McHenry County Blog

Here is the first campaign mail for the Grafton Township Supervisor’s race.

It is from incumbent Linda Moore.

Linda Moore, Grafton Township Supervisor

First Term in Office 2009-2013

Dear Grafton Twp. Resident,

The following postcard will be found in mailboxes soon. Campaign season for Grafton Township is in full swing.  Early voting starts Monday, February 11th.  Regular voting is February 26th at your normal voting location.  Please call me at 1-847-630-6325 if you are unsure of the time and place to vote, I will be happy to help.

I am running for Township Supervisor.  As supervisor I enlisted the help of a handful of citizens and saved $5 million dollars by stopping the unneccesary construction of a new town hall.  I also cut waste and raised efficiency in my office over the last four years.

The best way to lower taxes is to vote for candidates who will vote against raising your taxes while representing you on a taxing body board.  I voted against raising the taxes every year, and I will continue to do so if re-elected.

One of my goals for the next term is to require township employees and elected officials to contribute towards their health insurance premium.

May I count on your support at the polling place February 26th?

If you would like a yard sign, please contact me.  If you would like to make a campaign contribution, please mail a check to Committee to Elect Linda Moore, 13904 Harmony Road, Huntley IL  60142.

I would greatly appreciate an email or phone call from you, letting me know that you will be voting for me.

It is helpful to identify voters when campaigning.

Thank you.
1-847-630-6325
lindamooregt@gmail.com

Here is the text from the postcard:

Fellow Taxpayer,

As Grafton Township Supervisor, I’ve had my share of challenges.

Four years ago you chose me to be your voice to right the wrongs that undermined your power as a voter.  At that time, together with a handful of citizens who joined me, we successfully protected you from the unnecessary expense of a new town hall.

While enduring the outright insults and childish behavior of the trustees over the last 4 years, I have succeeded in cutting waste and improving efficiency at the township.  Watching any of the Grafton township meetings can only be described as disgraceful.

Change is never easy, but it’s time for us to move forward.

The citizens who joined me to stop the town hall are now running to replace these trustees.  I am thankful that they have stepped up and I am anxious to work with them to protect your rights and tax dollars.

With your support, February 26th, I will continue to work h ard to lower taxes in Grafton Township.

Sincerely,
Linda Moore

Please do not reply directly to this email. Send an email to lindamooregt@gmail.com

There’s a newspaper that circulates only in Sun City called Sun Day in which Linda Moore is placing inserts.

Part 1 can be found here.

Here’s the one that appeared on Thursday:

Part 2

(In part 1, I documented “Embattled Township Supervisor Outlines Her Conflict with the Carryover Trustees While Working to Reduce Taxes and Stop the New Town Hall.”)

In 2009 I successfully ran for office, pledging that I would fight for and save your tax dollars.

As your Grafton Township Supervisor, I stopped the waste of your money on an unnecessary $5.5 million dollar (including int.) new town hall.

Since that election the carryover elected board officials, using a “gotcha mentality,” tried everything possible to eliminate me as the barrier to their goal of this new town hall rather than working together for the good of the township.

My first term of office certainly has required courage and steadfast dedication to bring promised change and to save taxes.

As we enter 2013, there is very good news.

Three of the four current trustees will not be running for re – election. Video clips of the exiting trustees are available at www.electlindamoore.com to demonstrate the problems and behavior I faced during township meetings.

The platform of my opponents are solving are the problems of the current board.

With these three trustees exiting, the anger and personal agendas they have acted on will exit as well.

My opponents’ promises are hollow political trickery.

Some have asked why I opposed a new town hall.

It is simple and responsible; to save tax payer dollars.

Beware: new legislation has made it possible for the town board to build a town hall without your approval.

The threat is real.

I stand firm in my pledge that, if re-elected, we will not build a new town hall without your approval by referendum.

A vote for me is a vote to lower taxes…and a time-proven stand against a new town hall.

I am the only member of the board who has voted against increasing taxes for the last three years.

My first term has required much time and serious effort to putting out unnecessary and illegal fires and trying hard to work with angry trustees who don’t want change.

A second term under reasonable and cooperative conditions will allow me to pare down the spending significantly. I look forward to working for you with a fresh board of trustees.

Your vote will make it happen.

While I have accomplished a great deal by standing up and doing the right thing for Grafton Township residents and taxpayers,

I would appreciate the opportunity to work to save tax dollars during a second term of office.

Your vote for me will help to make this possible.

Linda Moore
Grafton Township Supervisor

With two months to go until the three-way Republican primary election for Grafton Township Supervisor, incumbent Linda Moore has released this campaign piece:

EMBATTLED TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR OUTLINES HER CONFLICT
WITH THE CARRYOVER TRUSTEES
WHILE WORKING TO REDUCE TAXES AND STOP THE NEW TOWN HALL

December 20, 2012

Part 1

Politics are rough enough, but get even worse when information is getting misstated or twisted by others. It is time to address the misinformation.

I ran for election in 2009, and started a citizen initiative to seek an injunction stopping the construction of a costly ($3.5 million, plus int.) and unneeded new town hall. The township board’s then current effort for this township hall was not lawfully entered into; and a judge granted an injunction stopping the illegal acts a month before I took office (*1).

Three of the four incumbent trustees were re-elected, and I was elected Supervisor. The three returning trustees were quite upset(*2). Those same trustees made many efforts to remove me from my elected position as the new Township Supervisor, and without legal authority hired my current opponent, Pam Fender early in 2010 (*3).

She immediately began taking over my duties, changing the locks on the office and passwords on the computers, answering my phone calls, and generally making it impossible for me to carry out the duties for which I was duly elected and sworn to fulfill, effectively stripping me of many powers(*4). Their goal was to accuse me of being guilty of failure to perform my duties, and to use her as a witness(*5).

The only recourse available to resolve the dilemma was to file suit against the trustees.

The court found in my favor, acting in the best interest of Grafton Township taxpayers. On December 10th, 2010, in a 37 page court order, a second court injunction ended the services of my adversary and the township attorney. This enabled me to return to the office and properly conduct Grafton Township business.

Recent legal bills incurred by the trustees average $8,777 monthly, totaling $70,216 for the last 8 months(*6). All court rulings adverse to the trustees are routinely appealed.

I do not have the authority to prevent the trustees’ actions or determine the propriety or reasonableness of their legal bills, only the ministerial duty to pay them after approval by these trustees(*10).

Due to my need to protect and defend the township, a small part of the legal bills are attributed to my office. These trustees wasted not only a half-million dollars (*7)of taxpayer funds on their illegal efforts to build a new town hall, but they have also spent another half-million dollars in their attempt to illegally remove me from office(*8).

I am also being attacked personally. During my term of office, my adversaries have contacted my family members and interfered in my life during the last the last 3 years for political and malicious gain. They have cost my family tens of thousands of dollars in legal bills and interfered in the care of some ill family members.

Despite this, my work and my commitment to Grafton Township residents to save tax dollars is not complete. We need to remain on duty and vigilant to stop any efforts to build a new town hall. My track record is evidence of that commitment, and more work must be done to ensure we win this fight.

A new building wasn’t needed in 2009 and it is not needed today or tomorrow. The existing building is sound, fully functional and quite adequate in size.

We don’t need distractions, distortions or deceptions when it comes to township business. The real issue is that Grafton Township could do its job for a lot less money. We need to reduce your taxes.I am the only board member to vote consistently against increasing taxes(*9). I plan to lower taxes for the next four years, and continue working hard to prevent wasteful spending.

With your support, I will win re-election in the township primary February 26, 2013.

Sincerely,

LINDA MOORE
Grafton Township Supervisor
lindamooregt@gmail.com
1-847-630-6325 cell

Resources
*1- Ziller v Rossi court order April 2009
*2- video recording of board meetings www.graftontownshipsupervisor.us
*3 – Moore v. Grafton Twp., court order December 2010, page 33, paragraph 2
*4 – Moore v. Grafton Twp., court order December 2010, page 31, paragraph 2
*5 – Moore v. Grafton Twp., court order December 2010, page 14
*6 – www.graftontownshipsupervisor.us homepage
*7 – www.graftontownshipsupervisor.us “Failed Town Hall Expenses” spreadsheet
*8 – www.graftontownshipsupervisor.us “Total Legal Bills Incurred in Effort to Remove Supervisor”
*9 – www.graftontownshipsupervisor.usTax Levy Ordinance, December 2010, 11, 12 board meeting minutes.
*10 – Moore v Grafton Twp., October 17, 2011, court ruling on page 14 of transcript.

Paid for by the committee to Elect Linda Moore

A press release from Grafton Township Supervisor candidate Marty Waitzman:

Marty Waitzman – Position Statement on Grafton Township Building

ALGONQUIN, IL – I have had many conversations with residents and news reporters who wanted to know whether or not I believe there is a need in Grafton Township for the acquisition or construction of a new Township Building.

I will not criticize, nor applaud, the opinions of those individuals who were involved in the past controversy surrounding the proposed Township Building.

Finger- pointing, mudslinging, and polarization need to stop.

I am committed to running a positive campaign, so I will leave the past where it belongs—in the past.

To quote the press release which announced my candidacy, I stated in pertinent part,

“Marty’s objective is to build a Grafton Township government that will work hard, smart, and efficiently for the community.

“Marty is a fiscal conservative who knows how to do more with less, and how to work collaboratively and respectfully with both community members and government officials and employees.”

I wish to clearly state my position on the acquisition or construction of a new Township Building.

Consistent with the objective quoted in the previous paragraph, I believe that with today’s disastrous economic conditions and the current suffering endured by Grafton Township’s citizens, the acquisition or construction of a new Township Building today would be fiscally irresponsible and unnecessary.

Accordingly, I do not support or advocate such an undertaking.

I believe that township activities can be accomplished with some minor improvements and updates to the present Township facility. These can be done over time and as funds are available.

By way of illustration, it has been publically disclosed that the Assessor’s office is currently operating with an electrical system that is dangerously inadequate.

The potential loss of real estate data due to an electrical calamity is very real.

The horrific impact on property owners in the Township and on all of McHenry County would be enormous.

The costs and time that would be necessary to rebuild the Assessor’s data base would undoubtedly be gigantic.

I understand the electrical inadequacies can be fixed for under $4,000.

That is the type of necessary, responsible, and reasonably priced improvement and update that I not only support, but highly recommend.

For more information, please contact Marty Waitzman at (847) 450-4950, marty@waitzman2013.com, or visit www.waitzman2013.com.

= = = = =

Waitzman is running against incumbent Linda Moore and fellow challenger Pam Fender.

A response from Moore concerning the electrical needs portion of the press release above can be found here.

Linda Moore campaigned against the new Grafton Township Hall the Township Board under Supervisor John Rossi had approved without giving sufficient public notice (according to Judge Michael Caldwell).

Linda Moore offered the following advice to McHenry County citizens about Democrat State Rep. Jack Franks’ proposal to change county government from a parliamentary system to a strong executive system:

“Good Morning, my name is Linda Moore and I am the Grafton Township Supervisor. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to this honorable board of representatives this morning.

“I would like to offer a different point of view on the issue of electing the county board chairman at large.

“Historically, the county board was the county board of supervisors, township supervisors. This means that our county board government was founded on township law.

“In current township law, there exists a five member board which includes four trustees and a supervisor. Each position is elected individually by the residents, including the township supervisor.

“You could say we are elected at large.

“By law, the supervisor is the chairman of the board or Chief Executive Officer and treasurer. The supervisor is required to sign all township checks and administers general assistance for those in financial difficulty. We are the only official who is bonded.

“Supervisors are responsible for the day to day administration of the township.

“This general structure holds true for municipal & village governments as well.

Linda Moore campaigns at the Huntley Business Expo.

“I was successfully elected as township supervisor on a platform of responsible government and a referendum to stop the construction of a new town hall.

“However, the trustees who were elected to serve with me were clearly in favor of the new town hall.

“I was elected as Chairman of the Township Board based on my representation of the elector’s wishes.

“Due to the diverse perspectives of this board, I have experienced and endured the wrath of these trustees for the entire duration of my term of office. Many municipalities are having similar experiences to those of Grafton Township.

“If the county board elects its chairman at large in a fashion similar to township and municipal government, there is a very real chance you may find this board in a similar situation and state of dis-function as we are experiencing in area municipalities and in Grafton Township.

“You, the county board, could avoid this problem and address the public’s concerns by embracing an internal policy of term limits for your chairman / vice-chairman and continuing to allow the county board representatives to elect their own chairman from those representatives that win re-election in November.”

With the election for Grafton Township officials up next spring, both sides are gearing up to get their messages across. Below you see what Township Supervisor Linda Moore mailed out. It was paid for by her campaign fund.

Linda Moore, Grafton Township Supervisor

13904 Harmony Road
Huntley, IL 60142
1-847-630-6325
April 3, 2012

Dear Grafton Township Voters,

As the April 17th income tax deadline approaches, I am sure you are as frustrated with the waste in government as I am.

Over the last few years, Grafton Township residents have been subjected to a gross and unreasonable waste of tax dollars. Our prior board made inappropriate decisions regarding the sale, purchase, building and lease of Township properties. My election to office in 2009, coupled with a citizens’ initiated lawsuit against the Grafton Township Board, resulted in a successful referendum against the building of an unnecessary multi-million dollar town hall. We still have three of the same Trustees, the same Assessor and Road Commissioner in office who gave their full support to the unlawful acts.

They have tried everything possible to remove me from office. They have spent the last three years trying to usurp my authority. Typical of “spin politics”, they blame me for their wasteful spending on legal bills and on lawsuits. (They even voted against using “Roberts Rules of Order” at our township board meetings. Insults and personal attacks towards me are the daily “norm” in this political environment.)

WE, THE PEOPLE, ARE PAYING FOR THESE LEGAL BILLS.

If we didn’t have these legal bills, we could decrease the township levy.

Some law firms encourage discord on township boards thereby running up their bills and increasing the law firm’s profits. In our case, one lawyer was restrained from acting or attempting to act as the township attorney.

Thankfully, township government is unlike any other form of government. We have Annual Town meetings where any current Grafton Township registered voter can vote on certain Township business items.

On April 10th at 6:00 PM there will be a Special Grafton Town Meeting to address those items your trustees would not allow on the agenda for the 7:00 PM Annual Grafton Town Meeting. These meetings will be held at Heinemann Middle School, 725 Academic Drive, Algonquin, Illinois.

The Road Commissioner borrowed $700,000 to buy the township property, thereby generating a large amount of cash to contribute toward the town board’s failed new town hall project. You, the electors, told our township board to pay back our Commissioner’s loan two years ago. But, they didn’t. He has surplus funds from over levying in a money market and can retire this debt. Instead, our Commissioner is paying 5% interest on the loan while holding the surplus funds for the last twelve months earning less than 1% interest.

This does not make sense. He is even asking the township to pay him back rent on an unlawful lease.

(The electors never gave the required mandatory approval of this lease for the township offices or the purchase of the township property). You can vote to direct the Road Commissioner and Town Board to return the property deed and retire this debt within 10 days by YOUR direct action at the 6:00 PM meeting.

In fact, your vote will make a difference in court.

By voting yes to the agenda items at the 6:00 PM Special Grafton Town Meeting and no to the resolution at the 7:00 PM Annual Grafton Town Meeting you will make it clear to the court that you want this debt retired and the property deed returned now.

PLEASE COME AND VOTE! Plan to attend both meetings and come early to sign in. Feel free to call me with any questions or for additional information at 1-847-630-6325.

Sincerely,

Linda Moore
Grafton Township Supervisor

Paid for by Committee to Elect Linda Moore, no tax dollars were used to send you this message.

In fact, all seventeen McHenry County Townships will be holding their annual town meetings on Tuesday night.

Grafton’s has been the most interesting for the past three years because of the contention among the two sides.

At all three meetings since Linda Moore won the election for Township Supervisor, the fight has revolved around the township hall that the old board illegally approved.  (And, that’s not my opinion, it is that of Circuit Clerk Judge Michael Caldwell and the 2nd Appellate Court, which upheld his decision.)

In any event in the first meeting, in 2009, there was a tie vote to approve a new township hall.

The motion lost, because ties lose.

In the 2010 meeting Moore marshaled enough people who want the township loan paid off that her forces carried the day.

Last year, Moore was unsuccessful in getting a majority of the meeting attendees on her side.

As was the case last year, there will be two meetings, one right after the other.

Both will be held at Heineman Middle School, 725 Academic Drive, Algonquin.

The first starts at 6 PM. You can see the agenda below:

2012 GRAFTON TOWNSHIP SPECIAL ANNUAL TOWN MEETING

PUBLIC NOTICE GRAFTON TOWNSHIP 2012 SPECIAL ANNUAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, to the legal voters, residents of the Town if Grafton Township in the County of McHenry and State of Illinois, that the Annual Town Meeting of said Township will take place on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, being the second Tuesday of the said month, at the hour of 6:00 PM at Heineman Middle School, 725 Academic Drive, Algonquin, IL 60102 for the transaction of the miscellaneous business of the said Township; and after a Moderator having been elected, will proceed to hear and consider reports of officers, and decide on such measures as may, in pursuance of law, come before the meeting; and especially to consider and decide the following:

I. Call to Order

II. Pledge of Allegiance

III. Explanation of Procedures

IV. Selection/Oath of Moderator

A. Nomination for Moderator

B. Close of Nominations for Moderator

C. Vote to Elect Moderator

D. Administration of Moderator’s Oath of Office

E. Signing of Moderator’s Oath

V. Adoption of Rules

A. Discussion and possible action on Motion to adopt Robert’s Rules of Order as the sole rules of Grafton Township with no amendments for the 2012 Annual Town Meeting.

VI. Approval of the Minutes from the April 12, 2011 Special Annual Town Meeting.

VII. New Business

Pursuant to 60 ILCS 1/30-10, The objects of the meeting, which are relevant to the powers granted to the electors under the Illinois Township Code, are as follows: The electors, having had their authority ignored and contravened by the Township Trustees and Road Commissioner, make the following direction regarding the property commonly known as 10109 Vine Street, Huntley, Illinois, pursuant to the authority of the electors, 60 ILCS 1-30-50, to make all orders for the sale, purchase or conveyance of Township corporate property (including the direct sale of single township road district property). The electors specifically find that the deed to the property has not been transferred as required by resolution 2010 ATM 1 and that the actions taken in the Intergovernmental Agreement dated February 10, 2011 were not authorized by the electors. The electors find these actions to be willful violations of the direction of the electors. As a result, the electors deem to be in the best interest and conductive to both the Road District and Township that:

A. The Road District, within ten (10) days, deliver warranty deed to the property located at 10109 Vine Street, Huntley, Illinois to Grafton Township and legally described in resolution 2010 ATM 1. In lieu of any balance remaining on the sale price provided by the electors at the 2010 annual meeting owed by Grafton Township, the Grafton Township Road District shall pay no rent to Grafton township for the term of the lease between Grafton Township as landlord and Grafton Township Road District as tenant for the garage portion of the premises, other than provided in elector resolution 2010 ATM 1, for a period of twenty (20) years. The electors specifically do not authorize any additional leases of any real property between Grafton Township and Grafton Township Road District except a twenty year lease of the garage portion of 10109 Vine Street to the Grafton Township Road District under the terms provided herein and in resolution 2010 ATM 1. To the extent that any other leases have been executed outside of this authority, Grafton Township Road District and Grafton Township are directed to take all steps necessary to cancel said agreements, including the Intergovernmental Agreement dated February 10, 2011. Pursuant to this authority, the electors require that any debts incurred as a result of, incident to, or for the purpose of effectuating the transfer, at any time by any entity, of 10109 Vine Street be extinguished, defeased, or repaid to the greatest extent permitted by law within ten (10) days.

B. A resolution of the electors to direct the Township Supervisor to engage the services of a Realtor, for a fee not to exceed six percent (6%) of the sales price, to auction or otherwise sell the property on Haligus Road under the authority and conditions contained in Resolution No. 2010 ATM 8. Further, the resolution shall censure the Town Board for failing to accept an offer of $100,000 for the township property at 9260 Haligus Road pursuant to the Resolution No. 2010 ATM 8, of the electors at the April 2010 Annual  Meeting of the electors filed by the township clerk April 19th, 2010.

VIII. Public Comment

IX. Adjournment

The agenda of the regular Town Meeting is below:

Say what you will about Grafton Township Supervisor Linda Moore, but she has come up with an idea that will help people save money on food.

She has arranged for the Grafton Township Hall to be a pick-up site for a program called SHARE Food Buying Co-op.

Here’s a press release from Moore explaining the program:

Supervisor Linda Moore is pleased to announce that the Grafton Township Town Hall, 10109 Vine Street, Huntley is now a pick-up site for SHARE food.

SHARE is a non-profit food buying club that offers good, nutritious products at a reduced cost through a volunteer-run, community based distribution system.  anyone can be a member of SHARE.  there are no membership fees or eligibility requirements.

Please see the attached flyer for information about SHARE, a food buying cooperative.

Detailed flyers are available at the township or online.

Orders can be placed at www.sharewi.org or by calling 1-800-548-2124, or call the township office 847-669-3328.

You can also place an order by dropping off your check or cash with your order form at the township office no later than February 7, 2012.

The food will be available for pick-up on February 25th at 10 am at the Grafton Township Office.

Grafton Township Supervisor Linda Moore has never given up on the idea that Grafton Township government should run a food pantry.

The one run by former Supervisor John Rossi, reportedly organized as a not-for-profit organization in order to obtain food from the Northern Illinois Food Depository, moved lock, stock and barrel to a new location south of the McHenry-Kane County line in 2010.

Its independence was questioned by Grafton Township’s outside auditors Evans Marshall and Pease.  Nothing could be found in the Township minutes by the auditing fire to show it is not still a “component unit” of the Township, to put in auditor speak.

Today, the Daily Herald features the shortages at Township Hall’s Food Pantry in a front page article.

The Food Pantry shelves in the room that Grafton Township Road Commissioner Jack Freund is attempting to claim, were found to be empty, according to the story.

“…a mother-daughter team took up a collection among their Huntley neighbors and used the money to help fill the pantry with food. They had visited the pantry recently and were shocked at how bare it was,” according to Moore, as seen in Lenore Adkins’ story.

ABC TV reporter Leah Hope was out during the mid-day picking up on the Daily Herald’s story.  Channel 7 will have a story at 5 o’clock, she told Moore.