McHenry County Blog

McHenry County Board member Ersel Schuster talked faster than I could take notes during the debate over whether Cathy Ferguson should be appointed to the McHenry County 708 Mental Health Board. I asked her for a copy of her comments on Chairwoman Tina Hill’s selection. It appears below:

“I chose not to speak up regarding the prior 708 appointment for many reasons. In any event… NOT because there was some dastardly conspiracy regarding that recommendation… but, because I did not wish to offend or embarrass anyone.

“Today, having closely watched the contortions of the re-assignment question and having taken a long hard look at what has transpired around the 708 Board appointment process… I have concluded that:

“First, to our appointment procedures… having worked well in the past, they have enabled us to effectively deal with the process as it was intended.

“Second, in my time on the board, the 5 prior county board chairmen/women I’ve served under… were able to oversee the appointment process without resorting to strange interpretations of the board rules, parsing words or reading in language that is not there;

“Third, the Public Health & Human Services Committee, following these time-honored procedures, did propose another, well qualified, candidate with the very credentials many of us have called for…

Tina Hill

“Chair Hill and member Gottemollar have been quoted in the media as having called for appointing a candidate with the financial background and management skills… yet, Chair Hill, you chose to pull rank and refused to bring forward the committee’s recommended candidate…

“With that I would like to remind my colleagues that our chairperson is 1 of 24… and as such, has no more power than we give her.

“Therefore, be aware that your vote on this question has greater consequences than a simple vote for-or-against a candidate.

“Fourth, while the candidate before us this evening has an excellent resume and references indicating years of service in the field of drug intervention / counseling, those are not the in depth qualifications we need on the 708 board at this time.

“Your candidate lacks your stated qualifications.

“To my fellow board members who want simply to make this controversy go away… I remind you that our role is to select the best qualified persons for the boards, commissions and committees where we are charged with oversight.

“If you really do want the issues swirling around the 708 to go away… you need to appoint people who are qualified to do the job once appointed.

“Going-along-to-get along does not respect, or serve, the taxpayers we represent.

“Please vote no to the questions before us. Not because this is a bad person, but because maintaining order on this board is paramount!”

The 708 Board meets this afternoon at its building in Crystal Lake at 620 Dakota Street at 5:15 for a committee meeting to be followed at 6 by a Board meeting.

The McHenry County Liquor and License Committee met Monday morning with an audience of liquor license holders pretty much filling the room.

According to Committee chairman Ken Koehler, there were 15 people testifying in favor of a vote on a resolution to legalize slot machines in taverns and restaurants with liquor licenses in unincorporated McHenry County.  Four were in opposition.

Four testified in favor of keeping the ban on video poker in unincorporated areas.

The argument has shifted from when the legalization was defeated 13-10-3.

Then union members were arguing that money from video gambling was necessary to fund infrastructure improvements that would provide jobs.

Those folks were not in the committee room, as far as I could tell.

Instead tavern owners attended, arguing that there was an uneven playing field in their line of work with many municipalities having approved gambling in bars that competed directly with them.

Randy Kief, who owns a bar south of McHenry, gave an easy to understand example. He’s the one who presented a petition from liquor license owners, which was distributed to all County Board members.

“The problem now is the playing field is uneven.”

He told of missing two brothers, long-time customers, on Super Bowl Sunday. He discovered that they and their wives spent the day at a bar two miles away.

“The wives were playing the games while the guys were watching the game,” he related.

He added that he had heard of no problem that had been caused by the in-tavern gambling.

Another establishment owner, Tom Hensy of Horizontals Saloon, told of his business’ being “down 40% in food sales alone since December.”

He said there were “sixty establishments without gaming.”

On the other side of the argument was McHenry’s Joyce Story.

“Last year when I came before the Board, it came from a concern for my community, for our chi8ldren and the impact on their future.”

While she said she felt “bad for the people” asking for repeal of the prohibition of gambling, she argued, “It is not for the betterment of our community. It is for the detriment of our future.”

Story warned of businessmen trying to get liquor licenses just so they could get a video gaming license.

“We will have mini-casinos all over this community.

“We don’t want to become another Las Vegas…It will lead to the destruction of our community.”

Jack Meyer, owner of the Crystal Bowl, told of his initial opposition to having the machines.

But he has changed his mind.

He complained about the state’s having opened up casinos.

“If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”

When testimony was completed, County Board member Joe Gottemoller asked how many votes it would take to pass the proposal.

The answer was three. And only three of the five members were in attendance.

Bob Nowak and Sue Draffkorn were absent.

Next Diane Evertsen spoke.

She noted that the last time the issue came up she was in the audience and heard people complaining that without video gambling customers would go to Wisconsin.

After taking a look at Wisconsin law, she concluded, ‘If there were in fact gambling in Wisconsin that was paying off, it was indeed illegal.”

Continuing on what happened the last time around, she said, “We saw the room absolutely stuffed with union members saying they would lose their homes [if video poker were not allowed.

"Two weeks later we saw those very same people across the street on strike.

"That's my soap box."

Gottemoller related that the neighbor next door when he was growing up [in LaSalle County] “had a slot machine in his home and I started using it at age 4.”

“I’m not thrilled that we’re gong to have gambling every place.

“I would at least move this forward to the County Board. If it takes three votes, it’s not going to happen today.”

“I’d say so,” Evertsen interjected.

The committee voted 3-0 to table the resolution until Monday, April 8th, at 10 AM. That is not the regular meeting date. It was set so that Chairman Koehler would be in town.

The names of those signing in can be seen below:

Here are the McHenry County Board members who signed Nick Provenzano’s petition to call a special meeting on Friday, January 18th at 9 AM to consider whether voters should have a shot in April at passing a referendum on whether the Board Chairman should be elected.

You can see eleven signed the petition.  Eight–one-third of the Board’s members–were required to sign to call a special meeting.

So people can find their names, let me list them in the order in which they signed and who they ended up voting for in the County Board Chairman’s race:

• Nick Provenzano (supported Koehler)
• Mike Walkup (new, supported Hill))
• Ken Koehler (supported Koehler)
• Robert Nowak (supported Koehler)
• Joe Gottemoller (new,  supported Gottemoller)
• Mike Skala (new,  supported Gottemoller)
• Robert Martens (new, supported Hill)
• Diane Evertsen (supported Schuster)
• Donna Kurtz (supported Schuster, then Hill)
• Sandy Salgado (supported Koehler)
• Mary McCann (supported Hill)

Four supported Tina Hill for Board Chairman.

Four supported Ken Koehler for Board Chairman.

Two supported Joe Gottemoller.

One supported Schuster.

All are Republicans, 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.

Only one of what I would consider hardcore supporters of Hill broke ranks to potentially endanger the new ruling coalition’s ability to continue its power after the 2014 election cycle.

Just because someone signed the petition does not mean that they are committed to vote for an April referendum.

There are twenty-four Board members and a majority vote will be required to put the question on the ballot.

Do you want to express your viewpoint to your County Board members?

Here are their phone numbers:

• Michele Aavang – 815-648-4210
• Yvonne Barnes – 847-516-2719
• Nick Chirikos – 847-658-3434
• Sue Draffkorn – 815-653-6057
• Diane Evertsen – 815-943-3298
• Joe Gottemoller – 815 382 9940
• John Hammerand – 815-728-0700
• Jim Heisler – 815-459-1971
• Tina Hill – 815-347-4222
• John Jung – 815-338-6201
• Ken Koehler – 815-459-7841
• Donna Kurtz -815-788-0632
• Bob Martens – 815-675-6353
• Mary McCann – 815-568-1061
• Mary McClellan – 815-482-5693
• Anna May Miller – 847-639-5112
• Robert Nowak – 847-516-9637
• Nick Provenzano – 815-355-8540
• Sandy Salgado – 815-271-5293
• Carolyn Schofield – 815-455-9550
• Ersel Schuster – 815-338-2207
• Mike Skala – 847-669-3804
• Mike Walkup – 815-459-7090
• Paula Yensen – 815-404-3918

At this point one can see that Nick Provenzano read the political wind better than the Management Services Committee did on Monday.

Whether the wind is blowing hard enough to overcome the reticence of Board members who like the current insider system (for reasons including an inability to raise sufficient funds to mount a countywide campaign–campaign cost having been mentioned by several Board members during the ongoing debate) remains to be seen on Friday morning.

And whether the measure passes or fails, the roll call will be used in the 2014 elections.

It will be interesting to see if any County board members from the last Board who voted to put a tax hike on the ballot in April will refuse to allow their constituents to vote on whether to elect their County Board Chairman at the ballot box.

The McHenry County Board’s Committee on Committees met today and made the following recommendations for committee assignments and chairmanships and vice chairmanships. Click to enlarge either image.

Recommendations for other Board assignments follow:

Can you spot any changes from the first meeting’s lineup, which is below, except for the recommended committee chairmen, which you can find here.

= = = = =
I got some more details on the meeting that I’d like to share with you:

Present at the Committee meeting were Tina Hill, Donna Kurtz, Mary McCann, Anna May Miller, Paula Yensen, Sue Draffkorn, Mary McClellan.

Audience members were Nick Provenzano, Ken Koehler, Charles Eldridge, Ersel Schuster,Diane Evertsen, Jim Heisler, Jana Blake (State’s Attorney’s Office) & 1 other male department head whose name escapes me at this time.

During discussion by committee members, assignment changes were made naming Sandy Salgado as chairman of Human

Resources and Mary McClellan was moved to Vice Chair; Sue Draffkorn volunteered to serve strictly as a member.

Management Services Vice Chair position was discussed, first considering Schuster as Vice Chair but settling on Hammerand.

Planning and Development Committee Chairmanship of Joe Gottemoller was discussed, including any potential for problems with conflict of interest debates. Miller assured the committee there would be no legitimate public concerns with Gottemoller serving as chair of P&D and his many years as an attorney dealing with zoning issues.

Miller took the discussion further, with commentary about Schuster, saying that because of the blog’s having posted a story about the last Committee of the Whole meeting, she had received calls about Schuster’s not having “a balanced approach,” that she was too environmentally-oriented.

At that point, Schuster told those in the room, “I have not pushed to be on this chair position. I have not promised any vote for any chairmanship of any sort and I was promised this chairmanship if I voted for Tina, so I feel very irritated by some of this.

“Ms. Miller, you make comment about the fact that maybe I am a little bit too much in the environmental crowd. That is totally unreal because that might be the perception.

“Let me finish.

“My participation on every committee has been to be the devil’s advocate and to work to be able to bring those issues out. And, yes, sometimes it sounds I’m on the other side. That doesn’t necessarily mean that I am but I believe everybody needs to address these things.

Schuster went on the point out that Board members who are attorneys “do not represent us legally. The State’s Attorney is our legal representation.

“And we get into trouble sometimes when we defer to lawyers sitting on committees. And, it’s not that their expertise isn’t needed. It’s wonderful, but the State’s Attorney’s Office is our legal representative.

Referring to Gottemoller, “Ask yourself this question. A man who has a business that was, is primarily zoning…is willing to give up that portion of his business to accept a $20,000 a year job.

“Put that little thought in your mind. That’s what the public is going to be looking at.

“So, I think that’s what Jim and Donna are trying to get across.

“I think his expertise is phenomenal.

“Do I really want to take on the UDO?

“Probably not. It’s going to be a load.

“I would do it if I were there. I will do it as Vice Chair. I will do it as a member of any committee, as I have always done.

“But I think there are some issues that we are going to be confronted with on P&D, whether it’s considered on the environmental side, which I have never personally considered myself an environmentalist in that respect that we normally think of it, or [whether it's] a lawyer that may be steering us a little bit in decision-making that maybe it isn’t the direction as legislators we should be asking our State’s Attorney to respond to.”

Schuster then left the meeting.

County Board member Provenzano sprang to Gottemoller’s defense. “He has always been my sounding board (about zoning matters).”

He praised his expertise and said, “I’m a little concerned about the ‘innuendo.’”

“I can’t think of anyone in the County I’d rather have there defending and identifying those issues than Joe Gottemoller.”

Back to the less detailed notes.

Liaison member to Economic Development: Donna Kurtz offered to relinquish the leadership position to Mike Skala.

Ken Koehler spoke to the Committee about his desire to be on the Law and Justice Committee because of his expertise.

The Committee went into closed session to discuss sensitive material.

Upon return to open session, Mr. Koehler continued to promote his desire to be on that committee and members of the Committee on Committees in turn discussed and determined they’d leave that assignment as it is.

When the discussion got to the Planning and Development Committee, the choice advanced by Chairman Tina Hill was newcomer Joe Gottemoller.

Gottemoller is a newly-elected member of the McHenry County Board. He has done extensive zoning work in the area and campaigned repeatedly on the over-restrictiveness and unfriendliness to business reflected in the County Zoning Ordinance.

He cited, for example, the requirement that someone operating a business out of his or her home have a separate entrance for the business.

So what does someone with extensive connections in the business community do to allay concerns about potential conflicts of interest?

Hill announced that Gottemoller’s law firm had agreed to forego any business concerning McHenry County government.

In discussions about the vice chairmanship of the Management Services Committee, someone of the Committee on Committees suggested Mike Walkup.

Another suggested Mike Skala.

Hill pointed out that Walkup had “publicly said he won’t take a chairmanship or vice chairmanship because he didn’t want [it] to appear [as] a quid pro quo.” She said it appeared in a blog comment.

Both Gottemoller and Walkup are attorneys.

Woodstock’s Tina Hill has taken the gavel that Crystal Laker Ken Koehler wielded for the last eight years.  Elected as Vice Chairman was Jim Heisler, who held the same post under Koehler two years ago.

When the vote was taken to elect the McHenry County Board Chairman to replace Ken Koehler, the following were nominated:

• Tina Hill
• Ken Koehler
• Ersel Schuster
• Joe Gottemoller

After nominating speeches, the vote was taken with the names being called in alphabetical order. Here’s how members voted on the first ballot:

• Tina Hill – 11
• Ken Koehler – 6
• Ersel Schuster 4
• Joe Gottemoller – 3

For Tina Hill

• Michele Aavang
• Nick Chirikos
• Sue Draffkorn
• Jim Heisler
• Tina Hill
• Bob Martens
• Mary McCann
• Mary McClellan
• Anna May Miller
• Mike Walkup
• Paula Yensen

For Ken Koehler

• Yvonne Barnes
• John Jung
• Ken Koehler
• Robert Nowak
• Nick Provenzano
• Sandy Salgado

For Ersel Schuster

• Diane Evertsen
• John Hammerand
• Donna Kurtz
• Ersel Schuster

For Joe Gottemoller

• Joe Gottemoller
• Carolyn Schofield
• Mike Skala

I note that the two Democrats, Paula Yensen and Nick Chirikos voted for Hill.

On the second vote, three votes shifted to Hill, two from Koehler and one from Schuster.  Koehler lost Jung and Nowak and Schuster lost Kurtz.

For Vice Chairman, two men that traded places two years ago–Heisler and Jung–were nominated along with newcomer Mike Skala.

The vote was 13 for Heisler, 9 for Jung and 3 for Skala.

In the vote for Vice Chairman, Hill held her majority together with the exception of Aavang, Jung, Martens and McCann.

Stepping in to fill the void were Barnes, Schofield and Schuster.

The pretty secret jockeying to be Chairman of the McHenry County Board for the next two years will culminate tomorrow morning in Woodstock.

After the 9 0.clock swearing in, three, perhaps four, perhaps more people will have their names entered into nomination.

“For sure” candidates are incumbent Ken Koehler, Tina Hill and Ersel Schuster.

My prediction is that none will achieve thirteen votes on the first ballot.

You can see my early guesses as to who would vote for whom for Chairman here.

Two new members, Joe Gottemoller (Crystal Lake) and Mike Skala (Huntley), apparently got earfuls of questions about whether they would support the re-election of Koehler and are schemish about voting for him on the first ballot.  Earlier, I pegged them as Koehler votes.

Others seem to be pledged to Koehler on the first ballot, but not the second.

Hill seems to have been the most aggressive at courting the votes of the eight new and one “re-tread” member (Yvonne Barnes).

Schuster was late out of the box on this treasurer trove of potential support.

A new rumor surfaced last week.

It suggests that Hill approached former County Republican Party Chairman Al Jourdan for support and, then, he and Sheriff aspirant Andy Zinke began working to bring votes to Hill.

And Sheriff Keith Nygren back in town for Shop with a Cop.

Could those who wish Zinke to replace Nygren be motivated by the wish-fulfillment that should Nygren retire that Hill would nominate Zinke to take Nygren’s place?

There will be those voting for Hill who would not vote to confirm Zinke, so such a nomination would not necessarily be a slam dunk in the game of succession.

My father used to say if a political rumor sounded like it might be true, it probably was.

Whether or not that side arrangement is in play, I believe that Hill will emerge the next Chairman of the McHenry County Board.

If she or Schuster are successful, the winner will be only the third female County Board Chairman (Chairwoman, if you prefer to use a title different from the one Kane County Chairman Karen McConnaughay used) in McHenry County history.

The first was Ann Hughes, who went on to become a State Representative. the second was Dianne Klemm.

If she does, not only will her salary increase a lot, but so will her retirement benefits under IMRF.

I shall wonder again if those on the new Board wishing citizens to be able to vote in a referendum as to whether to elect the 2014 County Board Chairman at-large in April will have as much success as those wishing to hike taxes in April did in November.

The article just belowthis one tried to figure out who would support whom for McHenry County Board Chairman.

There are three active candidates:

• Ken Koehler
• Tina Hill
• Ersel Schuster

I figure no one has a majority.

The first choice of the behind the scenes guys would obviously be Koehler. They have been dealing with him for eight years.

But public pressure for his replacement has come from both of the Heralds in their editorial endorsements of him.

And, his removal was the focal point of State Rep. Jack Franks legendary ire during his unsuccessful County Executive referendum fight.

Some suggest that I have listed three names supporting Koehler who are not. If so, he’s going to have a very difficult time reaching the needed thirteen votes.

Besides Hill, there is even a long-shot chance that well-liked Joe Gottemoller, just elected, might find people lining up behind him.

“Fresh start” could be the rallying cry.

Also jockeying for the leadership spot is veteran Board member Nick Provenzano.

All of this is speculation, of course, because the elected Board members are not showing their cards to the public.

That does not stop you from calling your County Board members-to-be and telling them whom you think they should support for Chairman.

And, if you would rather have the vote yourself, you can ask them to put a referendum on the ballot in February or April that, if passed, would lead to an at-large election of County Board Chairman in 2014. (A lot of phone numbers here.)

If such a referendum is not put on the ballot next spring, an at-large election could not occur until 2016.

If a Board member says it’s impossible to put a referendum on the ballot on electing the County Board Chairman at-large, ask how, then, it is possible for them to put a referendum on the ballot that could raise your taxes 10 cents per $!00 of assessed valuation.

It surely looks as if they plan to do that on November 19th.

Koehler and Hill are battling to become the Establishment candidate.

One source doesn’t believe there is any way that Koehler can be re-election and suggests that his supporters will end up behind Hill.

Just in case you are interested in the new faces who will serve on the McHenry County Board starting in December, here they are.  All six of McHenry County’s Districts will have newcomers.  (In the case of District 1, Yvonne Barnes is not exactly a newcomer, having served one term previously.)

District 1

District 2

District 3

District 4

District 5

District 6

Here’s something to ponder:

Who will these newcomers vote for McHenry County Board Chairman?

A fund raiser for Republican State Rep. David McSweeney is being held tonight at Marzano’s Italian Restaurant.

The restaurant is located at 1501 S. Route 31 in McHenry.

The hours are from 5:30-7:30.

The invitation is below:

After the fund raiser, there is time to go to the Republican Debate Party at the Corkscrew Bistro in McHenry.