McHenry County Blog

Newly-sworn in Algonquin Township Trustee Larry Emery is the second Republican Precinct Committeeman to weigh in on what he saw at Tuesday’s McHenry County Board Public Health and Human Services Board meeting.

You can read his story here.

Larry Emery’s blog’s masthead.

The article is entitled,

To Serve or to Politic, that is the question. 708 Board

Emery asked “the committee focus on a candidate that would support transparency, measurable goals match to the 708 board mission statement, and job descriptions match required needs to achieve the measured goals.”

He tells of the 4-0 vote to nominate Crystal Lake City Councilman Jeff Throsen for the vacancy (created after the County Board voted 18-6 against Scott Summers–with none of Summers’ opponents saying a word as to why they were voting, “No.”)

He reports County Board Chairwoman Tina Hill’s answer when asked whether she would put Thorsen’s name on the agenda.

Looks as if there will be anther article about the 3:30 PM meeting of the McHenry County Mental Health Board at its Crystal Lake headquarters on Thursday.

The following was received from newly-elected Algonquin Township Trustee Larry Emery:

A point of view by the numbers

The 164th Annual Algonquin Township Town Meeting was called to order at 7 pm on Tuesday April 16th 2013 by Marc Munaretto.

A much larger group from normal monthly meetings of about 30 people was in attendance.

After the Pledge of Allegiance, it continued as many have gone before.

Newly-elected Algonquin Township Clerk Chuck Lutzow, elected Annual Meeting Moderator, sits next to outgoing Township Clerk Marc Munaretto.

But after the election of a moderator, Charles Lutzow, a slight change was made during the normal flow that will be setting the tone for this years elected board, officials, and the township organization.

Three electors were caught in this photo: Eileen Marhoffer, Lou Anne Majewski and Chuck Lutzow.

A motion was made to pay the moderator $1 for the services rendered that night.

Charles indicated to make it 0 and save the cost of writing a $1 check. The old fee was $50.

This is showing how the newly elected clerk is looking at all expenses and, like every vote counts, every dollar is important.

More of those interested enough in township government to attend the meeting.

The meeting had the open discussion by the audience, the approval of all motions on the agenda, and the reading of the Annual Reports like many other township meeting going on that night.

The $1,486,000 ending balance in the Town fund, the $145,000 in the General assistance fund, and the 834,000 in the Road Fund indicates a very sound financial position.

There was a concern given by Citizen Anne Majewski on the sale/purchase of township property and if a certain dollar amount was needed to be approved.

Road Commissioner Bob Miller indicated there is no amount level but all activities must follow state township requirements.

Also a statement of concern for township employees having individual credit cards was raised by Citizen Lou Anne Majewski. Since it was not an official motion, it would have to be pursued during a regular monthly meeting in the future.

The underlying feeling I was sensing was a concern for change, but not for the sake of change.

A bible story from Luke 16: 1-13 came to mind. To paraphrase Money, utilize it effectively in a quick 5 point recap:

1. Value what you have and don’t waste. Use what you have to impact others. Help the poor and unfortunate.
2. Plan for the future and don’t rationalize. Humility, repent, do what’s right, and be frugal.
3. Operate shrewdly and Heaven rewards it. “Wise as serpents, but harmless as doves.”
4. Start early and God sees it Faithful with a little will be faithful in much. Tithe, save, and live on what you have.
5. Fire a master if you have more than 1, it’s time to settle it. Only can have one master. Don’t worry, be Happy.

As I reported eight days ago, Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Bob Miller, unopposed for re-election, was trying to take control of the Algonquin Township Board.  Maybe I should say “keep control.”

He contributed $1,000 to Marc Munaretto in his campaign to unseat Supervisor Dianne Klemm. While Munaretto ran a superior campaign, Klemm’s superior name identification led her to a convincing victory.

Bob Miller has supported monetarily stand next to each other on Algonquin Road.

For Township Trustee, Miller contributed another $1,000 to Lowell Cutsforth’s campaign.

Shortly thereafter, signs started popping up promoting a slate of four candidates for Township Trustee:

• Dan Shea
• Lowell Cutsforth
• Neils Kruse
• Bill Bligh

On the other side were three candidates:

• appointed incumbent Russ Cardelli
• Larry Emery
• Melissa Sanchez

As you can see below, those three bested all of Miller’s Trustee candidates.  The fourth winner, who came in second, was incumbent Shea, a former Fox River Grove Village President and McHenry County Board member.

Sitting on the Township Board will be the top four vote getters.

Now, as evidenced by the salary increases approved by Trustees Shea, Cutsforth and Linda Lance, who ran for Clerk against Chuck Lutzow and lost, allies of Miller control the Algonquin Township Board.

After the newly-nominated, but certain-to-be elected, township officials are sworn in, four of five Board members will carry the memory that Miller tried to defeat them.

While the Township Road District is run by Miller with little oversight from the Board, there may be some.

Will taxpayers pick the salary hikers or their opponents on Tuesday?

Four of seven candidates will be nominated in the Algonquin Township Republican primary election on Tuesday.

Since the deadline for the Democratic Party to nominate candidates by caucus passed December 4, 2012, whoever wins the GOP primary in Algonquin Township will run unopposed in the April general election.

In other words, any Algonquin Township Democrats reading this story is forewarned that if they don’t vote in the Republican primary election Tuesday, they won’t have any say in who gets to tax them.

When I was going door-to-door in two Algonquin Township precincts, I was talking about the salary increases that three Trustees voted for.

Who are those Trustees?

• Lowell Cutsforth
• Linda Lance
• Dan Shea

Cutsforth and Shea are running for re-election.

They are on the slate of Township Road Commissioner Bob Miller.

Lance is running for Township Clerk against Chuck Lutzow.

In this time of layoffs and salary freezes in the private sector, sympathy for the salary hikers did not manifest itself.

The three running against raising township salaries (in various permutations) four years from now are

• Larry Emery
• Melissa Sanchex
• Russ Cardelli

In fact, Cardelli led the fight against salary hikes for the upcoming term, but lost the vote 3-2. The only person voting with him was Supervisor Dianne Klemm.

As I said in my letter, “Vote as you please, but please vote.”

Look what I found distributed by the Crystal Lake Tea Party:

REMINDER OF TOWNSHIP ELECTIONS ON TUESDAY. THIS IS THE CLOSEST GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATION WE HAVE. BE SURE TO VOTE!

For what it is worth here are my personal recommendations for Nunda Township (of which I am a resident)

• Road Commissioner: Rob Parrish
• Supervisor: Bridgett Provenzano
• Clerk: Angela Koscavage

Township Polling places:
http://mchenry-il.connect.clarityelections.com/ElectionPollingPlaces.aspx

Letter from Irene Napier in support of Pro-life candidates in Algonquin Township:

Irene Napier at the annual Pro-Life Pig Roast, usually held at her farm.

Dear Pro-Life Supporter,

I was going to sit this election out, but two Pro-Lifers running for Algonquin Township Trustee are being slandered.

One is Melissa Sanchez, a 22-year old recent college grad (who has a job already!). Melissa, from Lake in the Hills, took a bus to the Pro-Life Washington demonstration three years ago and ended up meeting the young man she is going to marry. She is running with Larry Emery of Crystal Lake.

The key issue is pay raises voted for by three incumbent Trustees—Dan Shea and Lowell Cutsforth, plus Linda Lance, running for Township Clerk.

Both Melissa and Larry are being accused of voting to raise their own salaries.

The absurdity of the falsehood being spread is obvious when you think about it.

How could two candidates who are not in office have voted to raise their own salaries?

Such a “Big Lie” approach has been used successfully in politics before.

Shame on us if we let it work next Tuesday, when the Republican primary election is held.

What kind of a world do we live in when supporters of politicians spread outright lies about a recent retiree and a young woman inspired to try to improve things by entering public service?

Shouldn’t we be encouraging people like her and her friend Larry Emery, another Pro-Lifer, to stay involved in a political process that most of us would rather ignore because it is so often so dirty?

To summarize, there are three people on the ballot who voted to raise township salaries:

•         Dan Shea running for Trustee
•         Lowell Cutsforth running for Trustee
•         Linda Lance running for Clerk

There is one candidate, a current Trustee, running for re-election who led the fight to cut salaries

•         a Pro-Lifer named Russ Cardelli.

And there are the two candidates opposed to higher salaries who are being lied about

•         Melissa Sanchez
•         Larry Emery

Finally, a well-known Pro-Lifer named

•         Chuck Lutzow

is running for Township Clerk against a woman who voted to raise salaries.

Vote as you please, but please vote.

Irene Napier

That’s the question candidates face if they are doing well.

The latest lie to reach my ears came from Fox River Grove.

Melissa Sanchez of Lake in the Hills, a candidate for Algonquin Township Trustee.

Larry Emery of Crystal Lake, who is running for Algonquin Township Trustee.

A citizen was told that Larry Emery and Melissa Sanchez had voted to raise their own salaries on the Algonquin Township Board.

That’s pretty funny because neither serve on the Algonquin Township Board.

Indeed both are candidates for Township Trustee.

And, perhaps not coincidentally, they are running against two incumbent Township Board members who did vote to raise salaries for Algonquin Township officials.

Those two are Dan Shea and Lowell Cutsforth.

A third incumbent, appointed to the position, Russ Cardelli, led the fight against raising Algonquin Township salaries.

So, what’s it all mean?

I think it means that supporters of the two incumbents who voted to raise salaries are worried they might lose.

In any event, it has not been my experience that one can’t sell a lie in a campaign.

Coincidentally, a mailing arrived today from the slate of Trustee candidates that include Shea and Cutsforth.  You can see it below:

The slate of four candidates backed by Road Commission Bob Miller manifested itself for a second time in a mailing delivered today. The first was on a sign that has been displayed next to Marc Munaretto for

Supervisor Marc Munaretto and Chuck Lutzow for Clerk signs appear next to those of the four candidates running on a slate–Dan Shea, Lowell Custsforth, Niels Kruse and Bill Bligh. All mailings seem to have come from the same mail house.

Fox River Grove Republican Precinct Committeeman Andrew Gasser has published his Algonquin Township GOP primary election recommendations, which he has given me permission to share.

Here they are:

Consolidated Primary Endorsements – 2013

“All politics are local.” – Tip O’Neill, 1982

We have an election coming up in a week.

Many of my friends and neighbors in the 4th precinct are not sure who to vote for so I wanted to put together a small voter guide for the people that I am supporting in the Consolidated Primary to be held on February 26th, 2013.

As many of you know – I am a reformer. I am an articulate conservative who believes in the core values of

• fiscal responsibility
• limited government
• free market principles

These are the things that America great. These are the principles that are so definitively dictated in our constitution.

The candidates listed below will do just that for us here locally.

The is how we begin to rebuild the Republican Party in the belly of the beast, or in the lion’s den. I have attached a PDF you can download here to print out and share with your friends and neighbors. Lets turn out the vote.

Andrew Gasser’s Sample Ballot.

Chuck Lutzow

Chuck Lutzow is running to be your Township Clerk.

Chuck owns a small business in Crystal Lake and has lived in the local area for over 20 years. He is an active committeeman in the local party.

He does not want to raise taxes or government wages, however his opponent voted to raise her salary and the tax levy.

We simply can’t afford NOT to have Chuck representing us.

Russ Cardelli

Russ Cardelli was appointed to be a trustee last year and is now running for election, not re-election.

He has raised his family here in Algonquin.

He has made a name for himself asking good, difficult questions at township board meetings.

I want you all to know Russ was the only trustee who voted NO to the elected official salary hike.

We need to send him back to the township as a trustee so he can continue to work to bring down the cost of government, not raise it.

Larry Emery

Larry Emery is a retired business analyst who lives in Crystal Lake.

He is an active precinct committeeman who worked several campaigns as well as an election judge. He is running to be one of our four trustees in the township.

Larry has already attended several township board meetings and even has pointed out mistakes to the sitting board members.

His excellent “attention to detail” is desperately needed.

Melissa Sanchez of Lake in the Hills, a candidate for Algonquin Township Trustee.

Melissa Sanchez of Lake in the Hills is another active precinct committeeman running for trustee.

Even as she finishes up her double major in Political Science and Legal Studies, she has still found the time to work locally with the local party.

Like Larry, she has vowed to follow Russ’ lead and vote NO to raise salaries.

Melissa will be a great addition to the board and serve us all well.

I know many of you are disgruntled, angry, and somewhat detached from politics after November; especially nationally. However, all politics start locally.

Let’s work to build a stronger, more vibrant local Republican party that increases its influence.

Early voting is going on now so please vote today at the township hall!

Dan, Shea, Lowell Cutsforth, Neils Kruse and Bill Bligh share sign space in the Algonquin Township GOP primary election contest for four Trustee spots.

The long-rumored slate of

• Dan Shea
• Lowell Cutsforth
• Neils Kruse
• Bill Bligh

popped up on some lawns recently.

Shea and Cutsforth are currently on the Algonquin Township Board.

Both voted to raise township salaries and, with the help of a third Trustee, Linda Lance, carried the day.  (Lance is now running for Township Clerk against Chuck Lutzow.)

Township Supervisor Dianne Klemm and appointed Trustee Russ Cardelli voted against the higher salaries.

There are seven people running for the four Township Trustee slots.  The others are

• Larry Emery
• Melissa Sanchez
• Russ Cardelli

Two candidates have sent letters to Republican Precinct Committeemen in Algonquin Township.

Smart move, since all of them will probably vote and some probably will contact some of their constituents prior to the February 26th GOP primary election.

The first came from Township Trustee candidate Larry Emery, a new advertiser on McHenry County Blog. (Guess he has figured out that readers of McHenry County Blog are very likely voters.)

Larry Emery’s letter to Republican Precinct Committeemen.

The body of Emery’s letter is below:

I would like to introduce myself. My name is Larry Emery and I have been appointed to Algonquin Township Precinct 66 in the city of Crystal Lake in October of 2012. I am new in the political arena, but have worked diligently since last June for the Republican candidates in our area and at the McHenry County Republican headquarters during last fall’s election.

I would like to meet you personally for coffee and would like to walk with you in your precinct in the near future around your schedule if possible. Your expertise of politics and understanding of the committeemen’s position would be a great resource of information. Any support would be greatly appreciated.

I am announcing my candidacy for Algonquin Township Trustee. I am committed to work for fiscal responsibility and willingness to focus with the township to make sure every dollar spent is a value to all of us. As I walked the open Algonquin precincts during the summer and fall to support candidates Mc Sweeney, Kurtz, Koehler, Schofield, and others, I will continue to walk and talk in my precinct to learn of concerns/issues that will help me take the necessary actions required as a trustee.

I am also endorsing fellow candidate Melissa Sanchez (Precinct Committeeman 61) for your vote. She is a conservative, young professional lady working in Springfield during the week for our state government and home on the weekends with her family and friends. She would be an excellent addition to our Algonquin Township board.

I will focus as a businessman and government servant for the Algonquin Township as a trustee through:

1.  Taxes: NO additional taxes. “I will vote to cut expenditures by at least 1%, “Help Hold the Line at 99%”. “I will recommend fund budgets to be only 99% from previous year. I will use my 33 years of business experience to help eliminate waste and confirm services are meeting the goals established by the township for our citizens. Each yearly budget must be justified.”
2.  Salaries: NO raises for elected official until economic situation requires or job responsibilities warrant an increase. “We need to evaluate the positions for salary cuts. I will work with all township teams to maintain services and improve effectiveness around established goals for services provided without voting in raises for elected officials.”
3.  Checks and Balances: “I will certify that there is appropriate spending of all township funds and they are balanced and accurate to levy. I will work with the other elected officials of the township to confirm budgets are properly managed to committed funds. I will offer my advice to review and make recommendations as a businessman and a concerned citizen.”

We all must affect the sphere of influence that we have to each other if change is to be made for the good for all. Just as I found an error incorrectly stating our 2011 rate in the 2012 Annual Report while attending the October monthly meeting, I will be diligent to verify the township will have the tax payers best interest in the decision making process.

Please contact me at emery4trustee@yahoo.com or call for questions or interest of support.

Thank you and God’s Peace, Phil 4: 8

Larry Emery

815-354-1583

The second letter came from Township Trustee Linda Lance, who is running for Township Clerk. You see it below:

Page 1 of Linda Lance’s letter to Republican Precinct Committeemen.

Page2 of Linda Lance’s letter to Republican Precinct Committeemen.

Larry Emery, Tom Poznanski, Marty Waitzman, Ron Parrish, Eric Sivertsen and Tom Wilbeck address the McHenry County Young Republicans.

Friday night,  candidates courted Young Republicans at the McHenry County Republican Party Headquarters, located in the “V” of the Crystal Lake Plaza.

Tom Poznanski and Marty Waitzman addressed the group. Poznanski is running for Grafton Township Road Commissioner, while Waitzman is running for Grafton Township Sueprvisor.

Larry Emery of Crystal Lake, a candidate for Algonquin Township Trustee was first up. He told of retiring recently from Sears after 33 years, starting new company HSMS Consulting, his having volunteered during the fall campaign, volunteering at the Bethesda Thrift Shop and, more lately, to help move State Rep. Mike Tryon’s office equipment and supplies to a new location.

Grafton Township Road Commissioner candidate Tom Poznanski explained that he had worked for the District for eight years and how he tried to convince his boss, Jack Freund to run for re-election.  When that attempt was unsuccessful, Poznanski decided to run himself.  So it was from pounding in stakes for signs in past elections to knocking on doors this year.

Marty Waitzman, who is running for Grafton Township Supervisor, spoke next.  He had the audience howling as he told of confronting motorcyclists when he worked as a policeman in Lake County.

Pointing out that the men he had stopped were bigger than he, Waitzman explained that he affected an effeminate voice.

He figured that he was in a win-win situation as a result.

If the motorcyclist beat him up, all they could claim was they had beaten up a gay cop.

If he bested them, they would have been lost to a gay cop.

The quandary he put them in resulted in a successful traffic stop.

Rob Parrish

Next was Rob Parrish, who is running for Nunda Township Highway Commissioner.

“Together with his family, we made the tough decision to retire the company due to the negative economic indicators regarding the poor housing market, liquid asphalt prices reaching an all time high, ever-increasing crude oil prices, and skyrocketing salt prices.

“After 30-plus years, Parrish Paving Inc. closed it’s doors as a successful, profitable, and well established family business in McHenry County.”

Parrish said he decided to take an offer to work for Geske and Sons Inc., a larger local paving company, once a former competitor. Prior to accepting to join Geske, Rob’s main concern was finding jobs for all the valued employees that had worked for Parrish Paving for over 10 years. Rob asked the Geske family to give his men a fair shot to join the team at  the company as well. After quality interviews, all Rob’s men were hired.

After joining Geske, Parrish streamlined the bidding process by implementing computerized job costing, increased crew organization and implementation on job sites which increased average daily production and ended Saturday overtime work hours.

Eric Sivertsen and Tom Wilbeck are both running for the McHenry County College Board.

Parrish said he decided to run for Nunda Township Highway Commissioner because he believes the the citizens of Nunda deserve a candidate with the proven leadership and extensive trade knowledge to run the Road District like an efficient paving business by providing Quality service at a fiscally responsible price.

YR member Eric Sivertsen was the next candidate to talk.  He said he was running for both the McHenry Grade School Board and the McHenry County College Board, both of which needed more conservatives on their panels.

Also running for MCC’s Board was Tom Wilbeck.  He talked about the need for a business approach to the proposed Health Club.

YR’s also discussed plans for the upcoming year, including a billboard, participation in parades, a candidates’ night and a Valentine Day’s gathering.

Details of the Valentine Day’s gathering in Island Lake, which will be held jointly with the Lake County Young Republicans.