McHenry County Blog

Here are the details of those who failed to file a required Statement of Economic Interest in McHenry County this year.

Patrick Miller, a member of the McHenry Grade School District 15 Board, is the most prominent person to fail to file a Statement of Economic Interest this spring.

The penalty is the forfeiture of his board seat.

Miller was part of the incumbent coalition that homeschooling Dad John O’Neill cracked in 2007 when he came in third beating, Miller ally Geoffrey Sponholtz.

There was no contest this year as Miller and two newcomers ran for four-year terms and O’Neill sought re-election to a two-year term.

Besides Miller, there was a Lakemoor Park and Recreation Department Advisory Board member, a Hebron police officer and a Greenwood Planning Commissioner who failed to file what I call the “None, None, None” form.  To say it does not reveal much information is a large understatement.

The letter from the State’s Attorney’s Office informing Miller than he has forfeited his office by not filing the Statement of Economic Interest follows:

Looks like my raking leaves instead of attending the McHenry County Board meeting Tuesday resulted in not only missing the debate on whether or not to ban video slot machines (“video poker” to proponents of gambling expansion), but also a proposal for conflicts of interest disclosure.

The talented group of people grouped under the A-LAW banner have been kind enough to issue the following press release about their proposal:

McHenry County Economic Interests and Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Ordinance presented to County Board by ALAW,
Adoption Urged Before Primaries!

In an effort to restore the public trust in McHenry County officials, attorney members of the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water (ALAW) presented the county board with a proposed ordinance entitled

“McHenry County Economic Interests
and Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Ordinance.”

The perception that public officials commonly violate the public trust by placing personal gain over their duty to their constituents is insidious and has recently gained momentum here in McHenry County. This creates a climate of distrust, dissatisfaction and speculation that is harmful to all county residents and unfair to those public officials who are brought under suspicion simply by virtue of their office.

Drafted from similar existing local and state laws, the purpose of the ordinance is to restore the confidence of McHenry County residents in their elected and appointed officials.

The ordinance imposes stricter requirements for up-front disclosure of economic interests that might result in conflicts, including real estate interests, than currently in effect.

All elected and appointed county public officials and consultants, including members of county regulatory boards, and petitioners or applicants for said positions will be subject to the requirements of the ordinance, if it is adopted.

ALAW has urged the County Board to direct the ordinance to the proper reviewing committee and expedite it for adoption before the February 2nd Primary election.

Copies of the proposed ordinance will be viewable on the ALAW web site at https://sites.google.com/site/landagricultureandwater/home

Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water
PO Box 1021, Woodstock, IL 60098  alaw.mail@gmail.com

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ALAW had a questionnaire for county board candidates two years ago and ended up endorsing three candidates.  Besides pushing unsuccessfully for the creation of a Kishwaukee Valley Water Authority, A-LAW testified against building a baseball stadium at McHenry County College on Crystal Lake’s watershed.