McHenry County Blog

A press release from Chris Lauzen, Republican candidate for Kane County Board Chairman:

DuPage County Board Chairman
Dan Cronin Endorses Chris Lauzen
for Kane County Board Chairman

Aurora, IL (March 2, 2012): State Senator Chris Lauzen announced today the endorsement of DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin (R, Elmhurst) for his run for Republican nominee for Kane County Board Chairman.

Former State Senator Cronin and Chris Lauzen served together in Springfield for nearly 18 years prior to Cronin’s 2010 election to DuPage County Board Chairman.

“I worked with Senator Lauzen in Springfield and I know he is smart and tough.

State Senator Chris Lauzen announces his candidacy for Kane County Board Chairman while his family looks on.

‘He has worked tirelessly for families, small businesses and taxpayers. Please vote for Chris Lauzen in the March primary election,” said Cronin.

Lauzen cited the DuPage County Board Chairman’s similar professional and political preparation for county board chairman responsibilities.

“Dan and I literally sat next to each other in the Senate working for years on similar initiatives like tax relief, ethics reform and improvements to the employment environment . . . He has taken his substantial knowledge and political connections across the entire spectrum of local, state and national politics to benefit his constituents in his home county . . . I intend to do the same if I’m elected,” stated Lauzen.

In the Illinois General Assembly, Dan Cronin built a record as a reformer and challenged the status quo and entrenched special interests. He sponsored property tax relief and eminent domain reforms to protect taxpayers from government confiscation of private property.

“I am especially delighted to receive former Senator Dan Cronin’s support because, in just his first two years as Board Chairman of the second largest county in Illinois, he has already implemented a $10.4 M decrease in spending and strengthened the county’s ethics ordinance through votes on the county board . . . these are two of my top priorities,” said Lauzen.

Any questions, please call 630-264-2419 or email campaign@lauzen.com.

If memory serves me correctly, it was a story from the Daily Herald where the campaign contributions to Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay from county vendors first surfaced.  State Senator Chris Lauzen, who is running to replace McConnaughay, brought up the issue in a press conference in mid-January.

Now, a press release from State Senate candidate Cliff Sturges re-visits the issue.

When the campaigning gets negative, as least with press releases (not many press conferences anymore), I’ll do my best to get a reaction from the other candidate.  McConnaughay’s response is below the press release.

SURGES WEIGHS IN ON HEAVY McCONNAUGHAY PAY-TO-PLAY CONTRIBUTIONS

Gilberts, IL- Republican Senate candidate in the 33rd district, Cliff Surges, calls for a stop to pay-to-play politics in Illinois.

Cliff Surges and Karen McConnaughay at the Huntley Area Tea Party meeting last fall.

There have been many allegations made recently, that [Karen] McConnaughay, while in her current position as Kane County Chairman, received large donations from vendors, at least 80% of her total donations, who have significant contracts with the county.

There has been no detailed accounting of these connections from the McConnaughay campaign.

While the Surges campaign alleges no specific illegal activity by our opponent, with transparency comes accountability, and she must be held accountable for her conduct while serving in public office.

“My opponent has continued to declare that her campaign donations from companies and individuals that do business with Kane County is above board because she has no direct ‘vote’ on these contracts.

“This is laughable!

“Certainly even Ms. McConnaughay can concede that in her position as Chairman of the County,

• construction projects,
• development projects and
• county contracts

do not happen without her oversight and ultimate approval.

“My opponent has, and continues to accept campaign contributions from individuals and companies that have or currently do business with Kane County.”

”It’s time to move forward into a new age of strong ethics instead of the same old ‘culture of cronyism’ that exists now”, Surges urged.

“My opponent says she wants to take her experience from Kane County government to Springfield?

“We have enough pay-to-play politics there already, and the citizens of Illinois don’t need any more.”

“Illinois residents are tired of the behind-the-scenes tactics and back room deals that only continue to destroy the public’s trust in their elected officials” Surges said.

“It’s time to stand for what is right. Come out and vote. Enough is enough!

“The people will decide how Illinois moves forward by voting on March 20th.”

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Karen McConnaughay’s response: to Chris Lauzen’s original press conference. I asked yesterday for any update that McConnaughay might desire, but have received no reply. If one comes, I shall add it.

“Sen. Lauzen leveled a personal attack on my integrity yesterday and offered, by his own admission, no proof to back it up.

“His accusations have no basis in fact and his supposed documentation is not only laughable, but it belies a fundamental ignorance of how the county he wants to run is governed.

“Chris has succeeded in getting his outlandish claims in the news, but has also exposed himself as the consummate practitioner of gutter politics.

“Chris has taken over half a million dollars in donations from PAC’s who have business before the general assembly but sanctimoniously claims that those donations never influence his votes.

“He hypocritically applies one standard to himself and another to everyone else, making himself the supreme judge of other people’s ethics.

“This sort of drive-by personal attack is an affront to the voters and a desperate attempt to score cheap political points.”

Former U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald has sent a letter to the editor endorsing his former State Senate colleague Chris Lauzen for the Chairmanship of the Kane County Board.

Fitzgerald is best known for having been responsible for the installation of Patrick Fitzgerald (no relation) as U.S. Attorney for Northern Illinois.

For that, he was basically run out of Illinois politics by the Republican members of what Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass calls the (bipartisan) Combine.

The letter follows.  It can be enlarged by clicking on its image.

A press release from State Senate candidate Karen McConnaughay:

Kane Board Chairman won bond upgrades while state ratings have been repeatedly cut

McConnaughay will bring valuable record of success to legislative battle over spending and debt

St. Charles, Illinois–While Illinois is hit with yet another downgrade of its debt, one candidate for the legislature has a record of winning credit upgrades by cutting spending and building strong financial reserves.

Karen McConnaughay

“In the midst of the great recession, while municipalities, counties, states and even the United States of America have seen their debt downgraded, Kane County has been upgraded by multiple rating agencies because of our conservative fiscal policies and our commitment to a sound balance sheet,” said Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay, candidate for the State Senate in the 33rd District.

Moody’s Investor Service downgraded the State of Illinois to A2 rating, making it the worst credit risk among the 50 states. The company cited the state’s inability to effectively deal with its budget shortfall and institute structural financial reforms. See story

In 2010, Moody’s upgraded Kane County’s debt rating to Aa1.

In 2009 Standard & Poor’s upgraded the county to AA+, citing the County’s “maintenance of very strong financial reserves despite challenges faced by decreasing revenue streams.”

Standard & Poor’s credits McConnaughay’s financial stewardship in making their upgrade, noting that Kane County “has been able to build and sustain strong reserves due to conservative fiscal management.”

“We need more legislators who understand what is needed to reverse this devastating trend in our state’s debt,” said McConnaughay. “Every downgrade costs the state millions in debt service and it falls on Illinois families and businesses to foot the bill. I have been able to turn this trend around in Kane County during a recession when our property tax base was collapsing, and we did it by fighting to reduce spending and the size of government.”

Kane County’s recently passed Fiscal Year 2012 general fund budget is $7 million less, in real dollars, than the general fund budget passed in FY06. In the same period, total employee headcount for departments under the Board’s supervision has decreased 25%.

“The Governor and legislature must stop making excuses,” said McConnaughay. “I’ll bring my unique experience and record to Springfield and fight to get our fiscal house in order like we have in Kane County.”

The 33rd Senate District includes northeastern Kane and southeastern McHenry Counties.

To see the Standard & Poor’s report click here.

The Tax Foundation has some remarkable work comparing property tax burdens across the United States.

Want to know what part of the country to look at for retirement, if cutting your property taxes is one of your goals?

Take a look at this map:

The Tax Foundation map comparing property taxes.

I did my best to extract the information for the top Illinois counties from one of The Tax Foundation’s searchable data bases.

The information below is from here.

Click to enlarge.

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Photoshopping by one Heck of a Guy blogster Allan Showalter.

The email below is about a challenger to Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay’s candidacy for State Senate in the district that contains south-central McHenry County, going all the way to the Crystal Lake Country Club.

“Tonight, Chad Koppie, a member of the Kane Co. Regional Board of Schools, will attend a monthly meeting of the Kane Co. Young Republicans.

“Mr. Koppie will give a speech and announce that he’s running for the state senate, in the 33rd District.

The meeting will occur 7:00-9:00, at Urban Grill, at 524 W. State St., Unit 3, Geneva.

“Mr. Koppie is pro-tax cuts, pro-spending cuts, pro-life, pro-gun rights, pro-school vouchers, pro-death penalty, and anti-illegal alien.

“Mr. Koppie has been a Rutland Township Trustee.

“In 1998, he was the only conservative who opposed George Ryan, in the primary, and Koppie received 19% of the vote.”

State Rep. Mike Tryon has announced he will seek the State Rep. seat in the northern half of this 33rd State Senate District.

State Senate Chris Lauzen announces he is retiring from the State Senate, seeking the Kane County Chairmanship while his wife Sarah looks on.

At the Vaughan Recreation Center in Aurora, State Senator Chris Lauzen announced he is leaving the General Assembly after twenty years in 2012 to pursue the chairmanship of the Kane County Board.

Unlike in McHenry County, the Kane County Board Chairman is elected at large.

Lauzen currently represents a district that runs almost the entire length of Kane County.  He lives in Aurora and his district includes the Kane County part of Sun City in Huntley.  The length of his district has led to his being covered by media in the three political parts of Kane County–south, mid- and north.

The well-attended, family-oriented fund raiser drew conservatives not only from Kane County, but from throughout the suburban area.

The Lauzen family applauds Chris Lauzen's announcement.

“It is time for someone else to take a turn,” Lauzen said of his representation in the State Senate.

“But you all know this is no time to quite politics.

“I ask for your support to seek the office of Kane County Chairman. ”

There was standing applause from the 850 at the first indoor Porky Picnic.

“If we’re elected, I make the three promises I made twenty years ago.  I will work hard, stay honest and use common sense.

Lauzen promised to freeze the Kane County property tax levy.

You can seen the children's attractions and a small part of the crowd in this photo.

He promised to treat every person with respect, the 550,000 Kane County residents, as well as “each County Board member” whom he noted were individually elected.

He promised competent administration of county government with innovation.

The crowd at Chris Lauzen's 2011 Porky Picnic.

As an example of innovation, he advocated using county landfill contents to produce energy which could bring “millions of dollars” into county coffers.   He pointed to Europe, Japan and Hawaii as locations upon which such a plan could be modeled.

“There is technology these days in Europe, and in Japan and now the first three installations in Hawaii where they take municipal solid waste and rather than put it in a landfill, they convert it to energy,” Lauzen said. “Think about that type of business and the millions of dollars that could come into the coffers without asking you for more.”

People wait to talk to Chris Lauzen.

“We deserve so much better than we have been getting,” Lauzen said.

Based on what he has seen of the 2012 campaign so far, he predicted it be “an attack on success.”

Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns announced his candidacy to replace ally Karen McConnaughay, who has announced that she would run for the State Senate in a newly-drawn Kane-McHenry County district without an incumbent living in it.

As usual, I looked for candidates and public officials.

I’ll do a more detailed story on that subject, but there was one phenomenon that I had not seen before.

There was, naturally, a line of people who wanted to talk to Lauzen after he finished his announcement.

But, there was another politician on the scene with a line of people waiting to speak with him.

Congressman Joe Walsh and GOP State Rep. hopeful Jan Silosky converse. Silosky's district is south of the the 14th Congressional Distrrict, running into Will and DuPage Counties.

That was 8th District Congressman Joe Walsh.

His presence and warm reception certainly won’t discourage him from running for Congress in the 14th District, where the incumbent is fellow freshman Randy Hultgren.  Hultgren and his family at the event as well, but, arriving late, I didn’t see him.

Below is the Lauzen campaign’s press release on his decision to retire from the State Senate to run for Kane County Board Chairman in 2012:

Lauzen Announces for Kane County Board Chairman

AURORA (August 13, 2011) – Having served nearly 20 years in the Illinois State Senate, Chris Lauzen announced in front of more than 850 supporters at his annual fundraising picnic, that he intends to run for Kane County Board Chairman.

Chris Lauzen confers with Elgin political activist Jim Economos.

Lauzen repeated his consistent three campaign promises, “to

• work hard,
• stay honest and
• use common sense”.

Lauzen said, “Our fundamental shared principles remain the same: Faith (as service to others), Family, and Freedom to Prosper.”

He outlined his top three priorities, if elected, as Freezing the County Property Tax Levy; Treating People Respectfully; and, Honest Competent Administration through Innovation.

While Senator Lauzen’s political strength has always been shown in his grassroots support, he begins this campaign with early endorsements from county-wide elected officials, several county board members, and key Republican precinct committeemen.

Lauzen also made a special point to pledge a constructive, issues-based campaign concentrating on offering his plans and proposals for county constituents.

Karen McConnaughy

The rumor mill is hot and heavy that Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay will run for the State Senate in the 33rd District.

When I searched for her name and web site on Bing, the text said,

“The fast-growing county has a strong leader and rising star in Karen McConnaughay.”

If one held the top job in one of the largest counties in Illinois, what could the words “rising star” mean?

Running for state senator in a district containing fewer constituents that one currently has strikes me as a step down.

Conversely, if Chris Lauzen, a State Senator, decided to run for Kane County Board Chairman, that would be a step up.

Here's the bing search engine result for "Karen McConnaughhay web site."

But the rumor is out there and are strong rumors about no other candidate running in the 33rd State Senate District.

There was talk about State Rep. Mike Tryon’s doing so, but he has announced he will run for re-election in the 66th State Rep. district. This is half of the 33rd Senate District.

But what about the self-described “rising star” language.

I conclude that McConnaughay, whose new district would spike into McHenry County to the southern edge of my Algonquin Township Precinct 7, must want her “star” to rise above the State Senate.

So, what could that be?

The only thing I can think of is statewide office.

2014 is not that far away and it is helpful for people running for statewide office to have the firm grasp on state issues that comes with serving in the Illinois General Assembly. Every statewide official is up for election then, plus U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, who will be 70 shortly after election day.

At the end of the reporting quarter, McConnaughay reported having just over $21,000 in her campaign fund. Not a lot for a state senate campaign.

But since then, she picked up the following big contributions in May:

• $1,500 – Attorney’s Title Guaranty Fund, Inc., Chicago
• $1,500 – Cisar & Mrofka, Oak Brook Terrace
• $1,500 – Fona International Inc., Geneva
• $1,500 – Hoving, Kenneth, Kenneth Hoving Companies, Oak Brook, IL 60523
• $1,500 – Realtor Political Action Committee, Springfield
• $1,500 – Shanahan & Sons, S. Elgin
• $1,000 – Union Pacific Railroad, Chicago
• $1,000 – Sheaffer & Roland, Inc., Geneva
• $1,000 – XPress Professional Services, Springfield

XPress Professional Services did a $781 poll on February 1st. The same day she contributed $2,500 to the Illinois Republican State Central Committee. She also gave State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka and Congressman Randy Hultgren $1,000 apiece this year.

As the sponsor of the overlapping tax district bill in 1973, I think there may be a way to tweak it to make sure what happened in Sun City won’t happen again.

A weighted average is now used.

That works, except on the Cook County overlapping districts.

And with the exception of the Huntley situation this year.

[I figured out how to fix the Cook County inequity, but no one has the will to take it on and it's not your concern.

[To fix the overlapping tax district problem between Cook County and the collar counties, each class of property has to be equalized. Now, a raw weighed average is used. That results in homeowners in Cook County still being assessed lower than homeowners in the collar county portions of overlapping schools, municipalities, etc. No legislator has the courage to fix this problem.]

A Sun City sign on the Kane County side of the line.

Pete Gonigan of the First Electric Newspaper has nailed what caused the inequity in real estate taxation in Sun City.

Grafton Township Assessor Bill Ottley used a one-year average comparing assessments to sales prices (called a “sales ratio study”), while Rutland Township Assessor Janet Siers used the three-year average mandated by state law.

[The three-year average was an ill-conceived concession I made back in the 1970's at the behest of the Illinois Agriculture Association. Farmland then was assessed according to fair market value, the same way homes and businesses are. But, developers were buying property for Galena Territory where Eagle Ridge Resort is located in Jo Davies County. The price per acre was apparently well above the price being paid for farm land to be used for farming. The Farm Bureau argued that a three-year average should be used so such price spikes would not drive up the assessment of all farmland in such situations.

[I was on the committee figuring out how to draft the law to define assessments. My preference was a one-year average, but the three-year average idea carried the day. Ironically, that was not good enough for the Farm Bureau. In short order, a law was passed which mandating assessing farmland based on productivity. That resulted in homeowners now paying much higher taxes on their houses than farmers pay on their land, which is worth substantially more.]

In 1973, I sponsored of the original bill to implement the overlapping tax district equalization authority of the 1970 State Constitution in 1973.

That section of the Revenue article was inserted by Barrington Con-Con Delegate Jeanette Mullin. She, with Jeff Ladd, served a two-township deep district above the southern boundary of McHenry and Lake County running from Lake Michigan to the western edge of Grafton and Dorr Townships.

Mullin had a special interest in the problem because she lived west of the Barrington High School just north of the Cook-Lake County. That meant she and her Cuba Township neighbors paid far higher tax bills tn homeowners living in Barrington Township.

That they still do testifies to the inadequacy of my 1973 legislation.

The Sun City inequities can be rectified by putting into law a definition of the years to be used in the sales ratio study.

Obviously real estate taxes will not be fairly apportioned if one county uses a 3-year average and another a 1-year average.

Although Governor Pat Quinn has not yet signed the reapportionment bill crafted by Illinois Democratic Party leaders, it appears that both the Kane and McHenry County parts of Sun City will be in the same state representative and senate districts.

Mike Tryon, who has announced his candidacy in the state rep. district and faces no opposition, and whoever is elected state senator (no announced candidate yet) will not be able to please both parts of Sun City.

If Kane County homeowners in Sun City see their taxes go down, the difference will be picked up by those in McHenry County.

About all the legislators will be able to say is they are trying to make things fair.

A Friend of McHenry County Blog from south of the Kane County border offers more thoughts on possible contenders for state representative and state senator:

Well, looks like the new map is going to pass without any substantial changes, assuming it’s passed by next Tuesday. There are definitely a lot of candidate names being floated from all over the district, particularly, the Senate district, including the article you wrote (about Orville Brettman), as well as a comment about a former D300 school board member, among others I’m sure you’re hearing about.

Maybe after the map is approved, you can start a series of McHenry County Blog posts about prospective candidates(?). This will make for some good reading, and likely, a spike in readership for the blog, as some Kane County residents discover your blog for the first time, given the upcoming elections for these seats.

Mike Tryon

Given your McHenry County perspective, I am very interested to hear what you have to say about the 2 more established, McHenry County residents who may enter either the Senate or House race — State Rep. Mike Tryon for the Republicans, and McHenry County Board Member Paula Yensen for the Democrats.

66th Illinois State Rep. District. Click to enlarge.

Paula Yensen

Knowing Tryon and Yensen have faced-off before for an open legislative seat back in 2004, I anticipate one will run in the election the other does not run. Given Yensen has significant connections to Kane County (and in particular, her job as executive director of the United Way of Central Kane County), and knowing the Democrats wouldn’t have proposed this districts’ boundaries without thinking they could pick up a seat or two, I see Yensen as one of the best, Democratic hopes, of increasing the Democratic numbers in Springfield. Of course, you know her better then I do, but I will be surprised if she does not run for either the senate or the house seat.

Tryon, obviously, being the only incumbent state legislator, would be a favorite in either race, but that’s no guarantee, given he is largely unknown in Kane County, and most Kane County residents nowadays do not like seeing McHenry County residents represent them (hasn’t happened since the 1980s due to the maps).

Allen Skillicorn

So, in addition to Mike Tryon and Paula Yensen, here are some of he other potential candidates who should be profiled, that I can determine are expressing an interest in either race, in no particular order:

• East Dundee Village Trustee Allen Skillicorn (a TEA party local coordinator, has been given “critical acclaim” in the Geneva Patch by Beacon-News columnist Jeff Ward, for being a real TEA party success, locally).


Mark Davoust

• Mark Davoust, Kane County Board Member Mark Davoust (R, St. Charles) (note, Mr. Davoust has over $11,000 in his campaign fund at this time, enough seed money to begin a campaign).
• Former Kane County Board Member, and former West Dundee Village Trustee John B. Mayer (note, Mayer took early retirement from the village of Hoffman Estates Fire Dept at the end of 2010 (retired as a deputy chief), at age 51, so he has a lot of free time on his hands, and he’s close with State Rep. Tim Schmitz, who is also a former municipal official and a firefighter)
• Former D300 School Board Member Chad Koppie (he’s got the money to easily self-fund a campaign).
• Former Dundee Township Trustee and former West Dundee Village Trustee Paula Lauer (D, East Dundee) (Lauer is a Marketing director for McHenry County College, and has a very strong environmental record — enough ties to McHenry County to make her viable).
• ChampionNews.Net editor and Rutland Township Precinct 1 Committeeman John Biver (Biver was a former LA to Senator [Steve] Rauschenberger, at one time). Many people read his posts at Champion News.

I am sure there are others, and many more names you may have heard from either side of the county line. Should make for quite a crowded field in both races.

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For candidates or perspective candidates reading this, McHenry County Blog will be pleased to publish your press releases, if the office’s map contains part of McHenry County.