McHenry County Blog

Marengo is one of two cities in McHenry County that have the aldermanic form of municipal government.

The terms that are expiring follow:Terms that are expiring are:

• Mayor – Donald B. Lockhart
• Clerk – Constance J. Boxleitner
• Ward 1 – Steven DiMaria
• Ward 2 – Corey Brackmann
• Ward 3 – Nicole DeBoer
• Ward 4 – Michael Secor

Here are the people who filed for those offices so far:

• Mayor – Donald B. Lockhart
• Clerk – Constance J. Boxleitner
• Ward 1 – Steven Mortensen
• Ward 2 – Chester Mazurkiewicz and Matt Keenum

Brackmann informs me he intends to run for re-election.

Filing is open until the close of business on December 26th.

Those thinking about running need to file a Statement of Economic Interest with the County Clerk and attach its receipt with a staple to one’s petitions and Statement of Candidacy. And, be sure to number the pages.

Here’s some of what’s on the agenda of the McHenry County Board’s Planning & Development Committee on Thursday:

• Robert Kociecki – Housing Commission Interview
• Housing Commission Re-Appointments – Approval

1. David C. Henry
2. Fred W. Broling
3. Corey J. Brackmann

• HUD Conflict of Interest Procedure Status Report – Discussion

There are two slates of women who have teamed up and the campaign has not been particularly pretty.

Incumbents Ersel Schuster and Diane Evertsen have been matched against incumbent Mary McCann and challenger Michele Aavang.

I liken it to a wrestling match in one link.  If you’d like to read the story, it’s here.

In any event, the four ladies are leading all the guys, plus one other female candidate, as you can see below:

= = = = =
Now that all precincts are reporting, but with early and absentee votes still to be added in, the finishing order is
Diane Evertsen
Mary McCann
Ersel Schuster
Michele Aavang

Another of the candidates in the derby to select four candidates to appear on the fall Republican ballot for the McHenry County Board has shared his post card with us.

You can see Marengo Alderman Corey Brackmann’s piece below:

Brackmann’s web site can be found here.

If you are a candidate and have something about your campaign you would like others to see, send it to McHenry County Blog. The email address is on the left side of the page.

Saturday night’s crowd of candidates also gave opening statements.

And, as on Friday, some targeted like a laser beam on the tax hike issue. (See also Part 1 and Part 2.)

But before beginning, let me remind you of those incumbents who voted to increase the tax levy so much that the tax take from property owners will be as high as allowed by state law.

Those running for re-election are in boldface type.

• Robert Bless
• Scott Breeden
• Sue Draftcorn (a switch)
• Mary Donner
• Jim Heisler
• Tina Hill (a switch)
• John Jung
• Donna Kurtz
• Mary McCann
• Pete Merkel
• Anna May Miller (a switch)
• Marc Munaretto
• Kathy Bergan Schmidt
• Ken Koehler

Michael Stanard, running for a spot on the GOP primary ballot drew the first slot to speak and said, “I would [have]voted against an increase in the tax levy.”

District 6 incumbent Diane Evertsen of Hartland Township said, “I voted against an increase in the tax levy. This is exactly the wrong time.”

Coral Township’s Shawn Green, also running in District 6, gave the same message: “I did not support the Board’s decision to increase the tax levy.” While he suggested the levy will have to be increased from time to time, “now is not the time to do it. With no new construction, the slightest increase will lead to an increase in taxes.”

Rachel Smith of Wonder Lake, another District 6 challenger, pointed out she knew the estimates of the average homes tax increase was $8, but

“$8 can help feed my family for a week if I go to Aldi’s.

“The government needs to live within its means.”

Marengo Alderman Corey Brackmann, also running for a District 6 Republican slot, said he didn’t think raising the levy at this time was a good idea.

He pointed out that he had “voted against the proposed increase in the City of Marengo.”

District 5 aspirant Michael Rein of Woodstock added this thought [remember all of this is in the opening statements]:

I also think the tax levy should not have [been] raises. ”

He urged voters to look at how his opponents had voted the last two years, not just this year.

“People who voted against the tax levy also voted to increase their [own] salaries,” he added.

[See

McHenry County Board Votes on Salary Hikes

Voting "No" were

• Virginia Peschke
• Kathy Bergan Schmidt
• Ersel Schuster
• Paula Yensen]

“I was opposed to the increase in the tax levy,”  said David LaGue, the only farmer on the ballot in District 6.

“Workable alternatives [exist].”

He added that it wasn’t a good idea when when the economy was doing poorly.

Huntley School District 158 Board President Mike Skala agreed with everyone up to that point.

“I would not have supported the tax increase,” he said. “I led the effort to keep our levy flat.:

[Afterwards, I asked what that meant. Skala explained that his Board was abating taxes that were levied in order to keep the tax bill flat.

When I asked if that meant the school district could take a 4.5% increase for 2013, he admitted that was the case. (The 4.5% would consist of the 1% CPI increase allowed this year by the Property Tax Cap, plus the 3% allowed next year.)]

Michael Stanard, challenger in District 6, explained,

“I’m in favor actually of reducing the levy.

“The only way for the government to get smaller is to take the money away.

District 6 incumbent Ersel Schuster voted against hiking the tax levy as well. She said that there “should be an outside audit” to identify items that could be cut.

McHenry County Board incumbent Ersel Schuster voted against the tax hike.

She said there “should be an outside audit” to identify unneeded expenditures.

Missing from their forum were

• District 5 incumbent Tina Hill
• District 5 incumbent John Jung, Jr.
• District 5 incumbent Virginia Peschke
• District 6 aspirant Michele R. Aavang
• District 6 incumbent Mary McCann
• District 6 non-incumbent J. Vincent Ranzino

Those who voted for the levy hiking taxes on this year’s bills are in boldface type. The others who did so are mentioned in the articles.

The Young Republicans provided a public service Saturday night by sponsoring a candidates night for McHenry County Board candidates in District 5 and 6.

The Friday night counterpart for District 2, 3 and 4 candidates, on the other hand, had three incumbents who defended their maximization of the tax take from taxpayers.

Only $8 a household was the best defense.

Four incumbents skipping the Saturday night’s affair (tax hikers in boldface type):

• Tina Hill – District 5
• John Jung – District 5
• Virginia Peschke- District 5
• Mary McCann – District 6

There only incumbents from Districts 2, 3 and 4 who missed the Friday night meeting were County Board Chairman Ken Koehler from Crystal Lake and Wonder Lake’s Draffkorn.  Both voted for the tax hike.

I wondered if the absence of those who voted “Yes” for big levy was because the tax hike question asked of District 2, 3, and 4 candidates the night before.

To their credit two of those from District 2 who voted to maximize the tax take, Jim Heisler and Donna Kurtz attended and gave their defenses.  Koehler also voted for the one and one-half percent tax hike, the most allowed by the Property Tax Cap.

In District 3, Mary Donner, who also supported maximizing county taxes, was in attendance defending her vote.

Of the incumbents absent in District 5, Jung supported the tax hike and Hill did not.  Peschke did not cast a vote.

In District 6, incumbent Mary McCann was the only incumbent missing.  She supported the tax hike.

So, when the same question was asked of candidates in District 5 and 6 as was asked of those from District 2, 3 and 4, there was no one on the stage to defend the maximum extraction of taxes possible from us taxpayers.

Do I sense an issue that might have some traction?

= = = = =
The roll calls that might interest you on the tax hike:

Who Voted to Raise Your County Taxes?

There are four incumbents in McHenry County Board District 6, as there are in all districts.

Since everyone is up or election after reapportionment, there are four vacancies.

One incumbent, Randy Donley of Union, who got by far and away the most votes four years ago, announced his retirement pretty early.

So with probably the best known and most popular incumbent not to be on the ballot, all sorts of people decided to run.

As of the close of petition filing Monday at 5 PM, eleven people had filed, including Donley.

Six filed in a tie at 8 AM on the first day possible:

• Diane Evertsen
• Shawn Green
• David LaGue
• Mary McCann
• Ersel Schuster
• Rachel Smith

There are three places on a ballot that is as long as this one that add extra votes to one’s total.

First place is worth about an extra 10%, second place and last place get a 5% bonus. I actually read a study that showed that in a municipal election when I was attending grad school at the University of Michigan.

The first and second place ballot advantages will be decided by lottery.

Last place went to Corey Brackmann. He filed last.

Worst place is next to last, according to what I remember from the study. Michael Stanard got that slot.

The filing period ended at 5 PM.  I was there from 4-5 and there was no “fight” for last place.  After looking at all the candidates who filed, I find that strange.

The three others running, all of whom will be in the bottom middle of the ballot, are

• Michele Aavang
• J. Vincent Ranzino
• Randall Donley

So, who’s going to win?

The best guidance is contained in the canvass reports from the 2008 and 2010 GOP primary elections.

Donley was way in front in 2008 and McCann had a substantial lead in 2010.

There’s not really much reason to believe their popularity had diminished.

That means that Ersel Schuster and Diane Evertsen, the two who placed second in 2008 and 2010, respectively, will probably be the targets of incumbents.

Each person could cast two votes.

Next year, because there are four vacancies, everyone gets four votes.

10,564 votes were cast in the presidential year of 2008.

8,942 in the non-presidential year of 2010.

In both years various candidates urged supporters not to cast all of their votes so opponents wouldn’t win with a 2nd choice vote.

That resulted in and under votes of 2,230 in 2008 and of 2,280 votes not cast in 2010.

What will it take to win?

Give us your best guess in the comment section below.

Monday and Tuesday, I ran the final look at Marengo’s Settlers Days Parade.

Today we complete our visit of one of the better parades of the year.

I wasn’t the only one taking photographs.

On the back of the big black truck was a band.

Behind the band was Artic Heating and Air Conditioning’s truck.

And, then, there was a fifth County Board candidate.

Nothing on the front of the old red pickup truck to provide name identification, but on the side was a variation of the Standard Oil logo, now gone because British Petroleum bought out the Illinois-based company.

One of the big problems that new candidates have is name identification.

I heard on NPR that names are so hard to remember because they are absolutely random.

There is nothing to associate them with except a face and a face gives no clue as to a person’s name.

Michael Stanard has probably found a way to make his name memorable, if he advertises enough.

Bringing up the rear of the parade proper was a woman leading a pony. She followed a woman holding a banner identifying the entry as the Hooved Animal Humane Society.

The kids were enchanted by the animal and none of the other participants had to step on any pony poop.

My car was parked down near the old high school, so I walked the parade route.

I found these boys waving American Flags.

it looked as if people were not ready for the parade to end.

I passed a card table which solicited $10 to “Support Our Sean,” a youth with leukemia.

Parade candy had been gathered.

I found a Corey Brackmann tee shirt and asked the man wearing it to remind Brackmann that he had not sent McHenry County Blog an announcement of his candidacy.

I thought the pony was the end of the Marengo Settlers Days Parade, but it wasn’t.

The street closing barriers were being picked up.

The parade was over, but people were slow in leaving.

I found retired United Airlines Buck Hilbert enjoying the afternoon.

And some women who wondered where the Lawn Chair Dads were.

More on that in another story.

Strangely missing from the parade was McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi.

I think this is the first I have attended that he was not in.

Yesterday, I started my wrap-up of the Marengo Settlers Days Parade. I started out to highlight the political aspects of the event, but all the high school bands and floats sucked me into deeper coverage.

Still another high school band came around the corner, this one from Evanston.

It was a really big band.

Union’s St. John’s Lutheran Church put pre-schoolers on a decorated hay wagon to advertise its full-time pre-school. The banner indicates it is called “Little Blessings Center.”

I have to admin never having seen a concrete truck in a parade before, but I guess if townships and municipalities can draw crowds to see trucks, why not give kids a close-up look at one.

The 4 Stings Attached Children’s Violin Performing Group was next.

And, as usual at a parade, children waited for candy.

McDonald’s wasn’t the only company trotting out its symbol. Hubert, the Lion, was perched atop a float waving to people.

A clown was the next to enter my viewfinder.

And, then, what I came to take photos of, another candidate.

District 6 Republican candidate Rachel Smith had a pickup truck with her name on the front. Good idea.

Suddenly, there she was. Handing out cards along my side of the street.

I didn’t figure out what the next kid-laden hay wagon was sponsored by, but it clearly had a kite theme. “Ready, Set, Soar,” said the sign on the back.

Still another high school band followed the kites.

It was the Wheeling High School Marching Wildcat Marching Band.

After the band came the Shriners’ Tabala Motor Patrol.

Next came a band that didn’t march. It was from Marengo’s Zion Lutheran School.

Round the corner came an old Cadillac with worse shock absorbers than my 1995 model. Of course, it’s 41 years older than mine.

When I saw its side, there was a good-sized sign proclaiming, “Corey Brackmann, McHenry County Board.”

This was a new County Board candidate for me, so I crossed the street to get some close-up photos as he greeting people who, it turns out, are from the town where he lives.

Women on roller skates were next.

Who knew that Rockford had a roller derby team? (Or at least that’s what I used to watch on a black and white TV in the 1950′s.)

No doubt that Crystal Lake is in a different media market from Marengo.

More tomorrow.

It’s too bad that it takes so long to post photos.  I still haven’t finished the Marengo Settlers Day Parade from a couple of weeks ago.

When we stopped looking at what entries offered on that beautiful day in Marengo, the first of the county officials and candidates had passed.   The last entry we saw was the Harvard Milk Day Court.

Before the county board members/candidates after Mary McCann came by, there was a fascinating demonstration that took me a bit of time to figure out.

When I finally did, with the help of the sign on the side of a truck that said, “GloBowl Fun Center,” it turned out to be a y0uth pretending to be a bowling ball throwing himself against a larger person dressed up as a bowling pin and knocking him down.

I found the physical humor fun to watch.  (You can guess I liked the Three Stooges, right?)

Obviously, I enjoy the simple pleasures.

The Red Hat Sassy Lassies were next.  They were riding on hay bales tossing beads to parade spectators.

And, then, there were two more McHenry County Board candidates–Diane Evertsen and Ersel Schuster.

Both were riding in the back of a pickup truck.  I didn’t notice it at the time, but a web site called District 6 Online was being advertised.  It seems to be dedicated to an interface between the two County Board members and their constituents.

Next came Crystal Lake High School Prairie Ridge High School band.

I saw a man taking a video of the performance. Afterward I asked him why there were so many bands in Marengo. I learned that there was band contest at Marengo High School. That’s what drew the bands, which certainly made the parade quite enjoyable.

The Future Farmers of America float was next.

The next tractor-pulled hay wagon was sponsored by the Marengo Society for Historical Preservation’s float promoted its web site–MarengoHistory.org

Ronald McDonald came atop a big clown’s shoe after the Historical Society.

Next was the Marengo School of Dance.

Just as martial arts academies, its students strutted their stuff.

There was a hay wagon next promoting the Otis Sports Center.  I admit to being ignorant about it.

More tomorrow.