McHenry County Blog

I had heard the rumor that McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler had told those thinking of voting against him that such action would result in their not getting a chairmanship.

If true, Koehler, re-elected in early December over challengers Barb Wheeler (whom you see at the left being hugged by Koehler after he beat her) and Marc Munaretto, did not apply that guideline uniformly.

Otherwise, Marc Munaretto would not have been re-appointed Chairman of the Finance Committee.

He was the only exception, however.

Challenger Wheeler was stripped of her Planning and Development Committee chairmanship and even denied a vice chairmanship, usually a pretty meaningless position.

First term Lake in the Hills Democrat Jim Kennedy, who voted for Koehler, on the other hand, landed two vice chairmanships:

• Law and Justice and
• Liquor & License

Let’s see what happened to those who voted for candidates other than Koehler.

Republicans voting for Barb Wheeler:

Sue Daffkorn – District 4
Virginia Peschke – District 5
Dan Ryan – District 6
Sandra Salgado – District 4
Barb Wheeler – District 3

Like Wheeler, Sue Draffkorn ended up as neither a committee chairman or vice chairman.

Long-time member Virginia Peschke, who was chairman of the Public Health Committee and who previously ran against Koehler, ended up a complete backbencher.

Dan Ryan was not selected to be neither a chairman nor a vice chairman.

Sandra Salgado also didn’t place in the chairman, vice chairman derby.

Freshman Democrat Kathy Bergan Schmidt, who also supported Wheeler, had to settle for being an ordinary committee member like the rest of Wheeler’s supporters.

Randy Donley, who supported Munaretto, also finished out of the money, so to speak.

“Reward your friends, punish your enemies” is old political advice.

Koehler seems to have followed that advice, except for Munaretto.

Maybe Koehler concluded that his political coalition didn’t have anyone as qualified as Munaretto to head the Finance Committee.

I had heard the rumor that McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler had told those thinking of voting against him that such action would result in their not getting a chairmanship.

If true, Koehler, re-elected in early December over challengers Barb Wheeler (whom you see at the left being hugged by Koehler after he beat her) and Marc Munaretto, did not apply that guideline uniformly.

Otherwise, Marc Munaretto would not have been re-appointed Chairman of the Finance Committee.

He was the only exception, however.

Challenger Wheeler was stripped of her Planning and Development Committee chairmanship and even denied a vice chairmanship, usually a pretty meaningless position.

First term Lake in the Hills Democrat Jim Kennedy, who voted for Koehler, on the other hand, landed two vice chairmanships:

• Law and Justice and
• Liquor & License

Let’s see what happened to those who voted for candidates other than Koehler.

Republicans voting for Barb Wheeler:

Sue Daffkorn – District 4
Virginia Peschke – District 5
Dan Ryan – District 6
Sandra Salgado – District 4
Barb Wheeler – District 3

Like Wheeler, Sue Draffkorn ended up as neither a committee chairman or vice chairman.

Long-time member Virginia Peschke, who was chairman of the Public Health Committee and who previously ran against Koehler, ended up a complete backbencher.

Dan Ryan was not selected to be neither a chairman nor a vice chairman.

Sandra Salgado also didn’t place in the chairman, vice chairman derby.

Freshman Democrat Kathy Bergan Schmidt, who also supported Wheeler, had to settle for being an ordinary committee member like the rest of Wheeler’s supporters.

Randy Donley, who supported Munaretto, also finished out of the money, so to speak.

“Reward your friends, punish your enemies” is old political advice.

Koehler seems to have followed that advice, except for Munaretto.

Maybe Koehler concluded that his political coalition didn’t have anyone as qualified as Munaretto to head the Finance Committee.

Kathy Bergan Schmidt, new chair of the McHenry County Democratic Central Committee, was almost picking off incumbent Republican County Board member Nick Provenzano before the early votes were folded in.

Provenzano was reported to be leading by 97 votes. There were 23,308 votes reported then.

After adding the early and absentee votes, there were 29,458 ballots cast in District 3.

286 votes is the margin now reported that Schmidt beat Provenzano.

Kathy Bergan Schmidt, new chair of the McHenry County Democratic Central Committee, was almost picking off incumbent Republican County Board member Nick Provenzano before the early votes were folded in.

Provenzano was reported to be leading by 97 votes. There were 23,308 votes reported then.

After adding the early and absentee votes, there were 29,458 ballots cast in District 3.

286 votes is the margin now reported that Schmidt beat Provenzano.

Glancing at the final week’s contributions to McHenry County candidates, I found two for the county board district north of Crystal Lake.

One was a $500 contribution to incumbent Republican Nick Provenzano from Jack Roeser, who runs the Family-Taxpayers Network.

The second was more interesting. It was for Kathy Bergan Schmidt, the new McHenry County Democratic Central Committee Chair.

She is the only Democrat challenging Provenzano and Mary Donner.

She started off with $1,887 on Jul 1st and has picked up $2,131.

So, she has a bit over $4,000 for her campaign.

Over half of the money has come as a loan from herself.

She also received $500 from the Eight District Democrats and Independents out of Lake Zurich.

Provenzano started out July with $465 and has garnered $1,780 since then. Besides the Roeser $500, the only other donations big enough to be reported was $250 from former State Senator Dick Klemm.

Donner had about $8,000, counting what she had on July 1st and what she has raised since. That does not take into account whatever her fund raiser cost.

Those identified as contributors are

• $500 – Richard Klemm Trust
• $250 – Mr. and Mrs. G. Weiler
• $250 – Local 150 Operating Engineers
• $250 – Referrals Plus, Inc.
• $240 – National Association of Systems Administrators
• $150 – Madsen Sugden and Gottemoller

Glancing at the final week’s contributions to McHenry County candidates, I found two for the county board district north of Crystal Lake.

One was a $500 contribution to incumbent Republican Nick Provenzano from Jack Roeser, who runs the Family-Taxpayers Network.

The second was more interesting. It was for Kathy Bergan Schmidt, the new McHenry County Democratic Central Committee Chair.

She is the only Democrat challenging Provenzano and Mary Donner.

She started off with $1,887 on Jul 1st and has picked up $2,131.

So, she has a bit over $4,000 for her campaign.

Over half of the money has come as a loan from herself.

She also received $500 from the Eight District Democrats and Independents out of Lake Zurich.

Provenzano started out July with $465 and has garnered $1,780 since then. Besides the Roeser $500, the only other donations big enough to be reported was $250 from former State Senator Dick Klemm.

Donner had about $8,000, counting what she had on July 1st and what she has raised since. That does not take into account whatever her fund raiser cost.

Those identified as contributors are

• $500 – Richard Klemm Trust
• $250 – Mr. and Mrs. G. Weiler
• $250 – Local 150 Operating Engineers
• $250 – Referrals Plus, Inc.
• $240 – National Association of Systems Administrators
• $150 – Madsen Sugden and Gottemoller