McHenry County Blog

Former Island Lake Mayor Chuck Amrich has demolished the chances of incumbent Mayor Debbie Herrmann’s remaining in office.

With apparently all but the early and absentee voting included, the results in both McHenry and Lake Counties show an avalanche win for Amrich.

Results for Island Lake Mayor on the Lake County side of the Village.

The early and absentee ballots won’t change the results in the Island Lake mayoral election.

It is now evident why those behind Herrmann fought so hard to keep Amrich off the ballot.

I’d give odds on one thing.

Ancel Glink won’t be the Island Lake attorney after Amrich takes office.

Charles Amrich

Incumbent Island Lake Village President Debbie Herrmann’s allies managed to get opponent Chuck Amrich thrown off the ballot.

Apparently two can play the game of Chicago politics.

The local party on whose ballot Amrich was scheduled to appear has now slated him for Mayor.

Might one guess there was gnashing of teeth when the incumbent’s supporters found out the information in the following press release?

Mayoral Candidate Charles R. Amrich fills Vacancy of For The People Slate

On Feb 25th just before 10am Attorney John Fogarty Jr. representing Charles R Amrich along with several candidates of the For The People Slate filed paperwork with the Village of Island Lake Clerk to fill the open Mayoral Vacancy in the For the People Slate.

Paperwork is also being filed with the Lake County Clerk Willard Helander and McHenry County Clerk Katherine Schultz.

Mayor Debbie Herrmann made the appointments.

Connie Mascillino was appointed Village Clerk in Island Lake.

Island Lake Connie Mascillino resigned her Trustee position and was appointed Village Clerk by Mayor Debbie Herrmann.

Sam Cicero was appointed the new Trustee.

Debbie Herrmann

That’s what the agenda for the 7:30 Thursday night meeting says.

Read it for yourself:

6. Approval of Mayor’s appointment to fill Village Clerk vacancy

7. Approval of Mayor’s appointment to fill Village Trustee vacancy

The Mayor, in case you need reminding, is Debbie Herrmann.

Two of three challengers to Village President Debbie Herrmann's regime led in the McHenry County portion of Island Lake.

Again with the caveat that all early and absentee ballots may not be included in these totals, two out of three of the critics of the way Village President Debbie Herrman has run the Village of Island Lake came out victorious.

The women on the slate of challengers–Shannon Fox and Thea Morris–won convincingly, with Morris leading third and fourth-placed finishers Charles Cermak and one of his running mates Allen Muvine by over 50 votes, 612 to 559.

Cermak and Muvine got the same number of votes in this preliminary tally.

Placing last was Joe Ptak, the man who initiated the Pledge of Allegiance at the Garyslake League of Women Voter’s candidates’ night.

He was 35 vote behind the tied Cermak and Muvine and 42 votes behind Herrmann party candidate Mary Piekarski.

Ptak’s candidacy was endorsed by both Congressman Joe Walsh and State Senator Dan Duffy.

Besides the getting the boot sign, I think another says, ""$250,000 in (something, referring to the legal fees) Piggy Bank Broke." Maybe you can make out other signs by clicking to enlarge the picture.

“Spending Our Loot Will Get You the Boot,” reads the sign carried by one man in last week’s pre-Island Lake Village Board meeting demonstration in front of Village Hall.

"Stop Dictator Debbie," is one of the sign's message. Another says, "Pay Your Own Attorney's Fees."

Citizens backing opponents to Village President Debbie Herrmann turned out in force to express their opinions over what they considered excessive legal fees paid to Ancel Glink.

A video can be found here.

This is a scene from the video. "i, 2, 3, 4." Response: "We don't want an attorney war." "5, 6, 7, 8." Response: "Stop the suit. It's not too late."

I can’t remember more picketers outside of any other local village or city hall.

Into my inbox came campaign literature from one side of the Island Lake fight today.

It’s from the “Right Party.” These are the folks who opposed Village President Debbie Herrmann’s way of running the village.

You can read it below:

They are the first three on the ballot:

• Shannon Fox
• Thea Morris
• Joe Ptak

I see from the literature above that the Daily Herald has not endorsed Joe Ptak.

Little wonder, since his insistence that the League of Women Voters pledge Allegiance to the Flag at the group’s Grayslake candidates’ night probably led to the narrow defeat of Daily Herald favorite Melissa Bean by Joe Walsh.

This race has garnered endorsements for Ptak from now-Congressman Joe Walsh and State Senator Dan Duffy. Such involvement is unusual for legislators.

At the bottom of the ballot are Herrmann allies

• Charles Cermak
• Mary Piekarki
• Allen Murvine

A press release from the organizers of the demonstration:

“A protest is planned for Thursday, March 31 in front of the Island Lake village hall (located at 3720 Greenleaf Avenue) between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

From left to right, Ancel Glink Partner Stewart Diamond, Village President Debbie Herrmann with Trustee John Ponio in the foreground.

“Dozens of protesters are expected to show up and peacefully voice their disagreement with the Mayor’s recent action to file a lawsuit, using taxpayer funds to sue four Trustees who have made recent changes to ordinances, limiting the Mayor’s power to spend money on attorneys without board approval and to limit the involvement of the current (un-appointed) attorney in an attempt to halt the out of control spending of legal fees.

“The four trustees have moved to hire their own attorney at a lower rate who will represent them and village business at a much reduced annual amount.

“Currently the village has spent an estimated $250,000 on legal fees for the fiscal year that ends May 1. Only $90,000 was budgeted.

“The growing legal fees have been a growing issue in Island Lake and are the focus of the protest.

“Residents want the Mayor to work something out with the board over filing a lawsuit that will cost the taxpayers an estimated $20,000 or more.

The growing legal fees stem from

• numerous lawsuits,
• investigations of employees,
• firing of employees,
• excessive advice from lawyers on FOIA questions, versus using the PAC at no cost.

“Protesters want the spending to stop and they want the Mayor to drop the lawsuit and work with the board.

“The lawsuit was filed and is the next court date is scheduled for May 11.”

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More about the dispute here:

Island Lake Trustees Sack Ancel Glink

Attorney David McArdle made his pitch, an affirmative rebuttal to Steward Diamond's memo, at the beginning of the meeting in which the votes were not in quesiton.

The senior partner turned out for his firm’s firing by four out of six Trustees in Island Lake Monday night.

The distinguished looking, white haired Stewart Diamond was in his unmarked seat next to the Village President’s seat early for the special board meeting called to switch law firms representing the village.

The word was that the minority of three opponents to Village President Debbie Herrmann had turned into a majority of four.

First came a public comment section presentation by Crystal Lake municipal attorney David McArdle.

Steward Diamond

He spoke in rebuttal to a memo that Ancel Glink had prepared for the Trustees.

It basically said the Village President was the one who appointed the Village Attorney,

Ancel Glink Senior Partner Diamond explained at length that the Village President appointed the Village Attorney and that had been done by Herrmann’s predecessor.

“That is not allowed under Illinois law…If it should pass, I would recommend that the Mayor should veto it…It’s simply not allowed by law…We are in place…What you have before you tonight is just a waste of taxpayers’ money…(You are) encroaching upon the statutory authority (of the Village President)…If you act on this, it will simply result in more legal fees. It is ill conceived, ill drafted and improper.”

He added that the trustees dissatisfied with Ancel Glink’s services could obtain separate legal counsel.

Donald Saville and Connie Mascillino faced off during the firing debate.

There was some sparring between Trustee Connie Masciillio, who said she had reviewed seven months of legal bills and found $19,000 our of $36,000 would have occurred regardless of what law firm represented Island Lake, and Donald Saville.

Lauie Rabattini made the motions to transfer legal work from Ancel Glink to Zukowski Rogers Flood and McArdle.

Trustee Laura Rabattini, the blogger (“What’s Happening in Island Lake” blog) who won election to the board two years ago, made several carefully drafted motions to dump Ancel Glink and retain Zukowski, Rogers, Flood and McArdle at the rate of $165 per hour.

Voting for the measures were

• Laura Rabattini
• John Ponio, who lost to Village President Herrmann two years ago
• Donna O’Malley
• Donald Saville

On the left hand side of the seating arrangement was new lawyer proponent Donald Saville and opponents Connie Mascillio & Donald Verciglio. Attorney Steward Diamond and Village President Debbie Herrman can be seen at the end of the row.

In opposition were Masciillio and Verciglio and, of course, Herrmann, but she did not cast a vote since hers would have not changed the outcome.

Here’s what an Island Lake friend of McHenry County Blog wrote me about tonight’s village board meeting:

If you visit the Island Lake Blog (What’s Happening in Island Lake?) you will see that tonight’s agenda was

1. pass an ordinance that allowed fining a trustee $100 if that person did not quiet down when requested by the new mayor Debbie Herrmann (this was directed at trustee (Don) Saville and actually any trustee that was digging too deep)
2. accept the resignation of trustee Rich Garling, because he is not a resident of Island Lake
3. appoint ex-Trustee (Don) Versiglio to fill the seat of Garling

If you notice, Debbie Herrmann put the vote on ordinance in before Garling resigned, if the trustees voted, it would have been a three yes and three no with the Mayor breaking the tie.

Actually Garling has not been living in town for quite some time but she was going to use him on that vote tonight before he resigned.

John Ponio, (Laurie) Rabattini and (Don) Saville did not show up tonight and Herrmann did not have a quorum.

Meeting lasted 9 minutes and Mayor Herrmann was steaming.

She no longer has the votes to put in who she wants to fill the vacancy, it could be the good guys will be in the driver’s seat yet.

This can all be confirmed on the blog, the recording of the meeting is being posted right now.

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The head shot is of Rich Garling, whom neighbors say has not been seen at his home for a long time (snow not shoveled, etc.).