Marengo District 6 County Board Forum

A Friend of McHenry County Blog took some notes last night at the McHenry County Board District 6 candidates’ night at Marengo High School. Here’s they are: District 6 candidates for County Board held at the Marengo High School on … Continue reading

Keeping the One-Sixth of Prisoners Who Are Mentally Ill Out of McHenry County Jail

The minutes of the January 13, 2016, McHenry County Public Health Committee dipped into the mental health problems of those ending up in the County Jail. The statistics for last year show there were 6,200 individuals detained in our jail … Continue reading

Aavang, McCann Township Consolidation Votes Ruled Invalid, But Motion to Kill Stands

On October 6, 2015, the McHenry County the McHenry County Board voted down proposals to allow citizens to vote on whether they wanted to consolidate various townships. The vote was defeated 9-13. In early December, Wonder Lake’s Bob Anderson filed … Continue reading

Part-Time County Board Pension Question

Yesterday, the answers to the $41.3 million Valley Hi Nursing Home bank balance question by the ten candidates for District 4, 5 and 6 County Board seats were shared with McHenry County Blog readers. One of the six questions that … Continue reading

Kelly Liebmann Expands on County Board’s Valley Hi Overtaxation

A press release from District 6 McHenry County Board candidate Kelly Liebmann: Kelly Liebmann expands forum answer on Valley High $41 million surplus District 6 County Board Candidate Recommends Option to Fund $500,000 Valley High Yearly Operating Cost Shortfall Through … Continue reading

District 4, 5 & 6 County Board Republican Candidates Face Public – Valley Hi’s $41.3 Million Surplus

Ten people seeking Republican nominations for the McHenry County Board appeared at the League of Women Voters Forum Tuesday night. There are running for ballot spots in District 4 (McHenry, Johnsburg, Richmond and Spring Grove) District 5 (Woodstock, Huntley, Bull … Continue reading

Bob Anderson Files Ethics Complaint against Joe Gottemoller and Anna May Miller

After the McHenry County Board refused to place township consolidation referendums on the Primary Election ballot, Bob Anderson was a bit more than disappointed. First he filed an Open Meeting Act complaint against the County Board, claiming that neither Michele … Continue reading

23 Republicans, 5 Democrats Run for 12 County Board Seats

Here are the final filings for the Republican Primary Election for McHenry County Board: District 1 Yvonne Barnes, Cary Anna May Miller, Cary Terence Ferenc, Fox River Grove Tom Wilbeck, Barrington Hills District 2 Cameron Hubbard, Crystal Lake John Reinert, … Continue reading

Justification of Valley Hi’s $40 Million in the Bank

Peter Austin unveiled graphic results of Valley Hi Administrator Tom Annarella’s modeling efforts Tuesday. All versions assumed that the levy would be cut from $3 million to $2.250 million. The first version, seen below, shows the Valley Hi bank account … Continue reading

Liebmann Calls Out McCann & Smith on Vote against Cutting $40 Million+ Valley Hi Surplus

A press release from District 6 McHenry County Board candidate Kelly Liebmann: Kelly Liebmann addresses funding concerns to County Board District 6 County Board Candidate Pushes to Eliminate Valley Hi Tax Levy and Reduce $40 Million Excessive Reserve Fund Woodstock, … Continue reading

Finance Reverses Course, Cuts Valley Hi Levy by $750,000

What a difference five days makes. On Thursday, the members of the McHenry County Board’s Finance Committee voted 4-3 against lowering the $3 million Valley Hi Nursing Home levy by one penny. First-term member Chuck Wheeler, who was recently appointed … Continue reading

Finance Committee Fight over Valley Hi Taxes – Part 2

At this point Barnes weighed in. “That’s concerns me,”  she said. “You don’t solve that $20 million problem by [lowering the levy]. “I disagree,” Barnes replied. “If you’re going to be thinking about another facility,” Walkup said, “I think that … Continue reading

The Finance Fight over Valley Hi Taxes – Part 1

First, Mike Walkup, not a member of the Finance Committee, asked that the Valley Hi levy be split from the others for voting purposes. Pointing out that he had served on the nursing home’s Operating Board for two years, Walkup … Continue reading

Budget Back to Finance Committee

McHenry County Board Chairman Joe Gottemoller has apparently decided not to put next year’s levy ordinance on the Board Agenda without a positive vote from the Finance and Audit Committee. As you can read exclusively here, the vote was 3-3 … Continue reading

Finance Committee Provides Dilemma for Gottemoller

The Finance Committee has laid a dilemma in McHenry County Board Chairman Joe Gottemoller’s lap. The ordinance laying out the tax levy for county government was to be on the agenda of the next County Board meeting. It has to … Continue reading

Township Consolidation Dead – Updated with Public Comment

Led by McHenry County Board Chairman Joe Gottemoller, thirteen members tacked the lid on the coffin of the township consolidation movement. During the lengthy public comment period, in which the opponents of township consolidation dominated the podium, County Board members … Continue reading

Skala Proposes No Fringe Benefits for County Board Members

In the last Republican Primary election two candidates campaigning on not taking pension and health benefits. They were District 1 candidates Andrew Gasser and David Stieper.  Gasser won the primary and the election, while Stieper lost to incumbent Republican Robert … Continue reading