Dianne Klemm
She replied,
“I will do the very best I can to keep the levy flat and not raise taxes.
“I will not make a promise I may not be able to keep since the Supervisor does not have total control over that issue.”
As I reported eight days ago, Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Bob Miller, unopposed for re-election, was trying to take control of the Algonquin Township Board. Maybe I should say “keep control.”
He contributed $1,000 to Marc Munaretto in his campaign to unseat Supervisor Dianne Klemm. While Munaretto ran a superior campaign, Klemm’s superior name identification led her to a convincing victory.
Bob Miller has supported monetarily stand next to each other on Algonquin Road.
For Township Trustee, Miller contributed another $1,000 to Lowell Cutsforth’s campaign.
Shortly thereafter, signs started popping up promoting a slate of four candidates for Township Trustee:
On the other side were three candidates:
As you can see below, those three bested all of Miller’s Trustee candidates. The fourth winner, who came in second, was incumbent Shea, a former Fox River Grove Village President and McHenry County Board member.
Sitting on the Township Board will be the top four vote getters.
Now, as evidenced by the salary increases approved by Trustees Shea, Cutsforth and Linda Lance, who ran for Clerk against Chuck Lutzow and lost, allies of Miller control the Algonquin Township Board.
After the newly-nominated, but certain-to-be elected, township officials are sworn in, four of five Board members will carry the memory that Miller tried to defeat them.
While the Township Road District is run by Miller with little oversight from the Board, there may be some.
Marc Munaretto
Dianne Klemm
Because most Republican Precinct Committeemen do not distribute literature in their neighborhoods, it probably essential that candidates who want to get their messages out use the U.S. Postal System.
Friday, a second post card arrived from challenger Marc Munaretto arrived by Third Class mail.
Saturday, a post card about half the size of Munaretto’s came via First Class mail.
Munaretto was probably able to pay for the larger piece out of the postage he saved by using what is usually a slower mail delivery option.
A couple of weeks before every election, Postal regulations require that Bulk Mail identified as “political mail” be delivered just like First Class mail.
The address side of Marc Munaretto’s post card.
The front and back of this post card from Marc Munaretto is the same as the one sent about a week ago.
While on the screen Dianne Klemm’s post card looks about as large as Marc Munaretto’s, it is about half the size. The print on the actual copy is very small and difficult to read.
The back of Dianne Klemm’s post card.
The following arrived recently from Algonquin Township Supervisor candidate Marc Munaretto. He is running against incumbent Dianne Klemm.
The address side of Marc Munaretto’s post card.
The back of Marc Munaretto’s post card.
= = = = =
If you get political mail, please scan it and send it to McHenry County Blog.
A press release from Algonquin Township Supervisor Dianne Klemm:
Algonquin Township Supervisor, Dianne Klemm, is running for re-election. She is in her 3rd. term after replacing the previous supervisor who retired.
The Supervisor serves as Chairman and a voting member of the Township Board of Trustees and is the Supervisor of General Assistance.
Dianne Klemm
“My many years serving local government makes this position suitable to my varied experience.
“The supervisor is also the treasurer of the township and I am careful that in these economic times the township funds earn the best possible return on investments.
“During my tenure as Supervisor I have implemented a computer program for the efficient administration of General Assistance. General Assistance rules are ever-changing and you must use your good judgment when administering help to the needy in Algonquin Township. The poor economy has increased the need for assistance.
“As of this fiscal year, starting April 1st, we have frozen the first two years of the elected officials salaries, including the Supervisors. We are also keeping our levy the same as last year.
“The Algonquin Township budget is balanced and the calendar is filled with citizens use of the building.
“I see no need for taxes to increase in the future.”
= = = = =
Klemm is running against Township Clerk Marc Munaretto.
= = = = =
Candidates who wish press releases posted can email them to the address on the left of the page.
A well-placed Marc Munaretto billboard coming into Cary from Crystal Lake.
In the race for Algonquin Township Supervisor, incumbent Dianne Klemm is losing the sign race.
Munaretto has bought the best locations that Liberty Outdoor Advertising has to offer and has good color contrast on his billboards and smaller signs.
He will need significant name identification to overcome that which State Senator Dick Klemm and his ex-wife Dianne have built up over the years.
Before winning the post of Supervisor, Dianne Klemm served as Chairman of the McHenry County Board.
Lots of name ID.
Munaretto held two elective posts prior to deciding not to run for re-election for County Board-Township Clerk and County Board. (Because of population growth, state law prohibited that.)
Both candidates have dipped into their own pockets to finance their campaigns.
$12,000 for Klemm and $4,100 for Munaretto
Reportable outside contributions to Munaretto include
Munaretto, however, may not have widespread party and activist support.
Dianne Klemm briefly addressed those attending her fund raiser
On Wednesday night, Klemm held a successful fund raiser at the Cottage in Crystal Lake, ironically located one tote over the Nunda-Algonquin Township line.
Three county officials, Coroner Anne Majewski, County Clerk Kathie Schultz and Auditor Pam Palmer got caught in this photo, along with former Centegra President Paul Laudick.
There was a good representation of folks who had worked with her as County Board Chairman.
Former State Rep. Rosemary Kurtz was sitting next to Recorder of Deeds Phyllis Walters.
Not only countywide officials were in attendance, however. McHenry Township Supervisor Donna Schaefer, who served on the County Board with Klemm and is unopposed for re-election came with her husband Gary.
McHenry Township Supervisor Donna Schaefer can be seen in the middle of the photo
It was a well-attended event.
Algonquin Township Trustee candidate Larry Emery makes pitch to Cary GOP Precinct Committeeman Demetri Tsilimigras.
Some on the ballot for township office were there advancing their candidacies, like Larry Emery, seen above with a name tag that told he was running for Algonquin Township Trustee.
McHenry County Board member Donna Kurtz was sen chatting with Algonquin Township- Clerk candidate Chuck Lutzow.
Besides Chuck Lutzow, running for Algonquin Township Clerk, and Larry Emery, a candidate for Township Trustee, Nunda Township Road Commissioner Don Kopsell was in attendance.
Don Kopsell was talking with Mr. and Mrs. Mark Daniel.
And there was a candidate for the McHenry County College Board, Tom Wilbeck, who ran for County Board in District 2, but got edged out. To his right is Bill Prim, a candidate for the Republican nomination for Sheriff in 2014.
Tom Wilbeck, who is running for McHenry County College Board advanced his candidacy by promising not to sell bonds without referendum approval. To his left is Bill Prim, who is running for McHenry County Sheriff in 2014
There were plenty more people there. See if you can pick someone out you know from the crowd scene below:
Holding the camera above my head, here’s the shot of the crowd I got at Dianne Klemm’s fund raiser.
Algonquin Township Supervisor Dianne Klemm has scheduled a fund raiser at The Cottage in Downtown Crystal Lake.
It will run from 5;30-7:30 and costs $30.
For that price, as you can imagine, there will be a cash bar.
Dianne Klemm has scheduled a fund raiser at The Cottage on January 23rd.
An email from Algonquin Township Clerk Marc Munaretto, who is running against incumbent Supervisor Dianne Klemm for that office:
Marc Munaretto
“Here is some information about the Township’s financial stewardship under Supervisor Klemm that might be interesting to your readers.
“Did you know that, despite the fact that the Township has enough cash in reserve to pay for almost a full year of Township expenses, Supervisor Klemm continues to increase the levy? [This was received before last night's meeting.]
“Moreover, she has increased the levy in each of the last 4 years by $123,000.
“And, budgeted town fund expenses rose by $300,000 last year over the previous year.
“I know that the Supervisor’s plan now, in response to the NW Herald article last week, is to rebate the increase in the levy that was adopted last November.
“As an acclaimed ‘tax fighter’ I imagine this kind of financial stewardship must give you pause.
“I know that it is upsetting to our electorate when their elected officials don’t get it.
“Our taxpayers are fed up with rising property taxes and declining property values.
“I think Algonquin Township can be a better financial steward under my leadership if I am elected Supervisor.”
Algonquin Township Board in November.
After the November meeting of the Algonquin Township Board, I wrote this article about how taxes would be increased, even though the levy approved was the same as the year before.
Monday, Township Supervisor Dianne Klemm put an item on the agenda that, if approved, would allow her to lower the amount to be taxed once the McHenry County Clerk finishes her part of the tax cycle.
Although I was not at the meeting, I’m told that her proposal passed 5-0.
That will mean a slight tax decrease for Algonquin Township taxpayers this year.
A press release from Linda Moore:
Linda Moore
At the December meeting of the Grafton Township Board, Supervisor Linda Moore proposed keeping taxes constant, but Trustees LaPorta, Murphy and Zirk voted in the maximum taxes without a public hearing.
In order for a local government to collect about the same as last year, its levy must be pretty close to the amount collected last year. That figure is called the “extension.”
Because there is some growth, a tax district could actually raise its levy a (the county assessor says about one-quarter of one percent for the county as a whole) tiny bit without raising bills on last year’s taxpayers.
Last year the extension for the combination of the Grafton Town Fund and the General Assistance Fund was $1,070,637.
The levy passed in December for this coming year was $1,102,142.00.
So, unless something is done quickly, Grafton Township taxpayers will have to come up with an extra $31,505 more.
Now, the Grafton Township Board of Trustees has been denied a second chance as a result of the Clerk Harriet Ford.
Supervisor Linda Moore requested the following item on Thursday’s agenda posted by the Clerk:
Resolution to authorize the Supervisor to amend the Levy to last year’s extension.
As I understand the process, there is a short window of opportunity after the County Clerk’s Office decides what the tax rate will be and how much taxes will be extracted from taxpayers’ pockets.
In that perhaps less than a week’s time frame, a district may make a last minute change.
For these reasons, Supervisor Linda Moore has posted a separate agenda. This agenda will give Trustees Zirk, LaPorta, McMahon and Murphy another opportunity to adopt last year’s taxes to match the amount received last year.
If a resolution authorizes the Township Supervisor Moore to lower the levy to last year’s extension (pretty much the amount collected), Grafton Township taxpayers could actually have seen a small tax cut because the amount to be collected would be shared by not only the taxpayers of last year, but the new taxpayers of this year.
The meeting will start at 7:30 pm at the Huntley Park District.
It is my understanding every tax district could make such last minute changes.
= = = = =
The story about what Dianne Klemm is doing can be found here.
Latest Posts
