McHenry County Blog

The McHenry County Board has the opportunity to plow new ground by enacting the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water’s conflict of interest revelation ordinance for elected officials, employees, appointees and consultants.

Someone in Kane County has come up with the idea of enacting an ordinance to prevent revolving door money making by retiring Kane County Board members.

Such folks “would be forbidden from being employed by the county for one year after leaving office or serving on paid commissions while in office, under a proposed ethics ordinance,” according to the article by Nick Swedberg.

The measure would also limit annual contractors contributions and affiliated Political Action Committees to board members to $1,000.

The article says the idea started in DuPage County.

As McHenry County Blog reported Monday, State Rep. Jack Franks booked over $1 million during the first six months of 2009.

That was enough to make him noticed by the Chicago Sun-Times in Springfield correspondent Dave McKenney’s story on what statewide candidates raised how much.

Franks’ photo and that of DuPage County Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom were featured in the article above which State Comptroller Dan Hynes snagged the headlinefor having $3.5 million in the bank.

Franks has told the Northwest Herald that he’s thinking about running for governor.

One thing is for sure, if the campaign “reform” bill is signed by Governor Pat Quinn, this will be the last election cycle that candidates with rich relatives like Franks will be able to tap them for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The new limit is $5,000 per person, if I read the legislation correctly.