McHenry County Blog

Maybe it was the $20,000 salary, plus full and generous health coverage, but whatever the motivation, all the incumbents but District 4 incumbents Sandy Salgado and Pete Merkel, both from McHenry, drew challengers.

Twenty-three people are vying for twelve spots on the fall ballot.

Thirteen are women; ten men.

In District 1, incumbents Anna May Miller and Yvonne Barnes are being challenged by Cary’s Bob Nowak.

In District 2, incumbents Ken Koehler and Lyn Orphal will face not only MCC Board member Donna Kurtz, but Crystal Lake City Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller, but also Sandra DePaul.

Mueller likes to be last on the ballot, but she didn’t wait long enough this afternoon. DePaul gets the coveted spot, worth an extra 5% in a six-person race, probably less in this five-person race.

In District 3, newly energized entrepreneur Craig Steagall, who lives just north of Crystal Lake will take on incumbent Barb Wheeler, former county board member Nick Provenzano and newcomers Veronica Armstrong and Karen Tynis.

Steagall is known for his full-page ads in the Northwest Herald in opposition to Metra’s purchase of 17 acres next to the old 84 Lumber (new Alexander’s Lumber) on Country Club Road.

Those ads have attacked McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler. Less well known is that he put together the people who built Prairie Ridge High School’s soccer field.

In District 5, Dave Frederick filed his nominating papers. The veterinarian will be running against incumbent Tina Hill and former county board member John Jung. The announced candidacy of John Vrett did not materialize.

In District 6, incumbent Mary McCann filed her petitions Monday. She joins incumbent Dan Ryan and challengers Richard Draper of Wonder Lake, Dianne Evertsen of Hartland Township and Victor Naursis of Woodstock.

Thanks to the Northwest Herald for assigning Kevin Craver to cover the county board.

He writes today of the Finance Committee’s recommendation that the McHenry County Board vote to borrow $60 million on the Federal “come.”

All members voted to give themselves power to spend the $60 million.

Marc Munaretto is chairman of the Finance Committee, Lyn Orphal is vice chairman and the following are members:

Scott Breeden, John Hammerand, Tina Hill, Daniel P. Ryan, Mary Donner

Former McHenry County College Board member and bond counsel Tim Stratton told the committee that they is going to be “wide availability.”

President Barack Obama’s stimulus package is providing a stream of income (from borrowed billions need not be noted).

Guess the banks that got the billions still aren’t loaning to small business folks. I talked to a couple of CitiBank clients who had had their lines of credit cut, which would lead one to believe that the President’s plan is not working to these businessmen’s satisfaction.

First, McHenry County is going to become a “recovery zone.”

The county board just needs to pass a resolution.

The bonds will be highly taxed favored, won’t be counted against the county’s debt limit and, hey, we county taxpayers don’t have to worry if anyone defaults.

And, we Federal taxpayers, well, this is the year to switch your 401(k) retirement savings into a Roth IRA. (Of course, you’ll have to pay taxes on the money, but the tax rate has to be higher than it will be after the Democrats and President hike them to pay back the trillions they are borrowing.)

If you haven’t figured out I think this is a bad idea, you might want to read

The $60 million has to be out the door by the end of next year.

Although the Finance Committee will screen the public and business applicants, Munaretto said,

Maybe, but the committee surely sounds like the bankers who will make the decisions.

I hope they put in the contracts that no recipient, their officers or straw man or woman is allowed to make campaign contributions to themselves or anyone they hint could “use some help.”

The McHenry County Mental Health Board and the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation appeared in support of borrowing the money.

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Click to enlarge the 1934 Chicago Tribune cartoon.

Although not on the ballot this year, McHenry County Board member Lyn Orphal is reporting having $1,229 in her political action committee’s bank account.

Although not on the ballot this year, McHenry County Board member Lyn Orphal is reporting having $1,229 in her political action committee’s bank account.

Keely Cat is worried about the Crystal Lake sales tax hike.

“Up 75%,”

he hears Cat Daddy mumbling.

Catkins is wondering if he needs to go back to the bad old days of keeping watch for the McHenry County Republican Cat Tax Collectors.

Keely Cat led the battle to kill the bad old Cat Tax.

And, he succeeded.

Oh, he hears Cat Dad give credit to Lyn Orphal, but he knows what made Cat Tax presenter Tina Hill use the words “Cat Tax” in her county board speech.

Will Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley send Sales Tax Inspectors to make sure Sales Tax has been paid on cat food Cat Daddy feeds him in the early morning hours.

And, what is a “receipt?”

Catkins is trying to relax on the top of his cat jail next to the window.

But he is wondering if something more terrifying than the monster created by that little big person he sleeps with will soon come peering in the window.

It’s really scary!

Should he be looking for hiding places again?

Keely Cat is worried about the Crystal Lake sales tax hike.

“Up 75%,”

he hears Cat Daddy mumbling.

Catkins is wondering if he needs to go back to the bad old days of keeping watch for the McHenry County Republican Cat Tax Collectors.

Keely Cat led the battle to kill the bad old Cat Tax.

And, he succeeded.

Oh, he hears Cat Dad give credit to Lyn Orphal, but he knows what made Cat Tax presenter Tina Hill use the words “Cat Tax” in her county board speech.

Will Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley send Sales Tax Inspectors to make sure Sales Tax has been paid on cat food Cat Daddy feeds him in the early morning hours.

And, what is a “receipt?”

Catkins is trying to relax on the top of his cat jail next to the window.

But he is wondering if something more terrifying than the monster created by that little big person he sleeps with will soon come peering in the window.

It’s really scary!

Should he be looking for hiding places again?

Successful citizen uprisings have a long history in McHenry County.

Tuesday, two more groups won big victories for their neighborhoods.

Nunda Neighbors, who first fought off a truck depot, now have won a 17-6 zoning victory against those developers who wished to turn their residential area into a strip mall.

Located west of Woodstock, Seneca Township homeowners saw a gravel pit go down to defeat 19-4.

Both had neighborhood sign campaigns and web sites.
(Seneca Township;
Nunda Neighbors.)

As Northwest Herald reporter Kevin Craver pointed out, four of the six votes against what the local people wanted came from the same people:

• County Board Chairman Ken Koehler of Crystal Lake
• Marc Munaretto of Algonquin,
• Mary Lou Zierer, who lives between Marengo and Harvard and
• Dan Shea of Fox River Grove

The two extra, who ignored the Nunda Neighbors’ pleas were

• Sue Draffkorn of Wonder Lake and
• Lyn Orphal of Crystal Lake.

All of the county board members voting in opposition to the local residents pleas are Republican.

It is pretty extraordinary for a county board chairman to be on the losing side of issues. I have not been keeping track, but, besides these zoning issues, Crystal Lake’s Koehler has been in the minority

• on the McHenry County Republican Cat Tax fight,
• banning flash photography and
• the attempt to spend $773,000 more on renovating the old State Farm Insurance building on Route 14 into an animal control shelter.

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The head shot is of McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler.

Successful citizen uprisings have a long history in McHenry County.

Tuesday, two more groups won big victories for their neighborhoods.

Nunda Neighbors, who first fought off a truck depot, now have won a 17-6 zoning victory against those developers who wished to turn their residential area into a strip mall.

Located west of Woodstock, Seneca Township homeowners saw a gravel pit go down to defeat 19-4.

Both had neighborhood sign campaigns and web sites.
(Seneca Township;
Nunda Neighbors.)

As Northwest Herald reporter Kevin Craver pointed out, four of the six votes against what the local people wanted came from the same people:

• County Board Chairman Ken Koehler of Crystal Lake
• Marc Munaretto of Algonquin,
• Mary Lou Zierer, who lives between Marengo and Harvard and
• Dan Shea of Fox River Grove

The two extra, who ignored the Nunda Neighbors’ pleas were

• Sue Draffkorn of Wonder Lake and
• Lyn Orphal of Crystal Lake.

All of the county board members voting in opposition to the local residents pleas are Republican.

It is pretty extraordinary for a county board chairman to be on the losing side of issues. I have not been keeping track, but, besides these zoning issues, Crystal Lake’s Koehler has been in the minority

• on the McHenry County Republican Cat Tax fight,
• banning flash photography and
• the attempt to spend $773,000 more on renovating the old State Farm Insurance building on Route 14 into an animal control shelter.

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The head shot is of McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler.