“Undervote” for Governor Very Small in Boone, DuPage, Kane & Lake Compared to McHenry

Yesterday, it was pointed out that a good number of votes in McHenry County did not show up in the race for Governor. Bruce Rauner won McHenry County with the following results: A Friend of McHenry County Blog found the … Continue reading

Al Zielinski Staying as Grafton Township Assessor

This is a press release from Grafton Township Assessor Al Zieliniski: Four more years of accurate and fair assessments for Grafton Township HUNTLEY, IL – Grafton Township property owners can look forward to four more years of accurate and fair … Continue reading

McHenry County Government Has Third Highest Average Salary

The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform has calculated average salaries paid by Illinois county governments. McHenry County came in third highest: Ten Counties with the Highest “Average Salary” for Employees … Continue reading

Draft Regional Economic Development Plan Out

A press release from the McHenry County Board: Draft Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Available for Public Review; Open Houses Scheduled ROCKFORD, Ill. – The draft 2016-20 (CEDS) for the Northern Illinois Region is now available for public review and comment. The … Continue reading

More Leaving Chicago Metro Area Than Any Other in Midwest

A Bloomberg News analysis of Census data shows that the Chicago Metropolitan Area is losing a higher percentage of its residents than any other Midwest metropolitan area. The time period was between July 2013 and July 2014. The loss was 69/100 … Continue reading

Ex-Boone County Circuit Clerk Employee Pleads Guilty to Felony Theft

Boone County Watchdog reports on a former Boone County Circuit Clerk’s employee having pleaded guilty to felony theft. For admitting stealing over $24,000, Donna Osoria received a five year jail sentence. The theft took place from 2010 to 2012. It involved … Continue reading

Boone County Candy Police

I know more than one family who has moved from McHenry County to Boone County. It’s cheaper to live there. But, alerted by former McHenry County resident and Democratic Party Board member Bill Pysson’s “Boone County Watchdog,” I discovered a … Continue reading

Where Are We As Far as Real Estate Taxes Go?

The Tax Foundation has some remarkable work comparing property tax burdens across the United States. Want to know what part of the country to look at for retirement, if cutting your property taxes is one of your goals? Take a … Continue reading

Protecting Those Poor Madigan Judicial Minions

Ten years ago respected Republican State Senator Carl Hawkinson from the Peoria area narrowly lost a bid for the Illinois Supreme Court to a trial lawyer named Thomas Kilbride. It gave complete control of the highest level of the state’s … Continue reading

Illinois Railway Museum’s Executive Director Nick Kallas Analyzes Amtrak Route Selection through McHenry County

I had this great idea for a follow-up story to my Saturday article about Amtrak’s coming to southern McHenry County. What if the Illinois Railroad Museum offered its station to serve Amtrak passengers on the line that Governor Pat Quinn … Continue reading

$1 Million and The Tax Collector Doesn’t Know Who It Belongs To

Found this little item on “Boone County Watchdog.” How would you like to be a Boone County resident and read in a county management letter accompanying the annual audit: “We noted the Collector held over $1 million in savings as … Continue reading