McHenry County Blog

Lee Ellis

Lee Ellis, the Chairman of the McHenry County Mental Health Board, was not recommended for re-appointment by the newly-reconstituted Public Health and Human Services Committee.

Hearings have been held yesterday and today with applicants presenting their credentials and answering questions from the six committee members present.

After the interviews by the five women and one man were completed, members wrote down the names of their favorites for three four-year and one one-year term.

The following names were written on a white board:

• Carrie Smith
• Mary Donner
• Lee Ellis
• Bernadette May
• Heather Murgatoyd
• Rob Rontzahn
• Scott Summers
• Connie Meschini

Because Smith, the pastor at Crystal Lake’s Bethany Lutheran Church got four of the six votes, she was selected for one of the three four-year terms.

Six Public Health Committee members cast ballots in round two of the 708 Board selection process.

In a second round of voting, the committee singled out as finalists for the one-year term

• Donner, who was defeated for re-election to the County Board in last spring’s Republican primary election works for Pace and has been the liaison to the County Board from the 708 Board
• Meschini, also on the current Board

Finalists for the two remaining four-year terms were determined after another round of balloting.

Ellis and May got no votes that time around, leaving

• Murgatoyd
• Rontzahn
• Summers

In the fourth round, Mufgatoyd and Rontzahn emerged victorious.

That left the question of who was going to be recommended for the one-year term, Donner or Meschini.

The committee members split evenly with Mary McCann, Anna May Miller and Paula Yensen backing Donner and Committee leader Donna Kurtz, Sandy Salgado and Mike Walkup backing Meschini.

Rob Rontzahn

To break the tie, Committee members decided to await the return of the seventh member, John Hammerand.

Asked after the meeting if she expected any problem getting her the Public Health Committee’s recommendations approved by the full County Board, Kurtz replied, “No.  I think people will respect the balanced view of this Committee.  These are all qualified people and they have been thoroughly vetted.”

Rontzahn works for IBM out of his home office and serves on both the Crystal Lake District 47 Grade School Board and the County Housing Authority.

Murgatoyd is a clinical specialist (social worker) for DeVilbiss Health Care.

Nunda Township Republican Precinct Committeemen stepped forward to be introduced.  From left to right are Barb Wheeler, Nick Provenzano, Bridgett Provenzano, Don Kopsell, Mary McClellan, James Becker, Mary Alger, Joe Gottemoller, Dave Gervais, Chairman Mark Daniel, Mike Shorten and Mary Donner.

In a Veterans Acres picnic, the Nunda Township Republican Central Committee hosted area residents and politicians Saturday afternoon.

I got the privilege of introducing the two newest candidates for McHenry County Sheriff, Jim Harrison and Bill Prim.

Jim Harrison, on the left, and Bill Prim get to know each other at the Nunda Township Republican Picnic. In the background are County Coroner candidate Dr. Anne Majewski and, in the cowboy hat, Fox River Grove GOP Precinct Committeeman Andy Gasser.

Although sitting about ten feet away, Sheriff Keith Nygren’s choice, Andy Zinke, who announced over a year ago, didn’t show any desire to meet his rivals.

Andy Zinke gets up from a Crystal Lake Park District picnic table. Pro-Life leader Irene Napier can be seen in the background.

Both Harrison and Prim talked to the crowd.

Sheriff’s candidate Bill Prim talked to the gathered Republicans.

Jim Harrison addressed the gathered faithful as well.

Zinke left the Nunda Township Republican Picnic before the speeches were given.

Getting as much money out of taxpayers is pretty much the goal of every tax district official, from school board member to township trustee.

To do that, boards need to ask for more than the increase in the Cost of Living allowed by the Illinois Department of Revenue under the Tax Cap law.

Virtually every tax district will ask for the maximum increase allowed.

That’s 3% this coming year.

103% is multiplied by what is called the “tax extension,” the amount of taxes each district is allow to collect from local property owners, to determine how much the tax district can collect in 2013.

But there’s more.

If there has been new construction, as there has been on Crystal Lake’s Route 14 shopping corridor, local park districts, schools, McHenry County College, the Mental Health Board, townships, county government, etc., have to ask for more than 103% of last year’s tax take IN ORDER TO capture the new growth.

I have suggested that legislators could amend the PTELL (the technocrats’ acronym for the Real Estate Tax Cap) law by allowing each government under it to pass a resolution authorizing county officials to tax all of the new growth, rather than using the current practice of balloon levying.

So far, I haven’t noticed such legislation has been introduced.

Last week, the McHenry County Board approved a multi-year contract with the McHenry County Economic Development Commission that uses the same formula for increases contained in the Tax Cap formula used to maximize the Tax Take.

Might the roll call on that question be a good indication of which County Board members will vote in favor of maximizing the County’s Tax Take?

I think it will, so I present it below:

EDC related Resolution vote count is as follows:   19 yes    5 no

AYES:       Merkel, Miller, Munaretto, Nowak, Peschke, Provenzano, Salgado, Schmidt, Wheeler, Bless, Breeden, Donner, Draffkorn, Heisler, Hill, Jung, Kurtz, McCann and Koehler

NAYS:     Schuster, Yensen, Donley, Evertsen and Hammerand

McHenry County Board during the consideration of Jack Franks’ County Executive Referendum.

My prediction is that most of those who will vote to maximize your County tax bill voted “Yes” on the EDC subsidy resolution.

I will further predict that the vote on the tax levy will not occur until after the election, so the above roll call, plus last year’s “Tax to the Max” roll call will be the best you are going to get before you have to cast your vote.

If you think the County Board is not moving in the direction of maximum taxation, please read this May 13, 2012 article.

Those voting against cutting the budget (read the story here) were

• Bob Bless (D1)
• Scott Breeden (D2)
• Mary Donner (D3)
• Jim Heisler (D2)
• John Jung (D5)
• Donna Kurtz (D2)
• Mary McCann (D6)
• Peter Merkel (D4)
• Marc Muneratto (D1)
• Kathy Schmidt (D3)
• Ken Koehler (D2)

On a second roll call the following voted for the “Tax to the Max” levy (again, see this article):

15 members voted in favor:

• Robert Bless
• Scott Breeden
• Sue Draftcorn (a switch)
• Mary Donner
• Jim Heisler
• Tina Hill (a switch)
• John Jung
• Donna Kurtz
• Mary McCann
• Pete Merkel
• Anna May Miller (a switch)
• Marc Munaretto
• Robert Novak (a switch)
• Kathy Bergan Schmidt
• Ken Koehler

Maybe the League of Women question screeners at the last week in September County Board candidates’night will allow a question that will pin down the incumbents running for re-election on the question of whether they will vote to increase the County levy so much that our County taxes will increase as much as the law allows.

Bob Anderson made his pitch to put an anti-double dipping question on the fall ballot for a second time Thursday. He won the fight 11-9.

Wonder Lake activist-barber Bob Anderson got a referendum on the November without having to go door-to-door.

The question was on an issue upon which Governor Pat Quinn built his political career.

Until he had to depend upon double-dippers to advance his public career, every year Coalition for Political Honesty’s Quinn published a list of those with two public jobs.

Anderson’s question is more narrow.

The question that approved by the County Board on an 11-9 vote reads like this:

Should Illinois Law permit an individual to hold two or more public elected offices simultaneously?

It doesn’t address, for instance, County Board members who have a pay check coming from another unit of government which is appointed, rather than elected.

In his comments to the County Board, Anderson cited seven public officials, most present or former state legislators.

The debate was interesting.

One, State Senator Bill Peterson, used to represent part of McHenry County.  He earned $83,804 as a State Senator and $90,000 as Vernon Township Supervisor.

Currently, I am only aware of Algonquin’s Marc Munaretto’s being personally affected.  Besides being on the County Board, he is Algonquin Township Clerk.  Because of McHenry County’s population he is prohibited by law from holding both posts after the next election.  Munaretto did not run for re-election to the County Board and has not announced his intentions with regard to a Township Clerk candidacy.

Jim Heisler introduced the question, outlining the options–putting the question on the ballot, putting it on the County’s legislative wish list (my term) next year, plus a third option I didn’t catch.

Sandra Salgado

“I will be voting for it,” Sandy Salgado said.  “I’m in favor of asking voters whenever we can.”

Reflecting on the votes of those whose re-election chances might be affected if an opponent charged they had not been willing to trust the people, I think her comment might have had more effect than might have been apparent at the beginning of the debate.

Virginia Peschke agreed with Salgado.

She related how she had been a Bull Valley Village Trustee when first elected and, although she didn’t see then and hasn’t seen a conflict since, state law prohibited her from holding both elected offices simultaneously.

“In general, I think it’s a good idea.  There’s much too much opportunity for conflict.”

Democrat Kathy Bergan Schmidt disagreed.

“I will be voting against this.  The Legislative Committee (on which she serves) gave it a good thorough discussion.  We decided to include it as part of next year’s legislative program.”

Her basic pitch seemed to be that the Board should not contradict the Committee’s recommendation.

Nick Provenzano spoke in opposition, too.

He argued that Anderson should have gathered enough signatures, the same way Jack Franks did for his County Executive referendum, that County Board-initiated referendums should deal with questions on which Board members seek advice.

Donna Kurtz said that the democratic process benefits from involvement of more people.  Anderson’s reading of the double-dipping salaries “must have made your stomach crawl.”

Having people hold two offices at the same time “shut(s) down the opportunity for involvement of other people in the process to prevent the concentration of power.”

Diane Evertsen pointed out that people don’t step up to the plate as far as running for office goes…”except in District 6.”

Mary Donner rose to the defense of former Senator Peterson.

“To think that someone would run for State Senator and Township Supervisor to line their pockets, I find offensive.”

[Hold that thought because Kurtz found Donner's characterization of her remarks offensive and said so later.]

The second Democrat on the County Board, Paula Yensen, whose husband Mike Bissett is Chairman of the McHenry County Democratic Party, disagreed with Schmidt.

She related how she had resigned as a Trustee in the Village of Lake in the Hills when she was elected to the County Board.

Ersel Schuster, who was Seneca Township Supervisor while serving on the County Board, also opposed the ballot question.

“Transparency is out there.  In so many cases, the individual served the people well.”

[It should be noted that until a U.S. Supreme Court case in the early 1970's Township Supervisors were automatically on the County Board--all 17 of them.  In addition, the larger townships, Algonquin, McHenry, Nunda and Dorr elected misnamed "Assistant Supervisors," whose sole duties were to serve on the County Board.]

Randy Donley

“Much of what I see I just can’t stand,” Randy Donley said.

“So many things are wrong…just not illegal.”

Salgado rebutted Munaretto argument that resolutions put on the ballot should reflect issues for which the County Board sought guidance.

“I also represent the people. Let them choose, not us.”

“What impact will it have on McHenry County. It’s purely advisory. It expresses a public opinion,” Munaretto opined.

“I was not aware that Senator Peterson had another job,” Peshke added.

“I just think a man can’t serve two masters.”

Then it was Kurtz’ turn again.

“I don’t think there’s anything more distasteful than taking comments {out of context] and then turning them around and personalizing them.”

She said she did not use the term “lining pockets.”

Provenzano pointed out that being on a Township Board and the County Board is already prohibited by law.

Regarding prohibiting people from holding two elected offices, “It should be up to the voters. Senator Peterson got voted in over and over.”

Next, Donner apologized to Kurtz. “That’s what I heard.”

Absent from the 11-9 vote to put Anderson’s question on the ballot were Bob Bless, Pete Merkel, Bob Nowak and Barb Wheeler.

There was a long debate over whether the County Board should put a referendum on the fall ballot asking voters is they wanted to elect the County Board Chairman in an at-large election.

Before that several citizens provided input.

District 5 Republican candidate Michale Rein was asking, “Where’s the money going to be coming from?” as I arrived a bit late.

“Outside interests” was his answer to the rhetorical question.

“We’re going to end up with a career political [running McHenry County],” he added.

Earlier I posted the comments that Grafton Township Supervisor Linda Moore offered.

By putting such a powerful official over McHenry County government, she sees the possibility of conflict similar to that in Grafton Township.

And that’s what Jack Franks’ County Executive form of government seems to be all about.

The alternative of having a competing referendum asking,

“Shall the Chairman of the McHenry County Board be elected at-large by the voters?”

on the ballot was rejected by a 16-3 vote. Only Randy Donley, Virginia Peschke and Paula Yensen voted to place it on the ballot.

Members attending the meeting to consider a resolution to put a referendum on the ballot to allow voters to elect the McHenry County Board Chairman. Only three voted in favor.

The majority seemed to think that they stood a better chance to defeat the Franks’ proposal to shift from a Parliamentary form of government to a very strong Executive form of government if a somewhat similar sounding question were not on the ballot to muddy the waters.

And the majority clearly did not want to lose the power they now have.

Even Bob Anderson, in the room to promote his own anti-double-dipping advisory referendum, took a shot at Franks:

“If Jack Franks were doing his job, he would be addressing like this.”

Jack Franks wasn’t invited to the meeting, but his ears must have been burning.

Democrat Kathy Bergan Schmidt opposed Franks’ proposal,  calling it “a Trojan Horse.”

“We can deal with this question on our own.”

A former candidate for County Board Chairman, Virginia Peschke said, “I don’t support Mr. Franks form of government,” while expressing her support for electing the Chairman in an at-large election.

It was suggested that if both referendum passed, the County Executive one would have precedence.

Later, Assistant State’s Attorney Donna Kelly stated that the Statute “does not address the situation when you have dueling referendums.”

Marc Munaretto wanted to know if the Franks’ question could be withdrawn if the at-large election of the County Board question were put on the ballot.

“This is not Jack Franks’ petition.  He has not control over it after he handed it in…Why are we taking any time discussing it?”Kathy Bergan Schmidt asked.

[There is some disagreement with regard to Schmidt's opinion.]

“I do not support the County Executive form of government,” the man who twice ran unsuccessfully against Ken Koehler for County Board Chairman, said.

Sandy Salgado told of taking to some folks in her precinct.

“I have a feeling it’s going to pass.”

Later Virginia Peschke agree.

“We’re going to have a hard time defeating it. ”

She told of talking over a twelve-month period with Winnebago’s at-large County Board Chairman Chris Cohen.

“I didn’t find many objections.  I think many of these things are bogeymen.”

“I’m in concurrence with Kathy Bergan Schmidt’s opposition to the County Executive form of government…It gives unlimited power to that position…I do not support Mr. Franks’ referendum.”

Yensen indicated what was needed was term limits for the McHenry County Board Chairman, as did the head of the Management Services Committee, Ersel Schuster.

She also pointed out that a “countywide race for that position would be very expensive.”

She estimated candidates spent $100,000 on the campaign to become the at-large elected Chairman of the Kane County Board.

Mary Donner was suspicious about Rep. Franks’ timing, she indicated while expressing agreement with Schmidt view that putting a second referendum on the ballot would be confusing.

“I certainly do not support the Executive form of government,” Randy Donley said when he gained the floor.  He made it clear, however, he supported electing the County Board Chairman at-large.

Donley expressed the opinion that Franks would be willing to take his question off the ballot, if the County Board put the at-large referendum on the ballot.

Except for the comment to the left and recognizing people to speak, County Board Chairman Ken Koehler was silent during the meeting.

Donley asked how many had called him.

Jim Heisler, Paula Yensen, and Mary Donner said they had, although Yensen later said she had talked to him in person with others being present.

“I do not know at this time the motivation of Mr. Franks.”

“We’ve sent numerous letters to him saying we’ll set a Special Meeting when he wants to come,” County Board Chairman Ken Koehler interjected.

Announcing her intent to push for Term Limits again, Schuster said, “I find it mind boggling that a State Representative would act in this manner.”

Scott Breeden said his opposition to at-large elections was based on how the expense of the campaign wold limit “the number of qualified people.”

He pointed out that currently the Chairman “owes responsibility to the County Board members.”

Donna Kurtz said she supported Term Limits, as well as an at-large elected Chairman.

“A County Executive is so onerous,” she continued, “such a huge threat to the democratic process [because it puts] such an unprecedented amount of power and control down to the [lowest] employee.”

She pointed out a County Executive would have the power to hire its own attorney and “that will wreck havoc with legal fees.”

Kurtz said she thought having two referendums on the ballot would “confuse the issue.”

“If anyone doesn’t think there isn’t political influence in the way we now select the County Board Chairman, [he's wrong],” Peschke said.

“I’d like to know why this discussion didn’t occur prior to his getting the signatures,” Yensen said, pointing out that those petitions had set “a fire under us.”

John Hammerand probed as to whether the County Executive form of government, once approved, could be changed by putting another referendum on the ballot.

The answer seemed to be that a repeal referendum could be put on the ballot in 2014, but that would be the first election for a County Executive, so he or she would have at least one term in office.

Non-incumbent Mary McClellan won one of the four Republican nominations for the McHenry County Board in District 3.

She edged out Mary Donner, perhaps because Donner voted to raise the McHenry County government portion of the tax bill as high as the Property Tax Cap law allows.

It was a tough sell.

The primary election results in McHenry County Board District 3.

Now McClellen is up against Democratic Party incumbent Kathy Bergan Schmidt and challenger Lori McConville.

McClellan is holding a fund raiser probably because there are two Democrats running for the same office.

Take a look at the Democratic Party primary results:

Democratic Party primary results for District 3.

Below is McClellan’s fund raising invitation:

The price is $75 per couple. The event is being held at Bob Wegener’s Farm at 2815 Barreville Road in Prairie Grove. Kids are free.

The Family Service & Community Mental Health Center for McHenry County has been in trouble for “over five years,” according to its new Executive Director Lori Nelson.

Don Miskowiec, Lori Nelson and Sandy Lewis (seen from left to right) address the committee on the merger of Family Services and North Central Behavioral Health System.

That came out in response to a question from County Board member Randy Donley near the end of a meeting of Public Health and Human Services Committee Friday morning.

708 Board Executive Director Sandy Lewis revealed that her property tax-funded agency had had financial concerns about Family Services for two years, even making “a $1 million advance for cash flow purposes.”

Nelson, who replaced recently nominated District 4 County Board GOP candidate Bob Martens as Executive Director, outlined the criteria she and her board devised to find a “partnership with an outside agency” that would allow her agency to continue providing mental health services to local residents.

One was that the agency be fairly sizable with a budget of $40-50 million.

That was the magic number that the McHenry County people concluded was necessary to have a mental health agency that could survive the diminishing resources from Illinois state government and the uncertainties of the Federal government’s health care delivery changes.

But shear size was not the only criterion for what Nelson called “potential partners” for her agency with its “high debt load” for mortgaged buildings at Oak Street and Veterans Parkway in McHenry.

And the very survival of Family Services seemed to be the primary motivation for the 53-year old McHenry County mental health provider.

“Our alternative was to close the doors,” Nelson explained.

Randy Donley listens Lori Nelson explain Family Services' financial situation.

Nelson and her board looked at thirty-three elements, including

• a five-year history of net 3% (which a for-profit firm would call profit, I believe)
• six months of cash reserves
• an (undefined at the meeting) debt ratio
• measured performance standards
• presences at the national level
• primary care integration
• certified electronic record keeping
• ability to manage multiple sites
• understanding of a 708 board

“Ultimately, North Central met and exceeded all of our expectations,” Nelson said.

The result was a decision to agree to a takeover of everything but real estate debt by the North Central Behavioral Health System, based in LaSalle County.

“The entire presentation is about how the mental health system is changing,” observed 708 Exec Lewis.

Sandy Salgado

“Over 30% of mental health agencies will not survive,” she added.

She stressed that it was “not a [hostile] takeover.”

Run by former Iowa head hospital exec Don Miskowiec, North Central plans to continue providing the same mental health services locally, with the current providers who decide to remain on staff.

Sandy Salgado had a line of questioning of the liability of local taxpayers.

“Don’t say we don’t have responsibility for the taxpayers,” she said at one point.

There will, however, be a reduction of staff in McHenry County as overhead functions are shifted south.

“Without this kind of cost sharing, there wouldn’t be the possibility of maintaining [service here}," Miskowiec explained.

Mary Donner

Mary Donner, the County Board liaison to the 708 Board pointed out that overhead now is 20%, but that will be lowered to 10%.

The total cost of that overhead will be about $575,000 a year.

Under questioning Donna Kurtz, a former Family Services Board member, it was learned that of the 97 employees now, 85-87 will remain.

Nelson said “about 18 bodies” will be lost with the planned “economies of scale.”

CEO Miskowiec pointed out that Family Services has 60-65% productivity, while North Central has 72%.  He expects to increase McHenry County’s operational efficiency level for employees to that of the rest of his agency.  The productivity measure relates to the percentage of time that employees spend in direct contact with clients.

The Family Services building on Veterans Parkway in McHenry.

The Family Services board will remain in existence in order to service the mortgages and clean up bills and re-reimbursements which occur after the beginning of the May 1st “transition of service agreement” by North Central.

Leases payments for use of the two buildings, combined with rent from the on-site pharmacy, plus renting out existing empty space are expected to pay back the mortgage holders and maintain the buildings.

An issue brought forward by Donna Kurtz was why Family Services was not merging with a McHenry County not-for-profit organization.

Nelson had explained “other behavioral health providers” in surrounding counties had been examined, as well as health care entities like hospitals, had undergone a financial viability review before North Central had been selected as the best match.

Donna Kurtz

Kurtz was critical of “tax money…going to…North Central and come back here.  Now we have the money.  It [won't be] a local bank…That hurts the economy.  A lot?  No, but that bothers me.”

Donner explained that most of the deliberations had taken part in Executive Session.

Kurtz also criticized the use of the term “partnership.”

“Partnership is among equals…This is a takeover.”

“Let’s keep it local.

“We have more layers; we have less control,” Kurtz contended.

McHenry County residents will have three of eleven board spots.

In response, Miskowiec said,  “I think there is a severe risk to service delivery here [without the merger].  We’re not here as a hostile takeover.  accomplished].”

Miskowiec stressed that McHenry County money, outside of the 10% overhead, will be spent in McHenry County.

“I can’t cross-subsidize counties.

“There are changes, but not in day-to-day services.”

McHenry County has about 6,000 clients, while North Central has 8-10,000.

North Central currently service clients in a seven-county area, having outpatient centers in

• LaSalle
• Ottawa
• Streator
• Princeton
• Canton
• Macomb

The agency service area stretches almost to the Mississippi River in the area where Western Illinois University is located. Counties covered are Bureau, Fulton, LaSalle, Marshall, McDonough, Putnam and Stark.

On March 27, McHenry County’s Finance and Audit Committee discussed emergency appropriations: a pair of contracts for the Planning and Development Department –

• one for a computer program for their Permitting System and
• another for their Digital Plan Review in the amount of $427,700 that was not in this year’s budget.  (In addition, there will be an ongoing maintenance fee projected at this time to be $48,000 per year that will continue for the life of the program.)

The motion to approve the non-budgeted contract failed with four nays:

• Bob Bless
• John Hammerand
• Jim Heisler
• Scott Breeden

There were three ayes:

• Mary Donner
• Tina Hill
• Mary McCann.

The main concern at the time seemed to be that the maintenance costs were not budgeted in Planning and Development, the department that will be using the software.

P&D was not willing to absorb the fees into their budget for this year.  Neither did the IT department budget for this unforeseen expense.

All that changed at the April 10^th meeting, when the emergency appropriation was reconsidered.

Hammerand voiced strong concerns that this was not an emergency appropriation and, instead, it should be earmarked as a supplemental or budget item in the 2013 Budget.

Although no department agreed to pay the ongoing maintenance fee from their budgets,  the Finance Committee decided to place it in the non-departmental budget and move it on to the County Board for approval.

There was general agreement that sometime in the future a policy will be drawn up about the allocation of ongoing fees for computer maintenance fees.

Joe Gottemoller’s last name is so long that his sign emphasizes his first name.

Nick Provenano’s last name is pretty long, too.

Generally, short-named people have an advantage, if only because their name is easier to fit on a sign.

But, as you can see below, with 17% of the vote counted in District 3, the candidates with the longest names are in the lead.

Joe Gottemoller and Nick Provenzano are running first and second in the eight-person race. Next is the guy who has the road bisecting the District, Michael Walkup. Vying for fourth place are two of the three Mary's, newcomer Mary McClellan and incumbent Mary Donner.

The 17% figures are holding up through 59% of the votes being counted.

The two top Mary’s are battling it out for the fourth spot on the fall GOP ballot.

Little difference can be seen between the 17% figures and the 59% totals.

Here’s the palm card that Mary Donner is using to promote her re-election to the County Board in District 3:

The back of Donner’s literature touts membership on various County Board committees.  The items below are listed on Donner’s web site:

Community Involvement:

• Coordinator – Rockford Diocese Deaf Ministry for McHenry County Deanery
• Volunteer – Midwest Center for Children with Disabilities
• Nunda Township Trustee
• McHenry County Board Liaison to McHenry County Housing Authority
• Attended Tri-State Summit on Growing Sustainable Communities – Dubuque, IA, September 2007
• Attended Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning – Climate Change Summit, December 2007
• Liaison to the Veterans Assistance Commission and Mental Health Board
• Member of the Land Conservancy and Environmental Defenders
• Member of Senator Mark Kirk’s Women’s Advisory Committee.
• Public Health and Human Services Committee
• Finance and Audit Committee
• Planning and Development Committee
• Pace Blue Ribbon Committee on Paratransit
• McHenry Deanery – Deaf Interpreter

She also has an interesting section entitled, “Things I’ve learned in life:”

• You can’t do anything about the milk that is already spilt. Clean up the mess and be more careful next time.
• Go out and play – but not until the work is done.
• If you have to borrow money, do it from your own savings and pay it back!
• Don’t put anything on a credit card that you won’t see when the bill comes. Along with that, never charge anything you can not pay off at the end of the month.
• Be faith filled – it keeps you balanced and is a heck of a fountain from which to draw strength.
• To those who are blessed comes added responsibility to give back.
• Stay humble – it keeps you honest.
• “Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re Braver than you Believe, Stronger than you Seem, and Smarter than you Think…” – Christopher Robin to Pooh

“The Northwest Herald Endorses Mary Donner for McHenry County Board!” the web site says, and so does the Daily Herald.

Mary Donner explains PACE Dial-a-Ride service in a video on her web site.

There’s even a PACE video featuring Donner.  Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley, a paid member of the PACE Board is also featured.

Her  web site can be found here.