicing at the Miller household in Cary this Christmas.

That’s because 22nd Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Michael Feetterer dumped the Cary Police charge of obstruction of justice charge. It resulted from David Miller’s dumping a load of gravel Saturday, June 16, 2007, rather than going to a weigh station, as instructed.

Judge Feetterer ruled that the prosecution did not provide that charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

The decision freed Miller from the possibility of serving up to three years in state prison.

Feetterer did not, however, let Miller completely off the hook. He found him guilty of a business offense and fined him $2,000, the maximum amount possible. Miller also has to pay court costs in addition to the $2,000.

According to Josh Stockinger’s Daily Herald story,

“Last week, he testified that he thought the weight check was a ‘waste of time’ and an example of police targeting truckers for revenue. ‘I didn’t think I was doing anything illegal,’ he said.”

The story was featured in the Northwest Herald a month after the arrest.

The paper reported Miller’s brother, Algonquin Township Highway Commissioner Bob Miller, called his friend Judge Mike Chmiel after his brother’s Saturday arrest, which was after the regular Saturday bond hearings. He sought another bond hearing, so his brother would not have to spend the weekend in jail.

Chmiel held such a bond hearing.

The Judicial Inquiry Board got involved, filing a complaint against Chmiel and sent an investigator to interview witnesses in McHenry County.

No action has resulted from what presumably is the resulting report. The next move is by the Illinois Courts Commission, to which any report from the Judicial Inquiry Board would be submitted.

David Miller’s niece (Bob Miller’s daughter) Rebecca Lee was the defense attorney in the case.

Some comments below the Daily Herald article and Northwest Herald story are pretty biting.

= = = = =
The McHenry County Courthouse is the building you see.

McHenry County Board member Anna Miller and her husband, Algonquin Township Highway Commissioner Bob Miller, are seen behind two unidentified women entering the Illinois Republican Party Convention in Decatur. Judge Michael Chmiel can be seen below.

In McHenry County’s largest township Republicans occupying the offices of Supervisor, Assessor and Road Commissioner will skate through the February 24th primary election.

If there is a challenge to Supervisor Dianne Klemm, Assessor Bob Kunz or Road Commissioner Bob Miller it will have to come from unknown Democrats who are allowed by state law to hold a caucus to select candidates. Part-time Clerk Marc Munaretto also escaped an opponent.

That’s the way all but Democratic Party candidate for coroner Dave Bachmann and McHenry County Board member Paula Yensen gained ballot position for November’s election. The only caucused candidate who achieved victory was Kathy Bergan Schmidt, Democratic Party Chair, who won a county board seat in District 3 (between Crystal Lake and McHenry).

There will be a race of Algonquin Township Trustee, however.

Filing on the final day was appointed incumbent Joe Powalowski. That gives him last place on the ballot, something of an advantage.

That means all of the incumbents filed for reelection.

Trying to gain a seat is Mark Guerra.

The other incumbents seeking another term are

• Linda Lance
• Nels Sorensen and
• Lowel Cutsforth.

In McHenry County’s largest township Republicans occupying the offices of Supervisor, Assessor and Road Commissioner will skate through the February 24th primary election.

If there is a challenge to Supervisor Dianne Klemm, Assessor Bob Kunz or Road Commissioner Bob Miller it will have to come from unknown Democrats who are allowed by state law to hold a caucus to select candidates. Part-time Clerk Marc Munaretto also escaped an opponent.

That’s the way all but Democratic Party candidate for coroner Dave Bachmann and McHenry County Board member Paula Yensen gained ballot position for November’s election. The only caucused candidate who achieved victory was Kathy Bergan Schmidt, Democratic Party Chair, who won a county board seat in District 3 (between Crystal Lake and McHenry).

There will be a race of Algonquin Township Trustee, however.

Filing on the final day was appointed incumbent Joe Powalowski. That gives him last place on the ballot, something of an advantage.

That means all of the incumbents filed for reelection.

Trying to gain a seat is Mark Guerra.

The other incumbents seeking another term are

• Linda Lance
• Nels Sorensen and
• Lowel Cutsforth.

Eight offices are up for grabs in Algonquin Township next April–and some of them pay pretty well—but on there’s still only one candidate for each office.

The incumbents have filed petitions for all the big offices:

Dianne Klemm for Supervisor
Bob Miller for Road Commissioner
Bob Kunz for Assessor
Marc Munaretto for Clerk

For Trustee four have filed for four positions:

Linda Lance
Nels Sorensen
Lowel Cutsforth and
Mark Guerra.

The top three are incumbents; Guerra wishes to join them.

Incumbent Trustee Joe Powalowski has not filed for re-election.

If no additional candidates file there will be no township primary election in February. There was no primary four years ago for the same reason.

Petitions may be filed through next Monday.