McHenry County Blog

Looks like a friend of Jack Franks has a correction. He/she apparently got the phone call and says, “This entire post is a blatant fabrication and a lie. I received the poll too, and it clearly indicated it was from an outside group.”

So, it appears someone else polled with the intent of giving Jack Franks the results, if it turned out the way the unidentified “outside group” wanted.

Correction duly noted and article moved up so people can see the new information.

Also noted is that the person making the comment used a fake email address.

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A message to Democrat Jack Franks at the demonstration in front of his office.

Apparently actively considering voting to approve the gay marriage bill, State Rep. Jack Franks has phone calls being made asking the following question:

“Would you vote to re-elect Jack Franks in 2014 if he votes for same-sex marriage?”

Franks voted for the civil unions bill, but had no opponent on the ballot to test his continuing drift to the Left, even though Tea Party activist Tonya Franklin volunteered for the challenge.  (She was shot down by local Republican Party leaders.)

Late last month a group over 100 picketed Franks’ Route 47 Woodstock office, but he didn’t have time to speak to anyone on the subject.

Something in Chicago was more important.

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If you got a call like this, please let us know any other details.

John O’Neill, a leader in the Saturday demonstration against State Rep. Jack Franks’ co-sponsorship of a bill that would statutorily codify the legalize abortion in Illinois during the last trimester of pregnancy, sends the following information about the rally against gay marriage in the same Woodstock location.

(See “Jack Franks Goes to the Dark Side” and “Anatomy of a Demonstration.”)

Basia O’Neill and daughter hold a poster saying, “Marriage equals 1 man + 1 woman.”

The anti-same sex marriage rally in front of Jack Franks’ office Monday.

The stop sign echoes the message picketers delivered to State Rep. Jack Franks about voting for the gay marriage bill.

John O’Neill holds a sign saying, “Google Massachuets transgender rules.”

A colorful “Defend Marriage Illinois” sign can be seen here.

The universal symbol for “No” is superimposed on the words “Gay Marriage” on one sign in this photo.

“Kids need their Mom and their Day,” says one sign.

The photo does not capture what God’s message to State Rep. Jack Franks is.

“No to re-defining marriage” is the message on the only readable sign. Meanwhile State Rep. Jack Franks is taking off on double-dipping public officials after having been in office over twelve years.

“Rep. Franks vote to defend marriage” was the message of the day.

“Vote No SB 10″ pretty much sums up the crowd’s message.

Demonstrators gathered in March 2009 to protest Jack Franks’ co-sponsorship of a bill (HB2354) to codify Supreme Court decisions that allow a baby to be aborted the day before delivery.

When Democratic Party State Representative Jack Franks signed on to co-sponsor a bill that would please the very pro-abortion Personal PAC, Pro-Lifers came out to picket his Woodstock office on Route 47 near the train overpass.

• See story one here.
• See story two here.

History is repeating itself Monday, when social conservatives have scheduled a demonstration at 11 AM to protest his refusal to take to them about potential support for the Gay Marriage bill

Franks voted for the Civil Union bill, so his refusal to talk to the Gay Marriage bill’s opponents have led them to believe he will vote for it as well.

Here is the email that I received about Monday’s event:

Please come one and all to join us at Rep. Jack Franks office in Woodstock, Monday morning at 11:30 am in SUPPORT OF TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE.

“His office is located on Rt. 47 and Lake St. near the overpass. The address is actually 1193 S. Eastwood Dr (Rt. 47) in Woodstock.

“PLEASE BRING SIGNS EXPRESSING YOUR SUPPORT FOR TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE; ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN!

“SINCE HE IS TOO BUSY TO SEE US IN HIS OFFICE OR IN A HOME MEETING, WE THOUGHT HE MAY TAKE NOTE OF THOSE WHO CARE ENOUGH TO COME TO HIM.

“We will assemble at 11:30 and go through the lunch hour as it is a very busy time on Rt. 47, which is located right in the heart of the business district in Woodstock.

“Please share this with other like-minded people who care deeply about the proposed redefinition of marriage and its impact on our families, religious liberty, our schools where the ‘normalization of homosexuality will be promoted K-12, etc.

“We realize this is short notice, but Rep. Franks is leaving for Springfield where the progress of this bill is moving quickly. Our message is VOTE NO ON SAME-SEX ‘MARRIAGE.’

“You can also call his office, or email him directly:

• Woodstock: 815-334-0063 815-334-9147 email: jack@jackfranks.org
• Springfield: 217-782-1717 Fax: 217-557-2118″

The top of the Jan. 30th Tribune article.

David McSweeney knows how to pick ‘em.

And Jack Franks has been a master of gaining publicity for virtually his entire 14-year legislative career.

McSweeney came up with the idea to reform the alternative revenue bond process and had a bill drafted.

The changes he proposes and Franks buys into would give the taxpayer s of McHenry County College a change at defeating ill-conceived projects like the minor league baseball stadium and the proposed health club at the ballot box, rather than paying higher taxes for a couple of decades if the revenue stream identified to pay off non-referendum bonds turns into a trickle.

For those who don’t dip into McHenry County Blog that often, alternative bonds are a method approved by a previous state legislature that allow government entities, such as Lakewood with its early 1990′s golf course purchase, to borrow money for projects without going to referendum.

The premise in Lakewood’s case was that golf course revenues would pay off the bonds.

And who came up with the projections?

It was a golf course management company with no skin in the game.

I feel so personally involved because I and other Lakewood homeowners paid 53% of the cost of an amenity which I have never used.

The alternative bond document forced subsequent village trustees to flay repayments off the hides of us taxpayers.

McHenry County College is now trying to do this in order to build a health club and classrooms.

That addition space will cost a lot more than the now-re-named RedTail Golf Course, although the price per homeowner, if muscled through by the MCC Board and the revenue projected by the health club operator company Power Wellness don’t pan out, would probably be far less than the $500 a year that I remember paying.

There is currently a way that taxpayers can force a referendum when a taxing district like McHenry County College decides to borrow money without asking voters for permission, but the number of signatures needed on a petition is virtually impossible to gather.

In MCC’s case, state law now says that signatures of 7.5% of the registered voters must sign the petition.

That’s 7.5% of 182,766 voters.

Multiply that out.

My hand multiplication tells me that’s 13,709 signatures.

A bit more than the 500 that Jack Franks had to gather to put the County Executive referendum on the ballot, so he can certainly understand the statutory hurdle of those wishing to stop their tax bill from going up because of alternative revenue bonds.

The McSweeney-Franks bill would lower the petition signature number to 5% of the voters or 500 signatures, whichever is less.

The legislative proposal would also increase the length of time to gather those signatures from 30 to 90 days.

That would at least give the taxpayers a chance if the junior college decides it wants to borrow over $40 million without asking voters’ permission.

Besides the Tribune article on Wednesday and mine on Tuesday, the Northwest Herald has one today.

While the Tribune did not make the McHenry County College connection, the NWH did in its first sentence:

“Legislation filed this week in Springfield could make it harder for McHenry County College to fund its proposed expansion.”

And, the sub-headline reads, “The locally sponsored legislation could affect MCC plans.”

The article even mentions RedTail Golf Course.

The Crystal Lake Park District regularly sells bonds without a referendum. That’s how the West Beach House was financed. There are two seats on the Park Board which have no candidates. Two write-ins could win, but candidates have to register their intention to run. Email me if you are interested.

And a commenter under the article “Patrick F” of Cary points out that the Cary Park District was planning to buy a golf course (its second) with bonds not approved by voters.  (I believe he is mixing up the power that all park districts and other local tax districts that had non-referendum bonding in 1994–may be a year off.  State legislation I actively opposed allowed those with unpaid non-referendum bonds to forever use the amount being paid back in the year in question to finance new borrowing without voter approval.  That is how the Crystal Lake Park District is financing its new West Beach House.)

See articles summary of Tribune articles about what happened to Lakewood homeowners here:

• Lakewood Red(Ink)Tail Golf Club Alternative Revenue Bond Failure Featured in Chicago Tribune – Part 1
• Lakewood Red(Ink)Tail Golf Club Alternative Revenue Bond Failure Featured in Chicago Tribune – Part 2

Tuesday’s McHenry County Blog article (“McSweeney and Franks Send Shot Across McHenry County College’s Bow) about newly-introduced House Bill 983 can be found here.

On January 7th, the Northwest Herald headline read, “MCC: No need to tap taxpayers,” The sub-headline read, “College says it won’t go to referendum for proposed expansion.”

Interpret this press release as you wish, but I think the bill is aimed at McHenry County College.

It could be aimed at abuses in Lakewood from over twenty years ago when the Village Board sold alternative revenue bonds to buy a golf course.

That abuse, in which Lakewood sold bonds backed by golf course revenues which fell 53% short of paying back the borrowed money, was featured, along with other similar, non-Home Rule municipal abuses in which villages made an end-run around taxpayers was featured in the Sunday Chicago Tribune on January 6th.

January 6th was one day before the Northwest Herald ran an article on its front page reassuring readers that tax dollars wold not be needed to pay for the proposed more than $40-plus million health club, et al.

In any event, here is the joint press release:

McSweeney-Franks Aim to End Alternate Revenue Bond Abuses

McHenry County –State Representative David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) and State Representative Jack Franks (D-Marengo) have filed HB983; a bipartisan effort to ensure greater fiscal accountability.

Recent press reports have exposed how the current alternate revenue bond law has facilitated risky deals that have resulted in increased local taxes.

If passed, the new legislation would address the ease at which alternative revenue bonds are issued because the current process sidesteps taxpayers and property tax caps in many cases.

David McSweeney

“This is a common sense bill that allows taxpayers to more easily organize a referendum to oppose local borrowing proposals,” said McSweeney.

“We are talking about large sums of taxpayer money.

“Property taxes are skyrocketing while local governments keep borrowing for what they want and cannot afford.”

For alternate revenue bonds, HB 983 provides for measures to encourage fiscal responsibility by making the Chief Procurement officer [a state official] responsible for providing accurate information about how alternate revenue bonds would be paid off.

Local governments would no longer be able to use consultants to do this important work.

Revenues from the venture should be able to pay off 150% of the debt; this is being increased from 100%.

Finally, the bill extends the allowance for petition signatures for a backdoor referendum from 30 to 90 days and in order to initiate a referendum this bill would require the lesser of 5% (currently 7.5%) of registered voters in the governmental unit or 500 signatures of those registered voters.

The most significant change is to require only 500 signatures to initiate a backdoor referendum.

Jack Franks

“Municipalities have little oversight when it comes to borrowing millions of dollars which often times end up being a back door tax hike on residents, ” added Franks.

“Oversight needs to be put into the hands of the taxpayers. We must increase accountability for our taxing bodies and empower the taxpayers to serve as fiscal guardians.”

Rep. McSweeney is Chief Sponsor of HB983 and Rep. Franks signed on as Chief Co-Sponsor. The legislation was filed yesterday.

Keven Craver has an interesting article in the Northwest Herald about the fight Democrat State Rep.  Jack Franks had with former McHenry County Republican Party Chairman, State Senator and Metra Board member Jack Schaffer.

You see, Schaffer owns Liberty Outdoor Advertising.

During the 2010 election a billboard critical of Franks went up in the location on Route 47 closest to Franks’ legislative office.

The 2010 billboard on one of Metra Board member Jack Schaffer’s signs that enraged Jack Franks, which made him mad at McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler when Koehler refused to prompt Schaffer to resign from the Metra Board. Franks began his House floor attack on Schaffer in the Veto Session after the November 2010 election.

Franks went ballistic about the billboard over the phone with a couple of folks involved.  That’s what I’ve been told by multiple sources.

He has lost his temper with others on other subjects as well.

There were attacks on the House floor during the veto session immediately after the 2010 election.

The first article I wrote about Franks attacking Schaffer was in January of 2011, while the Metra Phil Pagano scandal broke in the late April.

In any event, there was not an immediate attempt by Franks to remove Schaffer from the Metra Board after the Pagano scandal and suicide occurred.

The attacks on Schaffer began after the billboard appeared.

So, now Schaffer is not applying for reappointment.

And, according to the last paragraph of Craver’s story, Franks says the billboard had nothing to do with his calling for Schaffer’s removal from the Metra Board:

“While Franks has said his interest in the topic is based solely on good government, Schaffer has alleged that Franks is out to settle a score because Schaffer allowed an attack ad aimed at Franks to be posted on a billboard owned by Schaffer. Franks denies the allegation.”

Draw your own conclusions.

jack Franks

That might be the question being discussed by some prior to Friday morning’s vote on whether or not to put a question on the April ballot as to the direct election of the McHenry County Board Chairman.

I figured out I may have been wrong when I wrote the following about why Democrats were opposed to electing a County Board Chairman at-large yesterday:

All are Republicans [who signed the petition to call a special meeting to consider the referendum], which when one thinks about it, that probably just recognizes the lay of the political land, that is, Democrats are more likely to gain positions of power, e.g., Paul Yensen’s appointment as Chairman of the Management Services Committee, through politicking in the current system of selecting a Board Chairman than through a one-on-one fight with any Republican in a countywide contest. Both Yensen and first time Democratic Party Democratic Party Board member Nick Chirikos voted for Hill and neither showed any support for an at-large election at the Monday Management Services Committee meeting.

I wasn’t taking into consideration that Jack Franks might be interested in such a job.

I can’t think of any Democrat besides that Franks who might be able to put up a decent race.

Democrat Jack Franks could be pondering whether there is legislation action he could take a veto-proof General Assembly that would further his McHenry County agenda.  Or maybe he will decide to pass another petition concerning the County Board.

Democratic Party Board member Paula Yensen set the agenda that did not include an action item for an April referendum on whether the County Board Chairman should be elected at-large or not. She was joined in seeking a delay by newly-elected Democrat Nick Chirikos. She opposed Franks’ County Executive referendum.

Yesterday’s meeting of the McHenry County Board’s Management Services Committee resulted in inaction on the issue of putting a question on the April ballot asking whether voters want a direct election for County Board Chairman in 2014 has given Democrat State Rep. Jack Franks an opening.

When he passed petitions to ask voters whether they wished to adopt the County Executive form of government, he said at times that he was doing so just because the County Board wouldn’t put a referendum on the ballot regarding the at-large election of the County Board Chairman.

So, might Franks again introduce legislation to force a referendum.

Could he convince his Democratic Party colleagues to go along with him?

If he doesn’t or can’t, would he pass another petition to see a referendum on single-member districts, something that might actually help the local Democratic Party?

If memory serves me correctly, he passed such legislation about ten years ago for advisory referendums, suggesting that if the County Board didn’t follow the wishes of the electorate, he might just pass a mandate.

In researching what advisory referendums can be put on the ballot by petition, I found the following language:

Advisory referenda. The voters of a county may advise the county board, through an advisory referendum, on questions concerning

1. the number of members of the county board to be elected,
2. whether the board members should be elected from single-member districts, multi-member districts, or at-large,
3. whether voters will have cumulative voting rights in the election of county board members, or
4. any combination of the preceding 3 questions

The advisory referendum may be initiated either by petition or by ordinance of the county board.

The following email has arrived from McHenry Elementary District School Board member John O’Neill:

John O’Neill

his will satisfy the Truth in Taxation requirement for the district to propose an increase in its tax levy. Imagine my surprise when I read it and at first glance I was drawn to the words,

“This represents a 52.96% increase over the previous year.“

My blood pressure shot right up there but then my heart nearly stopped when I saw the bottom showing the notice was submitted by…

John O’Neill, Secretary
Board of Education
McHenry School District #15

…part of the duty of secretary is that notices of meetings, agendas, etc go out in the name of the secretary.

At the meeting we discussed the tax levy at great length and the district’s Finance Committee Chairman and Business Manager both gave an overview of the Tax Cap Law or PTELL which really makes it difficult for taxing bodies to create their budget without enacting a tax increase.

One of the difficulties is that if there has been any new construction in the previous year, without taxing to the maximum the district will forever lose the ability to receive taxes from the new construction.

When Our illustrious State Rep. Jack Franks was pushing for a fundamental change in the governance of McHenry County with his County Executive referendum one of his talking points was that McHenry County sought the maximum tax for each of the past 21 years.

District #15′s tax levy is the type of “maximum tax” he was referring to.

Taxing districts overwhelmingly tax to the max under the so-called “Tax Cap” law in order to share the tax burden with all properties in a district, not just those which were built in previous years.

While Franks railed against the County for levying the maximum amount, there was a deafening silence from him regarding other taxing bodies such as

• School Districts
• Municipalities
• Library Districts and
• Fire Protection Districts

which regularly tax to the max.

This is typical of the Liberal Left when they give you the “truth” but not the whole truth.

After all the dust settles, McHenry School District #15 is seeking an increase in the neighborhood of 3.24% along with a bond repayment of 1.22% for a total increase of 4.46%.

This does not mean that a homeowner’s property tax bill will necessarily increase by 4.46% due to the convoluted nature of property tax calculations; not to mention the fact that a homeowner may win a property tax appeal and have their taxes lowered – in some cases.

The attached notice is, in fact an invitation to the Public Hearing which will be held at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, November 11, 2012 at McHenry Middle School, 2120 W. Lincoln Road, in McHenry. I hope to see many taxpayers there.

The McHenry Grade School Notice of the intent to increase District 15′s levy by over 50%. Click to enlarge.

The usual expectation is that campaign signs should be taken down by the Saturday after the election.

This Dee Beaubien sign is in front of the restaurant on Route 14 in Cary.

Driving around Crystal Lake and Cary, the candidate with the most signs still up is Dee Beaubien.

Here’s a Dee Beaubien sign near the factory on Route 14 that Cary intends to tear down.

Also saw signs for the two Democratic candidates for Congress,

• Dennis Anderson and
• Leslie Coolidge

The signs from a so-called “Republican Party” group to which no one admits belonging, but whose art work was used by State Rep. Jack Franks in his handouts in support of his County Executive referendum still are up.

Some for County Board member and candidate Donna Kurtz could be seen. (One man near Crystal Lake Central High School had placed two of hers on the curb.)

And, there were signs saying, “Vote Yes. County Executive + Lower Taxes.”

The “Vote Yes” signs were allegedly paid for by a group no one is willing to own up to being a member of “McHenry County Republicans for Lower Taxes.”

Fat chance they will take them down, so if you want a Jack Franks political artifact for your rumpus room wall, feel free to stop and pick one up.