McHenry County Blog

Yesterday I drove a friend to Belvidere for medical treatment. I had about an hour to wait, so I went exploring in the city I represented in the Illinois House of Representatives for eight years in the 1970′s. Since I knew that the Amtrak route selected by Governor Pat Quinn when through the town, I wondered where the station would be.

I stopped on Business Route 20 (State Street) and took the picture above. I wondered if the little white building across the tracks might turn into a train station.

The train would be coming in from the east. The empty spaces you see on the left and right on the other side of the street to the east are parking lots. I drove down to see if Pat Mattison, the publisher of the Belvidere Daily Republican I knew, who was running Belrock Printing after he sold the paper, was still in there.

He wasn’t.  His old office and plant was now the new Belvidere City Hall. I figured someone inside would know where the new train station would be located. I hit the jackpot.

Alderman Andrew Racz was walking in the building as the woman at the City Clerk’s office was telling me that a display was inside the locked door. He recognized me and, while I couldn’t pull his name out of my ancient memory vault, I did remember his face.

He ushered me into to see the mayor, Frederic Brereton, who was outside in his reception area. I thanked him for his council’s having endorsed an Amtrak station in McHenry County before the McHenry County Board did. He told me there was a good working partnership.

Brereton showed me the display outside his office, telling me the train station was going to be across the street from City Hall.

“Go out the front door, stand in the middle of the street and look to your left. That’s where the station is going to be.” He told me that State Senator Brad Burzynski had gotten some state aid and that by eliminating a grad crossing by putting the station across Whitney Boulevard, he hoped that Amtrak might kick in some money as well, since the fewer grade crossing the better, as far as Amtrak was concerned.

So, I went outside, stood in the middle of the street and took the photo you see above. What will the station look like?

Here’s another drawing I found outside the Mayor’s office.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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!”

The following press release has been received from the campaign of State Senator Matt Murphy (R-Palatine). He is running for the lieutenant governor spot on the Republican ticket in the February 2nd primary. He has endorsed gubernatorial candidate Andy McKenna.  You may remember I was favorably impressed with his comments on the Senate floor during the debate on the Democrats’ attempt to hike income taxes 67%.

Radogno Endorses Murphy for Lt. Governor

Murphy secures both House & Senate GOP Leader’s Endorsements

CHICAGO – Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno today endorsed State Senator Matt Murphy for Lieutenant Governor.

“I am supporting Matt Murphy for Lieutenant Governor because I believe he is the right candidate with new ideas to help Illinois through the current financial crisis,” said Radogno.

“Matt Murphy has a proven track record of leadership and accomplishment in the state senate and I know he will take those same qualities to the Lieutenant Governor’s Office.”

Radogno also noted that it was Senator Murphy who authored legislation to cut both the income and corporate tax rate and, as a member of the Deficit Reduction Committee, led the charge to cut $3 billion in wasteful spending from the state budget to avoid a tax hike.

Murphy has also secured House Republican Leader Tom Cross’ endorsement along with over twenty members of Illinois’ General Assembly, including Senator’s Brad Burzynski, John O. Jones and Dale Righter, and State Representatives Mark Beaubien and JoAnn Osmond who are both members of Republican House leadership.

Lake County Republican Chairman Dan Venturi and Northfield Township Republican Chairwoman June O’Donoghue have also personally endorsed Murphy’s campaign. The Republican Township Organizations of Addison, Barrington, Cuba, Evanston, Palatine and Schaumburg have also voted to give Murphy their endorsement.

“I am honored to receive the support of my good friend, Christine Radogno and with her help, we will win the primary in February and we will continue this momentum through November,” said Murphy. “As I travel around Illinois, I am proud of the support we are receiving from all corners. I am running for Lieutenant Governor because I believe we can do better for Illinois.”

Matt is a member of the Illinois General Assembly representing the 27th Senatorial District, a graduate of The John Marshall Law School and is a practicing attorney in Chicago.  He and his wife, Julie, have four children and live in Palatine.

It’s Senate Bill 1550, introduced a little over a month ago with State Senator Brad Burzynski as the other and lead sponsor.

Here are the details:

Synopsis As Introduced

Creates the Local Option School District Income Tax Act and amends the School Code, the State Finance Act, the Illinois Income Tax Act, and the Property Tax Code. Authorizes school districts by referendum to impose an income tax on individuals resident of the district.

Provides that the income tax must be levied at a rate that will produce an amount equal to the corresponding 50% reduction in property taxes for educational, operations and maintenance, and transportation purposes.

Provides for a referendum repeal of the tax.

Sets forth procedures for levying and collecting the tax and for deposit of the income tax revenues. Provides for disbursement of the tax to school districts by the State Treasurer.

Amends the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law to exclude from the definition of “aggregate extension” school district levies made to cover amounts lost because of the repeal of the local income tax for schools as formerly imposed by the district under the Local Option School District Income Tax Act.

Amends the State aid formula provisions of the School Code. Provides that the adoption or failure to adopt a local income tax for schools and any disbursement of funds or any tax abatement required under the Local Option School District Income Tax Act shall not affect the computation or distribution of State aid for school districts.

Effective immediately.

Here is the ballot question, a really long one:

“Shall School District No. …. be authorized to impose a local income tax for schools at an initial annual rate of approximately …% on the taxable income earned or received by individuals who are residents of the school district, if the actual initial rate at which the tax is imposed is adjusted every 12 months thereafter, and if the actual initial rate and the rate as adjusted and imposed for each succeeding 12 month period are computed by the Department of Revenue in such manner as to produce aggregate income tax revenues for distribution to the school district in each calendar year that are equal, as near as may be, to a 50% reduction that would then have to be made in each such calendar year in the extension against residential property of real property taxes levied by the district during the preceding calendar year for the educational, operations and maintenance, and transportation purposes of the district?”

It’s sitting in the Senate Revenue Committee Subcommittee on Property Taxes.

That’s where it will remain, because if this bill ever got on the books the Ralph Martires and James Meeks of the world could not deceive the liberals in District 300, 158 and elsewhere that raising state income taxes would be a good deal for local property taxpayers.

That’s because, clearly, this would be a better deal. None of our income tax money would disappear to places unknown.

As the referendum question indicates, only individuals would be taxes and only residential real estate owners would have their taxes cut. Businesses cannot be cut in because there is no way to know how much income is earned at a given location of a multi-location enterprise.

This bill, strangely similar to one I introduced way back in the 1970′s when a State Representative Jim Edgar introduced a local option income tax, half of the proceeds of which would be new money with the other half going to cut property taxes, meets the argument of those who say an income tax is fairer than the real estate tax.

At the same time, it does not suck money out of McHenry County like a vacuum cleaner and dump the proceeds in Chicago, where the tax on a $300,000 home is about $1,000 or 1% of market value. (Our tax bills are closer to 2% of what a home could be sold for…at least before home values plummeted.)

I figure there would be a really vigorous debate if such a question ever got on a local ballot.

Below are listed the delegates and alternate delegates running to attend the Republican National Convention in support of Fred Thompson for the 8th, 14th and 16th congressional districts. Only Mary Ann Louderback, wife of former State Senator Jack Schaffer, is from McHenry County. She serves on the McHenry County Regional Board of School Trustees.

She is running on a 16th district slate with Congressman Don Manzullo heading the ticket.

Other heavy hitters include State Senators Dave Syverson of Rockford and Brad Burzynski of Clare.

In the 8th district, State Senator Matt Murphy of Palatine is joined with former State Representative and 2006 8th congressional district Republican primary candidate Bob Churchill. An almost local alternate candidate is Barrington Township Supervisor Gene Dawson.

8th District (Melissa Bean’s district) Delegates:
Matt Murphy, Palatine;
Robert W. Churchill, Lake Villa;
John Biestek, Hawthorn Woods

8th District Alternate Delegates:
Eugene R. “Gene” Dawson, Barrington;
William F. Burns, Lake Villa;
Patrick J. Dunham, Lindenhurst

14th District (Denny Hanstert’s old district) Delegates:
Randy Hultgren, Winfield;
Dennis Wiggins, Aurora;
Larry Wegman, Elgin;
David J. Rickert, Elgin

14th District Alternate Delegates:
Michael J. Kenyon, South Elgin;
Jan Weber, Geneseo;
Kurt Kojzarek, Elgin;
C. Randolph “Randy” York, West Chicago

16th District (Don Manzullo’s district) Delegates:
Donald A. Manzullo, Egan;
Dave Syverson, Rockford;
Brad Burzynski, Clare;
Mary Ann Louderback, Cary

16th District Alternate Delegates:
Joseph Sosnowski, Rockford;
Lawrence L. Bruckner, Thomson;
Jason Bauer, Byron;
Donald F. Conn, Polo

Below are listed the delegates and alternate delegates running to attend the Republican National Convention in support of Fred Thompson for the 8th, 14th and 16th congressional districts. Only Mary Ann Louderback, wife of former State Senator Jack Schaffer, is from McHenry County. She serves on the McHenry County Regional Board of School Trustees.

She is running on a 16th district slate with Congressman Don Manzullo heading the ticket.

Other heavy hitters include State Senators Dave Syverson of Rockford and Brad Burzynski of Clare.

In the 8th district, State Senator Matt Murphy of Palatine is joined with former State Representative and 2006 8th congressional district Republican primary candidate Bob Churchill. An almost local alternate candidate is Barrington Township Supervisor Gene Dawson.

8th District (Melissa Bean’s district) Delegates:
Matt Murphy, Palatine;
Robert W. Churchill, Lake Villa;
John Biestek, Hawthorn Woods

8th District Alternate Delegates:
Eugene R. “Gene” Dawson, Barrington;
William F. Burns, Lake Villa;
Patrick J. Dunham, Lindenhurst

14th District (Denny Hanstert’s old district) Delegates:
Randy Hultgren, Winfield;
Dennis Wiggins, Aurora;
Larry Wegman, Elgin;
David J. Rickert, Elgin

14th District Alternate Delegates:
Michael J. Kenyon, South Elgin;
Jan Weber, Geneseo;
Kurt Kojzarek, Elgin;
C. Randolph “Randy” York, West Chicago

16th District (Don Manzullo’s district) Delegates:
Donald A. Manzullo, Egan;
Dave Syverson, Rockford;
Brad Burzynski, Clare;
Mary Ann Louderback, Cary

16th District Alternate Delegates:
Joseph Sosnowski, Rockford;
Lawrence L. Bruckner, Thomson;
Jason Bauer, Byron;
Donald F. Conn, Polo